Karan Patel eyeing ARC glory as WRC Safari Rally opens action
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Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 23.02.26. | 16:18
This year's ARC will traverse Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania
Kenyan ace Karan Patel will launch his bid to reclaim the FIA African Rally Championship (ARC) title with the season-opening round of the continental circuit that will also double as the WRC Safari Rally set for Thursday, 12 to Sunday, 15 March in Naivasha.
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Patel surrendered the continental crown to Yasin Nasser of Uganda last season, having gone back-to-back in 2023 and 2024.
The Kenyan is now looking forward to his home event with great expectations.
"There is nothing new for now, it's just to prepare and race," Patel said about his plans for the Safari Rally that will be the third round of the 2026 WRC.
This year's ARC will traverse Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania.
Karan returns to the fabled Kenyan round with his "trusty steed", a Skoda Fabia Rally2 car and will be navigated by long-time co-driver Tauseef Khan, who has partnered with him for over a decade.
The Škoda Fabia R5 will be entered in the WRC2 class of the Safari Rally, which will feature leading professional drivers from across the globe.
"The vehicle is good. The target is to try to win the ARC, so let's see what we can achieve in Naivasha. Preparations are always ongoing.
As soon as one rally finishes, we're already on to the next. So, the preparations for Safari had already started way after our last rally in Tanzania. We will have one test drive before the event,” he added.
Patel hailed the chemistry with his partner Khan, noting it will be crucial to his ambitions for the season, saying, "We have been together with Tauseef for 10 years, it's a good relationship, no fighting, no blaming, just to do what we have to do in the car."
He reflected on last year's ARC campaign, in which he failed to seal a hat-trick despite winning the season-closing ARC Mkwawa Rally of Tanzania.
"Just a few initial issues, engine issues, damage to the car, accidents, a bit of everything – what we call normal in racing life.
The fact that the title was not going in our favour, the win in Tanzania was a very good way to finish the season, I mean, good team morale, high for me, good for everyone. So, we are going into the Safari with a good vibe," he revealed.
Patel singled out Rwanda as his favourite ARC round, but is excited about the Safari adventure.
"I'm looking forward to Safari. It's part of the ARC. Hopefully, the fans continue to support us. I know they felt let down by us last season, but we are always trying our best to pull our socks up," Patel offered.
He will mount his charge behind the sponsorship of Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), which is also on board as a partner of the WRC Safari Rally.
"Because of the sponsorship of KCB, we have a lot more time to focus on racing; it's a very good relationship we have with the bank, we look forward to many more years," he concluded.
KCB set aside over Ksh227 million for the 2026 WRC Safari Rally, marking its sixth consecutive year of partnership with the global event.
Of this, over Ksh100m will go to Safari Rally, over Ksh28.5m is set aside for the five drivers racing under the KCB banner, with the rest going to the event marketing.
Patel, Nikhil Sachania, Tinashe Gatimu, Queen Kalimpinya from Rwanda, and Uganda's Oscar Ntambi will rally under the KCB deal.
Patel finished third in the 2025 ARC behind Yasin and compatriot Samman Vohra.