Encarnacion (Paraguay), Sept 1 (IANS) Indian rally veterans Naveen Puligilla and co-driver Musa Sherif made an impressive comeback to secure another WRC3 podium, finishing third at Rally del Paraguay. This event was the 11th round of the FIA World Rally Championship and marked their third consecutive podium in the class.
The Duran Racing team achieved a notable milestone with a hat-trick of WRC3 podiums. They finished 2nd at the season-ending Rally Saudi Arabia in November 2025, marking Naveen as the first Indian driver to reach a WRC class podium. Alongside Musa, they became the first all-Indian driver-co-driver duo to accomplish this feat. In March, they secured third place at the Safari Rally Kenya.
In their second WRC rally of the season, Hyderabad’s Naveen and experienced co-driver Musa from Kasaragod, driving a Ford Fiesta Rally3, completed the event in 5 hours, 10 minutes, and 54.9 seconds, including penalties. Out of 58 entries across all classes, only 44 cars finished the challenging 22 red-gravel Special Stages (SS) covering 357.64 km.
“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,” said Naveen, who is supported by Ashya Group and Yula Globus.
After going off the road in Special Stage 3 on Friday, which led to penalties for missing six stages, the team made a remarkable comeback on Saturday. Remaining calm, they gradually moved up the WRC3 standings, posting competitive stage times from SS10 onward. Despite incurring another 15-minute penalty for a turbo change, their efforts culminated on Sunday. Naveen delivered a fast run in the brief SS20 before finishing strong with second place in class in the final Power Stage, SS22, behind WRC3 winners Bolivian Nataniel Bruun and co-driver Mario Javier.
Musa Sherif, an eight-time Indian National Rally co-driver champion with 35 years of experience and more than 350 rallies to his credit, said, “Each rally has tested us differently – from the deserts of Saudi Arabia to the unforgiving terrain of Kenya and now the soft gravel of Paraguay. To achieve three podiums in a row at this level is something very special.”
Naveen debuted internationally in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship in New Zealand in 2024 and advanced to the WRC with Musa at Rally Kenya in 2025. Supported by Sri Chaitanya Educational Institutions and Samveer Group, they now head to Rally Chile, the 12th WRC round, scheduled from September 10 to 13.
–IANS
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