Patel eyes better tidings at 2023 WRC Safari Rally 

Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) winner Karan Patel is looking forward to improving on his 2021 World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally performance in this year’s edition slated for June 22 to 25 in Naivasha.

The 32-year-old driver, who had an impressive season last year where he claimed the Overall KNRC title, Motorsport Personality of the Year Award and the Division One title, finished eighth overall in the 2021 WRC Safari Rally.

Though he lost last year’s Africa Rally Championship title to Leroy Gomez of Zambia, Patel is eager to bounce back in style in Naivasha. 

He insists that finishing eighth in the 2021 global competition remains his ‘best moment’ in his rally racing career.

“As you may expect, since 2014 when I started rallying, there have been so many ups and downs and various situations that test me as a driver. But for me I would say the most exciting and memorable was when we finished 8th overall and 2nd in class during the 2021 WRC Safari Rally Kenya,” said Patel.

Patel, whose team has been sponsored by Red Bull and KCB, will be navigated by his long term partner Tauseef Khan in a Ford Fiesta Rally 2 classified in the WRC2 category.

Just like any other sport, Patel says good mental and physical preparation is crucial in achieving positive results in racing.

“Good mental and physical preparation before a race is key to optimum performance. For me I'm always working on this, constantly challenging myself by pushing the limits of what I can achieve,” said Patel.

“I believe that it’s important to have good physical endurance and this will ensure good mental abilities because the first thing that happens before you lose mental performance is that you get physically tired, therefore I'm always working on my physical fitness because it compliments my mental abilities. 

“Nevertheless it's also important to be mentally prepared for a race and for this I feel experience helps me a lot because only time and various situations can help you strengthen your mental state of mind and help you manage yourself during situations that would otherwise challenge less experienced competitors.”

He says his normal day starts at 4.30am as he continues with his preparation for the Safari Rally.

"Typically, my day starts at 4.30am with a cup of black coffee followed by an intense 90-minute workout starting at 5am where I focus on doing various exercises to condition and enhance my fitness levels,” he said.

Patel believes criticism has made him a better rally driver. 

“Criticism is one of the challenges that I faced through my rally career. However, each mistake is a lesson learned and each decision made has been done based on careful consideration and various factors. I always remind myself of these things when I face negative criticism,” he said.

Despite all the challenges, Patel says he is still motivated to continue participating in rally racing.

“I have always enjoyed racing and so I don't need much to keep me going. I am also a very competitive individual by default and so second place is always not enough for me because I need to win for me to be satisfied. 

“Nevertheless the fact that I have a wonderful group of people banking on me and supporting me in my journey to be the best version of myself helps a lot because when the going gets tough, I think about the support I have from my family, my team, my friends, supporters and fans which I use to keep pushing myself to greater heights.”