Naveen-Musa achieve WRC3 podium hat-trick in Paraguay, secure third place

Indian rally driver Naveen Puligilla and co-driver Musa Sherif have secured another podium finish in the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) World Rally Championship (WRC) following a spectacular comeback. They finished third in the WRC3 category at Rally del Paraguay, the 11th round of the championship, which concluded on Sunday.

With this victory, the Duran Racing duo of Naveen and Musa has achieved their third consecutive WRC3 podium. Naveen had previously made history by becoming the first Indian driver to secure a podium in the WRC category, finishing second at the season-ending Rally Saudi Arabia in November 2025.

At that time, the Naveen-Musa pair also became the first all-Indian driver-co-driver duo to achieve a WRC podium. Subsequently, they secured third place at the Safari Rally Kenya in March.

Participating in their second WRC rally of the season, Hyderabad’s Naveen and his experienced co-driver Moosa Sherif (from Kasaragod) completed the 357.64 km distance—spread across 22 grueling red-gravel special stages—in a total time of 5 hours, 10 minutes, and 54.9 seconds (including penalties). Notably, out of the 58 cars that started across all categories, only 44 managed to finish the rally.

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Naveen and Moosa were forced to miss six stages after their car slid off the road during the third special stage on Friday. Despite the resulting penalties, they staged a remarkable comeback on Saturday; from SS10 onwards, they consistently clocked competitive stage times and improved their standing in the WRC3 category.

They persevered even after incurring another 15-minute penalty due to a turbocharger change. Naveen delivered a blistering performance in SS20 on Sunday and concluded the rally on a high note by finishing second—behind the WRC3 winners, Bolivia’s Nataniel Bruun and co-driver Mario Javier—in the final ‘Power Stage’ (SS22).

“We are thrilled with this result. Despite facing numerous challenges, we fought hard without losing focus until the very end. Standing on the podium with the Indian flag fills me with immense pride,” said Naveen Puligilla, who is supported by the Aashya Group and Yula Globus.

Musa Sherif, a veteran with 35 years of experience, over 350 rallies under his belt, and an eight-time Indian National Rally Co-driver Champion, said: “From the deserts of Saudi Arabia and the rugged terrain of Kenya to the soft gravel of Paraguay, every rally has tested us in unique ways. Achieving three consecutive podium finishes at this level is truly special.”

Naveen made his international rallying debut at the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in New Zealand in 2024. He made his WRC debut alongside Musa at the 2025 Rally Kenya. The Naveen-Musa duo, also supported by Sri Chaitanya Educational Institutions and the Sanveer Group, will now focus on the 12th round of the WRC – Rally Chile – scheduled for September 10–13.