Naveen Puligilla and co-driver Musa Sherif scripted history with their second-place finish in the WRC3 category of Rally Saudi Arabia. This makes them the first all-Indian driver pairing to finish on the podium in any category of the World Rally Championship (WRC).
- Puligilla, Sherif competed with a Ford Fiesta Rally3
- Finished P26 overall, P2 in WRC3 category
Naveen Puligilla, Musa Sherif make history at Rally Saudi Arabia
Indian duo finished P2 in the WRC3 category
Indian rally stars Gaurav Gill and Naren Kumar have both previously competed in the World Rally Championship, although with international co-drivers. This makes Puligilla and Sherif the first all-Indian driver pairing to compete in the championship.
Puligilla participated in Rally Saudi Arabia with a Ford Fiesta Rally3, prepared by Africa Eco Motorsport. He moved up to second place after local hopeful Saeed Almouri was forced to stop and change a wheel on Friday, November 28. He held on to the position from there on, finishing P26 overall. His time of 4 hours, 28 minutes and 58.7 seconds was also enough to secure second place in the WRC3 category, a little over 38 minutes behind winners Matteo Fontana and Alessandro Arnaboldi.
For Puligilla, the result caps off an impressive season of rallying. He’d earlier secured a podium finish at the Rally of Tanzania and took victory in the INRC 3T category at Rally Robusta in Kodagu.
“This podium means far more than just a trophy,” said Puligilla, adding, “It proves that Indian crews can compete at the highest level on the world stage. The Saudi rally was tough, but our focus on consistency and clean driving paid off. I am proud to hold the Indian flag and stand on a WRC podium and it is a massive motivation to push even harder.”
With 33 years of rallying experience under his belt, Sherif’s navigation played a crucial role in securing this podium finish as well. “The variety in the terrain, from hard gravel to loose sand, tested us like never before,” said Sherif. “Naveen’s calm behind the wheel and our synced pace notes made the difference. Bringing a WRC podium home for India is incredibly rewarding.”
Dipan Sur
