Africa champions Karan, Tauseef feted in Baku
Karan Patel and Tauseef Khan receive their award for winning the Africa rally title on December 9, 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
What you need to know:
- The annual awards ceremony, hosted by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, brought together the who is who of motorsports, and captains of the industry with the support of official partners – Rolex, Hankook Tire and Technology and Brembo.
- The awards ceremony brought the curtain down on the 2024 global motorsports calendar, with Kenya once again being part of the party, thanks to Karan and the WRC Safari Rally and Toyota Gazoo Racing team as current Safari champions.
Kenyan crew of Karan Patel and Tauseef Khan who won the 2023 Africa Rally Championship Series have been feted in a colourful Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) awards ceremony held at the weekend in Baku, Azerbaijan.
On Saturday, Karan and Tauseef joined the best rally crews of the year in a colourful ceremony held at the Azerbaijan Convention Centre. It was hosted by the Azerbaijan Automobile Federation (AAF) and Baku City Circuit, which has been home to the local Formula 1 Grand Prix since 2016.
The annual awards ceremony, hosted by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, brought together the who is who of motorsports, and captains of the industry with the support of official partners – Rolex, Hankook Tire and Technology and Brembo.
The awards ceremony brought the curtain down on the 2024 global motorsports calendar, with Kenya once again being part of the party, thanks to Karan and the WRC Safari Rally and Toyota Gazoo Racing team as current Safari champions.
Patel and Khan stood at the podium oozing with confidence.
"When it comes to rallying, finishing is never guaranteed. So we had to finish in the top three going into the last round. It was not easy and I prayed that the car would hold. Thankfully, things went according to plan. I guess this is not the last time I will be here,” Karan said to a thunderous applause. The two represented Kenya and Africa in an event also attended by the Kenya Motor Sports Federation (KMSF) President Maina Muturi.
In an evening to remember as the FIA awarded the city of Kigali, Rwanda rights to host the 2024 Congress, bringing top stars of the sport closer home next year.
“I’d like to start by saying thank you to the Azerbaijani Government, to our member club, the Azerbaijan Automobile Federation and its President, Mr Anar Alakbarov, the beautiful City of Baku and the Baku City Circuit for having us here,” said FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
“Tonight, we have celebrated our champions, both the established names, the multiple title winners, as well as the emerging stars of the future from across the spectrum of our competitions. The FIA Prize Giving is always a special moment for all and a true celebration of motor sport,” he added.
The highlight of the evening was when Red Bull driver, Belgian Max Verstappen, stood up to receive the FIA Formula One World Championship for Drivers trophy for the third time in his career after stellar season that yielded a total of 19 wins (as well as four out of a possible six sprint wins) achieved across the 22 races held this year.
“I was of course never thinking about trying to break all these records, I was just trying to do the best I could every single race weekend and enjoy it as well. These kind of great moments don’t come along that often,” said Verstappen who, on his way to his third title, broke a 71-year-old record of the highest percentage of race wins in a season.
The Constructors’ trophy was accepted by Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Team Principal Christian Horner.
