'Like driving in a zoo': Rally drivers startled by rogue zebras, pigs on high-speed stages
A quirk of arguably the toughest car rally in the world reared its head when several drivers were forced to slow for zebras and pigs making their way onto the course.
Ford driver Ott Tanak and Hyundai's part-timer Dani Sordo both came upon the wildlife on a special stage two of Safari Rally Kenya.
"It's like driving in a zoo. We met a pig and then we had a group of zebras who didn't give a f---," said Tanak.
Watch the 2023 FIA World Rally Championship, Safari Rally Kenya on June 22-5. All the action streaming ad free, live and on demand
Sordo said, "We saw some zebras in the middle of the stage and we were stuck behind them."
Sordo and Tanak lost time as a result, ending the stage sixth and seventh respectively.
Ott Tanak was among those to come across zebras on special stage two at Rally Safari Kenya. Massimo Bettiol via Getty Image
Tanak had led the rally after Thursday's opening super special stage, but fell to sixth.
Sordo's teammate Thierry Neuville was fourth quickest in the second stage despite a bee finding its way into the cockpit.
"It's very shaky in there and we got kicked off the line and we had a big bee in the car," he said at the special stage control.
Sebastien Ogier leads the rally after the second stage, nearly 10 seconds clear of Toyota teammate Kalle Rovanpera while Neuville sits third.
The four-day FIA World Rally Championship event is one of the most gruelling, with some of the toughest roads that challenge even the most developed cars.
This year marks the third edition of Rally Kenya since the world championship ended its 19-year hiatus.
The event was a staple of the calendar from 1973 through to 2002 but was absent until 2021.
The 2022 edition is the 70th running of the event, which debuted in 1953.
Stan Sport will carry live, ad-free coverage of SS9 and SS12 from 4pm and 10pm respectively on Saturday.
Coverage continues on Sunday with SS16 at 4pm and SS19 at 9pm on Sunday.
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