Stage 4 of the South African Safari Rally, totaling 694 kilometers with 224 kilometers against the clock, was the longest and arguably most decisive stage of the rally. Across the fast and varied terrain around Sun City, the top contenders once again rose to the occasion. Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM) clinched his fourth stage win, strengthening his RallyGP lead, while Saood Variawa (Toyota Gazoo Racing) surprised the field with his first stage victory. Henk Lategan reclaimed the overall lead in the car category with a seventh-place finish, now just 39 seconds ahead of Sébastien Loeb.
Toyota takes control as Lategan regains the lead
After a Dacia-dominated Stage 3, Toyota Gazoo Racing bounced back in style. Nineteen-year-old Saood Variawa shocked both fans and rivals by taking his first-ever W2RC stage win, clocking 02:09:05. Guy Botterill and Henk Lategan (both Toyota) followed closely behind, with Lategan posting a solid enough time to retake the overall lead from Loeb, who finished in P8. The Mini of Guillaume de Mévius impressed with a second-place finish, the brand’s best result of the rally so far.
The Dutch teams once again delivered steady performances. Dave and Tessa Klaassen finished 22nd in their Red-Lined Revo GTR, just ahead of Rients Hofstra and Wade Harris in 23rd. Rik van den Brink and Gydo Heimans took 30th place in their Century CR7-T.
Top 5 Cars – Stage 4
- Saood Variawa (RSA, Toyota) – 02:09:05
- Guillaume de Mévius (BEL, Mini) – +00:58
- Guy Botterill (RSA, Toyota) – +01:19
- Daniel Schröder (GER, VW Amarok) – +02:13
- Seth Quintero (USA, Toyota) – +02:16
Sanders scores back-to-back wins, Canet unstoppable in Rally2
For the first time this season, Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM) led from start to finish — securing his second consecutive stage win. With a time of 02:22:13, he beat Adrien Van Beveren (+00:53) and Skyler Howes (+01:49), extending his overall RallyGP lead to 7 minutes over Luciano Benavides.
In Rally2, Edgar Canet continued his impressive run with another stage victory, ahead of Tobias Ebster and Michael Docherty. Dutch rider Ian Olthof had a strong showing, finishing 9th in Rally2 and 18th overall with a time of 02:58:45. Olthof shared: “Lots of sand and twisty turns, absolutely beautiful. At one point I was running 11th overall, right among the big boys! Later on, it got rocky and I had to slow down. Unfortunately, another time penalty for a speed zone… But I really love rally racing — that mix of navigation and focus is just awesome.”
Top 5 Bikes – Stage 4
- Daniel Sanders (AUS, KTM) – 02:22:13
- Adrien Van Beveren (FRA, Honda) – +00:53
- Skyler Howes (USA, Honda) – +01:49
- Edgar Canet (ESP, KTM – Rally2) – +02:15
- Ricky Brabec (USA, Honda) – +02:23
Challenger: Zille stretches lead, Klaassen impressive again
David Zille claimed his third consecutive stage win, leading a dominant BBR 1-2-3-4 with Pau Navarro, Dania Akeel, and Nicolás Cavigliasso following closely. His lead in the overall Challenger standings grew to more than five minutes. Puck Klaassen once again impressed, finishing seventh in her OT3 from G Rally Team.
SSV: Pinto bounces back, Franco eyes overall win
Alexandre Pinto bounced back from earlier setbacks to claim a convincing stage win, followed by Enrico Gaspari and Jose Nogueira. Overall leader Mário Franco came in fourth but maintains a comfortable lead of over 45 minutes. Dutch navigator Wouter Rosegaar and Brit Richard Aczel finished sixth in the stage.
Quads: Kanopkinas takes another win, Martinez holds the lead
Antanas Kanopkinas won the quad category for the second time this rally, ahead of teammate Gaëtan Martinez, who remains firmly in control of the overall classification. South Africa’s Carien Teessen continues to hold third place.
Looking ahead: final stage will decide it all
The margins at the top are razor-thin: just 39 seconds separate Lategan and Loeb, with the top five within three minutes. The fight for third place in the bike category also remains wide open. Stage 5 covers 222 kilometers, with 111 kilometers of timed racing — promising a nail-biting finale to this dramatic rally.
