By GPC Sports Desk
Karan Patel eyes third African rally title in Tanzania
Kenyan drivers Karan Patel and Aakif Virani will battle for the 2026 FIA African Rally Championship title when the series concludes with the Serengeti Rally of Tanzania from October 2-4.
The championship finale in Morogoro sets up an all-Kenyan contest, with two-time African champion Patel holding a commanding lead over Virani ahead of the decisive round.
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Patel, driving for KCB Racing, leads the standings on 118 points, 33 points ahead of Virani on 85. Jasmeet Chana is third on 67 points, followed by Samman Singh Vohra on 66 and Nikhil Sachania on 56.
The title equation is heavily in Patel’s favour. The two-time champion needs only to finish the rally to secure his third continental crown, regardless of Virani’s result.
Virani, however, still has a mathematical route to the championship, although it would require a dramatic turnaround in fortunes.
The newly crowned 2026 ARC Masters Champion, reserved for drivers aged over 50, must win the Serengeti Rally while Patel retires. Virani would also need to claim the additional five championship points available for winning the Power Stage.
That makes the Tanzanian finale a potentially tense conclusion to a season in which Patel has built his advantage through consistency, while Virani has demonstrated the pace to challenge for victories.
Patel will also draw confidence from his record in Morogoro, having won last year’s edition of the rally.
The Tanzanian stages, however, are known for their demanding combination of dust, technical sections and unpredictable conditions, leaving the championship open until the final competitive kilometres.
A third title would place Patel among a select group of drivers to have won the African championship at least three times.
He would join Ivory Coast’s Alain Ambrosino, who won the title in 1983, 1986 and 1987; Zambia’s record eight-time champion Satwant Singh; and fellow Kenyan Manvir Baryan, who secured three consecutive titles in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
For Virani, meanwhile, the Serengeti Rally represents an opportunity to complete a remarkable championship turnaround and claim his maiden overall ARC crown.
The 2026 championship standings ahead of the Tanzanian finale are:
| Position | Driver | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karan Patel | Kenya | 118 |
| 2 | Aakif Virani | Kenya | 85 |
| 3 | Jasmeet Chana | Kenya | 67 |
| 4 | Samman Singh Vohra | Kenya | 66 |
| 5 | Nikhil Sachania | Kenya | 56 |
| 6 | Naveen Pulligilla | India | 41 |
