The W2RC is in full force on South African soil

The W2RC is in full force on South African soil

The W2RC is the championship for only the most daring. Bikes, quads, cars and buggies race through some of the toughest terrain the world has to offer, and it's a series where Dakar is only the beginning. It is a spectacle comparable to the Dakar but taking place in Asian forests or in the South African bush. South Africa is hosting the Safari leg of the W2RC for the first time this year, but we have plenty of experience, as the South African Rally Raid Championship is the world's largest regional championship.

Drama of the W2RC Safari Rally began ahead of schedule. Unpredictable and rare weather caused havoc ahead of the event, with heavy rain washing away many of the predetermined trails. Nevertheless, our experienced navigators have put on a serious and challenging show in the opening stages of this event.

1,218km are set to be conquered, with the longest stage sitting at a whopping 350km. The home base for this project is the iconic Sun City resort, which is the central point for this week's events. During the event, competitors will need to quickly adapt to the unique South African conditions, including black turf, black clay, and off-track bushveld filled with thorns.

This year, navigation appears to be the most difficult challenge, as the bikes struggle with the lush green and ever-changing landscape. Local competitors, meanwhile, should have a home-ground advantage thanks to their familiarity with the terrain.

As per the reverse order grid, Sebastien Loeb started first on the stage, but considering the challenging navigation ahead, he fell three minutes behind the leader after the first day. However, the Minis looked fastest out of the block, with Joao Ferreira achieving the fastest split after the first sector. However, a new face on the tour and a local youngster, 20-year-old Jayden Els, appeared to have the home ground advantage and finished fourth on the first day, expressing his joy at racing alongside his idols and putting up an impressive fight.

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Speaking of idols, Carlos Sainz Snr was flying in his beautiful example of a Ford Raptor, finishing second on the first day. But the man to take an early lead was South African Henk Lategan in his GR Hilux, establishing an early two-minute lead.

What the first stage provided was a closer look at the tough terrain and endless amounts of mud. The second day, however, proved to be a day for the navigators, as numerous mistakes muddled the leaderboard on day 2. The first five drivers all struggled with directions and lost over 10 minutes each. The one who suffered the most damage was the leader on day one, Lategan, dropping down to fifth.

On day 2, Nasser Al-Attiyah excelled, securing the first position before a missed waypoint imposed a 15-minute penalty. But the big news on the day was the two South African GR SVR drivers, Saood Variawa and Guy Botterill, who arguably wore the best-looking livery in the field. Saood managed to wind his way through the slick mud to second place on the second day, but Guy Botterill produced an even more impressive performance.

Picking up 17 minutes of penalties on the first day, he began the second leg with a 41st placement. But his drive on the second day made a serious statement, finishing just behind Belgian Guillaume De Mevius. But a penalty for De Mevius gave Botterill the top spot on the day and his first-ever win in the championship.

Ahead lies day three, which is currently underway. Drivers have spent the night away from base camp at Marathon Camp and will need to cover 270km of road sections and 253km of special stages to get back to Sun City. The South Africans are showing a positive home-ground advantage, but titans of the sport are no strangers to unknown quantities, so it's still anybody's race. With three stages remaining and many more mud holes to conquer, the event is already proving to be exciting.

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