Indian Racer Jeet Jhabakh Makes History by Winning FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship
Jeet Jhabakh becomes the first driver to win the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship with a two-wheel-drive car in its 38-year history.
Hyderabad, November 3 (Daily Kiran) : Indian racer Jeet Jhabakh has etched his name in history by clinching the 2026 FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) title. This victory marks him as the first driver to win the overall championship with a two-wheel-drive car in the event’s 38-year history.
Partnering with co-driver Musa Sharif, Jhabakh has become the first fully Indian driver and co-driver duo to secure the prestigious APRC title. Sharif further distinguished their campaign by winning the 2026 APRC co-drivers championship, adding to the significance of their achievement.
This win comes in Jhabakh’s inaugural international season. The Hyderabad native completed the championship with a total of 73 points, outpacing his nearest competitor by 35 points. His consistency was crucial, as he scored points in every round without retiring from a single race.
Throughout the season, Jhabakh delivered impressive performances, including a second-place finish in his category at the Otago Rally in New Zealand and an overall second place at the South India Rally in Chennai. He also achieved a remarkable overall victory at the Rally of Indonesia (Danau Toba).
With his triumph in the 2026 FIA APRC4 Championship, Jhabakh has further solidified his dominance in the two-wheel-drive category. A two-time Indian national racing champion, he previously won the Vento Cup in 2016 and the Ameo Cup in 2019. He has also secured podium finishes over 50 times in his career and has won the ‘Indian Touring Cars’ team championship three times consecutively.
After transitioning to rallying in 2024, Jhabakh finished second in the INRC3 Championship during his debut season. He followed this up with another second-place finish in the 2025 INRC3T Championship.
