When he joined the FIA Rally Stars programme in 2021, Hamza Anwar described himself as the quickest upcoming driver.

A year later, he maintains the speed, but he has become more philosophical about rallying and, ultimately, life.

After the WRC Safari Rally, he went on to the Equator Rally and then the Pearl of Africa Rally in Uganda.

Although he finished seventh overall at that rally, Hamza describes the experience as the highlight of his career so far.

“I took my first stage win overall against much powerful cars and against the big boys,” he says.

The Pearl of Africa Rally also gave him a thrill as he stayed in second place and was sure he could go first but came up against some issues. Still, he felt that he used his experience driving in difficult conditions to his advantage.

Ahead of the WRC Safari Rally, where he is sponsored by Safaricom, Hamza is hoping that the stages treat him better than they did last year. He will be looking to avoid getting into the sort of trouble that had him and his navigator at the time, Riyaz Ismail, digging out their car from the sand at the Hell’s Gate stage with their bare hands.

His greatest lesson to date is learning to take the race as it comes and to watch his pace while avoiding the temptation to think that speed is all he needs to be successful.

“I’ve learnt to relax and let God’s plan come through, so kind of not fighting the tide. I know I’m quick, I have speed. It’s not a problem at all for me but I also have to accept that there is a lot more experience needed to reach the winning stage,” he says.

Watch the video below to hear more from the rising rally star.