Jeremiah Wahome open to circuit racing return

FIA rally star driver Jeremiah Wahome is making inroads in the Kenyan rallying scene and beyond, his latest achievement being a second-place finish in the World Rally Championship (WRC) 3 at the Safari Rally. 

Wahome who started circuit racing with karting before proceeding abroad where he competed in the British Formula E and Malaysian Formula Three rounds made the switch to rallying in 2021. 

The 23-year old is, however, open to making a return to the circuit and finding a balance between that and rallying if the opportunity was to present itself. 

In 2018, organisers of the world’s first F3 Asian Championship Certified by FIA released the names of the first confirmed drivers for the inaugural season, with the Kenyan the only African on the list.

He competed in the Super-Six category and one round of the full Asia Cup at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, claiming three top rookie awards with two runner-up finishes and a third place from five races. 

"I got an opportunity to study and race in Europe but it reached a point where it had gotten really expensive and that's when the chance to rally presented itself.

I had gotten quite far and was two steps away from featuring in Formula One. If the opportunity came back, I would try and balance both. Right now I am just sticking with the momentum. If rallying keeps picking up I will ride that wave," said Wahome. 

Navigated by experienced co-driver, Victor Okundi, who has also had considerable time on the driver's seat, Wahome says his transition to rallying has been smooth thanks to his partner's expertise in route note taking. 

In 2021, he was green in the rallying scene and he says the 2021 WRC Safari was a learning process that helped him have a much more straightforward event in the just concluded Safari where he placed second behind Maxine Wahome, whom he has had to explain that they are not in any way related. 

"The three main tools to handle a car remain the same. The biggest difference between circuit racing and rallying is not the driving but the unfamiliarity of the stages in the latter.  A driver has to learn how to adapt to the changing routes, from hard to soft to fesh-fesh to rocks. In circuit racing, it is lap after another on the same track so no surprises," he offered asked about how his transition has been and what the difference has been. 

He continued, "I do miss the thrill of circuit racing, the overtaking of other cars, the defending, just the race craft which we do not get in rallying. However, Rally has alot of driving pleasure especially when you get it right with the notes and get comfortable in the car," he explained.