Two-time African Rally champion Karan Patel’s title defence hopes have suffered another heavy blow after he was forced to withdraw from the fourth leg of the 2025 ARC in Burundi, set tomorrow, following unforeseen delays in repairing his damaged vehicle.
Karan and his long-time co-driver, Tauseef Khan, were sidelined in the previous round, the Mountain Gorilla Rally in Rwanda, after crashing out in SS3 Nemba 1, their Ford Fiesta sustaining significant damage that demanded a complete shell replacement.
The Mountain Gorilla Rally saw Samman Vohra and his co-driver Drew Sturrock emerge victorious, clocking 1:48.59.1 with paraplegic driver Nikhil Sachania and his co-driver Deep Patel in second place in 2:03.39.7.
Karan expressed deep frustration at missing the Burundi outing, a rally he had earmarked to claw back crucial championship points.
"To our fans, friends and rally community in Burundi. It is with great disappointment that we announce our withdrawal from the upcoming Burundi Rally."
"Our entire team has worked tirelessly since our accident in Kigali to repair the car in time for this event," Karan shared on his socials. Karan revealed that airline delays and special crating requirements meant the shipment arrived too late. "We secured the replacement shell and arranged for it to be airfreighted at significant cost."
"Unfortunately, unforeseen delays with the airline and additional requirements for special crafting meant that the shipment could not arrive on time," he added. He noted that his team was fully prepared to work around the clock to get the car in top shape for Burundi.
"We were fully prepared to assemble the car as soon as it landed, and right up until the last possible moment, we were doing everything we could to make it to the start line. Sadly, despite our best efforts, the logistical challenges proved impossible to overcome."
The setback compounds what has been a turbulent start to Patel’s 2025 campaign. He was forced into retirement at the season-opening WRC Safari Rally in March before bouncing back to winning form at the Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally in May, clocking a cumulative time of 1:51:28.9. Uganda’s Yasin Nasser (2:04:21.6) and Sachania (2:07:48.4) completed that podium.
After three rounds, Nasser leads the ARC standings with 86 points, followed by Sachania (77) and Vohra (71). Carl “Flash” Tundo sits fourth on 50, Jeremiah Wahome fifth with 42, while Karan is sixth on 35. Karan, however, remains defiant.
"Burundi was a rally we had been looking forward to for a long time, and we are truly sorry to miss the chance to compete in front of our incredible supporters here."
"We are grateful for your understanding and your continued encouragement, and we promise to come back stronger in the future," he added.
