Hyderabad Rally Driver Naveen Puligilla Set for WRC3 Rally del Paraguay

Hyderabad rally driver Naveen Puligilla and co-driver Musa Sherif are set to compete in the WRC3 class of Rally del Paraguay, the 11th round of the FIA World Rally Championship, taking place from August 27 to 30.

Representing Duran Racing, the Indian pair will drive a Ford Fiesta Rally3 prepared by MRU Motorsport. The event in Paraguay marks the start of a demanding back-to-back WRC campaign for the duo, who are also scheduled to compete in the championship's next round in Chile two weeks later.

Naveen, who is the reigning 2025 Indian National Rally Champion in the 3T class, enters the competition following a strong showing at the Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally. In that event, Naveen and Musa won the ARC3 class and finished fourth overall, outperforming several higher-powered Rally2 vehicles. The driver is backed by Yula Globus, Ashya Group, Sri Chaitanya Educational Institutions, Your Work Our Risk, and Samveer Group.

Speaking ahead of the event, Naveen noted that the rally features high-speed stages, changing grip levels, tight margins, and soft gravel that can quickly become tricky and cut up, requiring precise braking and lines. At a pre-event gala on Monday, Naveen also met and posed for a photograph with Santiago Peña, the President of Paraguay.

The Paraguay competition adds to Naveen's international career, which began with his debut at the Asia Pacific Rally Championship in New Zealand in 2024. He later made his FIA World Rally Championship debut with Musa at Rally Kenya in 2025. In November 2025, the pair took second place in WRC3 at Rally Saudi Arabia, marking the first time an Indian driver and co-driver secured a podium finish in the WRC.

Co-driver Musa Sherif, who hails from Kasaragod, brings nearly 35 years of rallying experience, having contested over 350 rallies, including more than 100 international competitions.

Rally del Paraguay is based in Encarnación near the Argentine border. The route includes 22 Special Stages over smooth red-earth gravel and technical terrain through dense vegetation, covering 357.64 km of competitive stages across a total rally distance of 946.57 km.