Naveen Puligilla and co-driver Musa Sherif secured a third consecutive WRC3 podium at Rally del Paraguay on 1 September 2025, finishing third in class at the 11th round of the FIA World Rally Championship in Encarnación, Paraguay. The result completes a remarkable hat-trick for the all-Indian duo, who have now stood on the WRC3 podium at three successive rallies.

The Hat-Trick Milestone

The Duran Racing pair's podium run began at Rally Saudi Arabia in November 2025, where they finished second — making Naveen the first Indian driver to reach a WRC class podium and the duo the first all-Indian driver and co-driver combination to achieve the feat. They followed that with a third-place finish at Safari Rally Kenya in March, and have now replicated that result in Paraguay.

How the Paraguay Rally Unfolded

Driving a Ford Fiesta Rally3, Hyderabad-based Naveen and Kasaragod-native Musa completed the event in 5 hours, 10 minutes, and 54.9 seconds, including penalties, across 22 red-gravel Special Stages (SS) covering 357.64 km. Of 58 entries across all classes, only 44 cars finished the gruelling event.

The rally was far from straightforward. After going off-road in Special Stage 3 on Friday, the team incurred penalties for missing six stages. An additional 15-minute penalty for a turbo change further complicated their position. Yet, from SS10 onward, the duo posted competitive stage times, steadily climbing the WRC3 standings through Saturday.

On Sunday, Naveen delivered a strong run in SS20 and finished second in class in the final Power Stage, SS22, behind WRC3 winners Nataniel Bruun of Bolivia and co-driver Mario Javier.

What the Team Said

'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 backed by Ashya Group and Yula Globus.

Musa, an eight-time Indian National Rally co-driver champion with 35 years of experience and more than 350 rallies to his credit, added: '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.'

Background and Road Ahead

Naveen made his international debut at the Asia Pacific Rally Championship in New Zealand in 2024, before stepping up to the WRC alongside Musa at Rally Kenya in 2025. The duo is also supported by Sri Chaitanya Educational Institutions and Samveer Group.

They now head to Rally Chile, the 12th round of the WRC season, scheduled from 10 to 13 September, where they will look to extend their remarkable podium streak.