Hyderabad: Jeet Jhabakh, a racer from Hyderabad, has scripted history by winning the 2026 FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC), becoming the first driver in the competition's 38-year history to claim the overall title in a two-wheel-drive car.
Partnering with co-driver Musa Sherif, Jhabakh also became part of the first all-Indian driver and co-driver combination to win the continental championship. Sherif further added to the achievement by securing the 2026 APRC Co-drivers' Championship.
The victory came in Jhabakh's debut international season, with the Hyderabad racer finishing the campaign with 73 championship points, 35 ahead of his nearest competitor. His consistency proved crucial, as he scored points in every round without suffering a single retirement.
Jhabakh's campaign featured several notable performances, including a second-place finish in his category at the Otago Rally in New Zealand and a second-place overall finish at the South India Rally in Chennai. He also secured an overall victory at the Rally of Indonesia (Danau Toba), one of the highlights of his campaign.
The Indian racer further strengthened his position in the two-wheel-drive category by winning the 2026 FIA APRC4 Championship.
In a statement carried by the news agency IANS after his victory, Jhabakh credited the team's consistency and the contribution of his co-driver for the title-winning campaign.
“We were quick at every rally and never threw one away, and that’s what wins a championship. We had our share of problems across the season, but my co-driver Musa Sherif called every corner right, and the engineers kept the car going. I’m proud of what we have achieved. This championship is a start, not a finish,” he said.
A two-time Indian national racing champion, Jhabakh previously won the Vento Cup in 2016 and the Ameo Cup in 2019. He also secured three consecutive Indian Touring Cars team championships and has recorded more than 50 career podium finishes.
After transitioning to rallying in 2024, Jhabakh finished runner-up in the INRC3 championship in his debut season. He followed it up with another second-place finish in the INRC3T championship in 2025.
His 2026 APRC victory marks a significant milestone in his career and Indian motorsport, with Jhabakh and Sherif becoming the first all-Indian combination to win the continental championship.