Young, fast and funny, Mcrae Kimathi blew us away when he first came into the spotlight as one of Kenya’s youngest rally stars. Hailing from an impressive lineage of rally greatness, his father Phineas Kimathi was the first person to win a Formula 2 WRC event with Hyundai in 1997! Mcrae was kind-hearted enough to participate in Carhoot Chronicles a short video series on Kenyan Car Culture and his insights were VERY interesting. We had the good fortune of interviewing him for this blog a few days before the WRC kick-off and this is what he had to say…
How important is the Safaricom FIA Rally Star Program sponsorship to your career?
The FIA Rally Star Program is important. Safaricom coming on board with the partnership with Kenya Airways is very exciting and a new challenge. I am so grateful for their support and hope to make them proud.
For those who don’t know, Mcrae is among three lucky young drivers who received a Kenya Shilling 15 Million sponsorship deal courtesy of Safaricom and Kenya Airways to join the FIA (World’s leading motorsport organization) special program aimed at nurturing global motor talents across the world.
Do you think this year’s WRC event will be different?
This year’s WRC event will be different from the older days as it will be run on purely private roads so making sure we have utmost safety.
What is something you think everyday Kenyan drivers can learn from the WRC and world of rally sports?
Just be safe, obey the traffic rules, and make sure that everything is okay and you are safe. Safety is a major part of our racing requirements.
For more information on how to ensure you are following all the rules, please check out the Spectator Guidelines HERE.
What car will you be driving?
I will be driving a Ford Fiesta R3. A new class in the market to help young drivers excel and hone their skills.
You mentioned you like listening to Bongo while you race? Do you have a playlist ready and if so, which artists/songs will be joining you on this year’s race?
I am a huge fan of Ali Kiba, and I really want to be in his concerts. Mapenzi Yana Run Dunia,Mac Muga, and Dushelele are my favorite songs!
How would you like Kenyans to support you and your team this year?
Be safe take the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) requirements seriously, don’t drink and drive and most of all have fun at the rally.
Watch Out for Car #49…
The entire team at Carhoot will be actively cheering Mcrae on and we hope you guys do too! If you aren’t attending the WRC Rally in person, please make sure you catch the live stream, available on multiple platforms. You can also follow Mcrae on Instagram and Twitter!
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