It was the first World Rally Championship victory for Richard Burns and his co-driver Robert Reid after his teammate Tommi Mäkinen and fellow Briton Colin McRae both retired.

Burns retained the lead as a result, held it to the end, and won his first WRC rally in his career.

It was the Ford Escorts of the Finns Juha Kankkunen and Ari Vatanen, both previous Safari Rally winners, who completed the podium in second and third respectively.

Luis Climent, in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III, had his first victory of the year.

Manfred Stohl finished behind him in second, and the Kenyan Paul Bailey completed the podium.