Karan Patel and his co-driver Tauseef Khan made a bold statement at the Rwanda Mt Gorilla Rally 2025 by topping the timesheets during the Qualifying Stage held at the iconic Kigali Convention Center, despite a dramatic start to their day.
The duo, piloting a Skoda Fabia R5, suffered an early scare during free practice when Patel clipped a roadside bank, damaging the rear right suspension.
But in true rally warrior fashion, the crew pulled off a swift repair job and came back roaring in the qualifier clocking the fastest time of 3:25.7.
Not far behind, Kenya’s young charger Samman Singh Vohra, with co-driver Drew Sturrock in a similar Skoda Fabia, had a clean and steady run to post the second-fastest time at 3:39.2. Vohra, who has been turning heads with his rapid rise in the ARC series, remained composed despite finishing 13.5 seconds behind Patel.
Third place went to the current African Rally Championship leaders, Yasin Nasser and Ali Katumba, who clocked 3:52.8. The Moil Rally Team crew took a cautious approach, clearly keeping their eyes on the bigger picture of the championship title, though they were 27.1 seconds off Patel’s benchmark.
Rounding off the top four was Nikhil Sachania, the inspirational paraplegic driver from Kenya, alongside co-driver Deep Patel in their Ford Fiesta R3. The duo posted 4:15.2, a respectable time given the tricky tarmac through the Kigali city layout.
Meanwhile, Tanzanian driver Prince Nyerere and co-driver Fernand Rutabingwa secured a solid fifth place. Meanwhile the national class crews used the qualifier primarily as a shakedown session. With setups being dialed in and last-minute tweaks applied, all eyes are now firmly on tomorrow’s main event.
Saturday promises to be the ultimate test with nine competitive stages scheduled the longest and most grueling day of the rally. The format includes three distinct stages, each repeated three times, offering a cocktail of high-speed straights, technical corners that could throw even the best crews off balance.
The championship contenders are primed, the fans are fired up, and the engines are ready to roar. As the dust settles on the streets of Kigali, the real action now shifts to Bugesera, where the rally battle will rage.
