Indian rally champions Dean Mascarenhas and co-driver Gagan Karumbaiah of TSI Racing are set to compete in the Rally del Paraguay this weekend, marking their second WRC3 appearance of the 2025 season and their first-ever gravel rally in the Ford Fiesta Rally3. The duo, backed by Sidvin Energy Engineering and supported by French outfit PH Sport, take on one of the most physically demanding surfaces on the WRC calendar.

The Challenge Ahead

The Rally del Paraguay, based in Encarnacion, spans 357.64 km of timed competition across 22 special stages on soft red-clay gravel — a surface neither driver has encountered in a WRC context before. The switch from tarmac to gravel represents a significant step up in technical complexity, requiring different car setup, tyre management, and pace-note precision.

The Road to Paraguay

Mangaluru's Mascarenhas and Kodagu co-driver Karumbaiah made their WRC debut at Rally Islas Canarias in April 2025, finishing seventh in class. The pair, who are the 2025 Indian National Rally champions, subsequently gained further mileage in the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC), finishing 12th in the Rally3 class at the demanding Rally di Roma Capitale in July. That European campaign was designed precisely to prepare them for moments like this.

What the Team Said

Mohan Nagarajan, Managing Director of Sidvin Energy Engineering, said the European programme had paid dividends. 'The ERC round and the training in Europe were extremely useful. The experience has helped Dean, Gagan and the entire team to better prepare for the WRC3 challenge,' he said.

Mascarenhas, speaking after Thursday's shakedown, struck a measured but optimistic note. 'Our journey so far has been very positive, with a lot of learning and valuable experience. We're excited for our first gravel rally of the season. There is still a lot for us to learn from every rally,' he said.

TSI Racing's Legacy and Ambition

Founded in 2007 and backed by Sidvin Energy Engineering, TSI Racing became the first Indian team to enter the WRC in 2008. The team has since served as a launchpad for Indian motorsport talent, including former Asia-Pacific Rally champion Gaurav Gill and Naren Kumar. Nearly two decades on, the team's mission of internationalising Indian rallying continues — now with Mascarenhas and Karumbaiah carrying the baton on the world stage.

With gravel experience now firmly on their radar, the duo's performance in Paraguay will be closely watched as a benchmark for their WRC3 title ambitions through the remainder of the season.