Encarnacion [Paraguay], August 26 (ANI): Fresh from their impressive ARC3 victory in Rwanda, Hyderabad’s Naveen Puligilla and seasoned co-driver Musa Sherif are set for another major international challenge as they compete in the WRC3 class of the Rally del Paraguay, the 11th round of the FIA World Rally Championship, from August 27 to August 30.
Representing the Duran Racing team, the Indian duo will drive a Ford Fiesta Rally3, prepared by MRU Motorsport, as they begin a demanding back-to-back WRC programme that will take them to Paraguay and the next round in Chile, two weeks later, said a release.
Naveen, the reigning 2025 Indian National Rally Champion in the 3T class, backed by Yula Globus, Ashya Group and Sri Chaitanya Educational Institutions, arrives in Paraguay high on confidence after a dominant ARC3 class win in last month’s Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally, where they finished an impressive fourth overall, beating several more powerful Rally2 cars. The team is also supported by ‘Your work our risk ‘ and Samveer Group.
“What makes Paraguay unique is the combination of high-speed stages, changing grip and very tight margins. The soft gravel can cut up quickly, especially on the second pass, creating deep ruts. We have to be precise with our braking and lines,” Naveen said after Tuesday’s recce.
At Monday’s pre-event gala, Naveen also had a brief interaction with Santiago Pena, President of Paraguay, who posed for a photograph with the Indian rally driver.
Musa said visibility and changing weather could add to the challenge. “Fine dust can affect visibility, while rain can quickly change the character of the stages. We have to learn fast and stay flexible,” said Musa, an eight-time Indian National Rally Co-driver Champion.
The Paraguay round is another important step in Naveen’s developing international career. He made his international debut at the Asia Pacific Rally Championship in New Zealand in 2024 before making his WRC debut alongside Musa at Rally Kenya in 2025.
In November 2025 at the Rally Saudi Arabia, Naveen and Musa finished second in the WRC3 class to become the first Indian driver-co-driver pair to secure a class podium in the FIA World Rally Championship.
Musa, from Kasaragod, brings nearly 35 years of rallying experience to the cockpit. With more than 350 rallies, including over 100 international events, his experience and pace-note expertise will be crucial in guiding Naveen through the unfamiliar Paraguayan terrain.
Based in Encarnacion city, near the Argentine border, Rally del Paraguay, awarded the best rally of 2025, features 22 Special Stages combining smooth red-earth gravel with technical sections through dense vegetation.
The rally has 357.64 km of competitive stages, with the total distance, including transport sections, standing at 946.57 km. (ANI)
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