Indian Rally Team Achieves Historic Third Podium Finish at Rally del Paraguay

Indian rally drivers Naveen Puligilla and Musa Sherif have made history by securing their third consecutive podium finish in the WRC3 category at the Rally del Paraguay. After overcoming challenges, including penalties, the duo showcased remarkable resilience and skill, finishing third in a competitive field. Their journey in the FIA World Rally Championship continues as they prepare for the upcoming Rally Chile. Discover more about their inspiring performance and future plans in the full article.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 3, 2026, 00:17 IST

Historic Achievement for Indian Rally Duo

In a remarkable display of skill, Indian rally team Naveen Puligilla and co-driver Musa Sherif secured a commendable third-place finish in the WRC3 category at the Rally del Paraguay, which is the 11th event of the FIA World Rally Championship. This achievement marks their third consecutive podium in the class.

The duo, representing Duran Racing, previously finished second at the Rally Saudi Arabia in November 2025, making Naveen the first Indian driver to earn a WRC class podium. Together, they also became the first all-Indian driver-co-driver pair to achieve this milestone. Earlier in March, they clinched third place at the Safari Rally in Kenya.

During their second WRC rally of the season, Naveen from Hyderabad and Musa from Kasaragod drove a Ford Fiesta Rally3, completing the race in 5 hours, 10 minutes, and 54.9 seconds, including penalties. Out of 58 entries across all classes, only 44 cars managed to finish the challenging 22 red-gravel Special Stages, covering a total distance of 357.64 km.

Naveen expressed his excitement about their performance, stating, "We are absolutely thrilled with this result. Despite the ups and downs, we stayed focused and fought till the very end. To stand on the podium holding the Indian flag is a very proud moment." Their efforts were supported by Ashya Group and Yula Globus.

After facing difficulties in Special Stage 3 on Friday, which led to penalties for missing six stages, the team made a remarkable comeback on Saturday. They steadily climbed back up the WRC3 rankings, achieving competitive stage times from SS10 onwards. Despite incurring an additional 15-minute penalty for a turbo change, their recovery culminated in a strong performance on Sunday, highlighted by a fast run in the short SS20 and a solid second-place finish in the final Power Stage, SS22, behind Bolivian winners Nataniel Bruun and co-driver Mario Javier.

Musa Sherif, an accomplished co-driver with eight national titles and over 350 rallies under his belt, remarked, "Each rally has tested us differently—from the deserts of Saudi Arabia to the challenging terrain of Kenya and now the soft gravel of Paraguay. Achieving three podiums in a row at this level is truly special."

Naveen began his international rally career in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship in New Zealand in 2024 and made his WRC debut alongside Musa at the Rally Kenya in 2025. The duo, also supported by Sri Chaitanya Educational Institutions and Samveer Group, is set to participate in Rally Chile, the 12th round of the WRC, scheduled from September 10 to September 13.