Naveen Puligilla and Musa Sherif Complete Rally Chile in WRC3

Naveen Puligilla and Musa Sherif completed all 16 stages of Rally Chile in the number 43 Ford Fiesta Rally3. Their time of 3 hours 52 minutes 53.8 seconds placed them 12th in WRC3 and 34th overall at the end of a weekend that demanded patience from every part of the crew.

The Indian pairing finished 33 minutes 38.9 seconds behind WRC3 winner Ali Turkkan and 55 minutes 45.6 seconds behind Oliver Solberg's overall winning time. A classified finish added a second distinct result to their South American trip after third place in WRC3 at Rally del Paraguay.

Chile asked for a new rhythm after Paraguay

Paraguay gave Naveen and Musa a podium. Chile asked them to begin again on different roads. Bio Bío brought faster forest sections, abrasive gravel and long tests where tyre condition, braking references and the accuracy of each pace note remained connected.

A strong result from the previous round can add confidence, while the new event still has to be learned corner by corner. The crew's Chile finish shows the value of staying inside that process when the timing gaps grow and the road continues to change.

The number 43 reached a competitive Rally3 finish

The WRC3 category was won by Turkkan, with Padilla second and Heilbrunn third. Naveen and Musa followed a group that included the number 44 Indian pairing of Dean Mascarenhas and Gagan Karumbaiah in eighth. Their 12th place came ahead of the final overall finishers and several crews whose rallies ended earlier through accidents or mechanical problems.

Rally3 competition rewards a clean operating rhythm. The driver has to read the available grip, the co-driver has to keep every instruction and time control precise, and the team has to make the car ready for another loop with limited service time.

Musa's experience remains a central part of the programme

Musa Sherif brings decades of Indian rally experience to the right-hand seat. That experience matters on a world championship weekend because the co-driver carries far more than the next corner. Road sections, check-in times, note amendments and communication during pressure all move through the same side of the car.

Naveen's driving programme has grown alongside that knowledge. Each WRC3 start adds a clearer reference for Rally3 pace and for the way an international service operation has to work across consecutive days.

Finishing mattered on a rally that removed experienced crews

Chile ended early for several high-profile entries. Thierry Neuville and Nikolay Gryazin rolled on Saturday. Calle Carlberg's Junior WRC title challenge ended in an SS11 accident, and other supporting-category crews stopped through crashes or mechanical failures.

The number 43 remained in the classified result. That gives the team a full weekend of stage times, mechanical information and crew feedback to carry forward. The value of the finish sits in those accumulated kilometres as much as the final position.

The next step will begin with two South American results

Programme material supplied to ViPeople had listed Naveen and Musa for Rally Saudi Arabia in November. The WRC element of that event has since been removed from the 2026 championship, so the Sardinia finale is now the next WRC reference point. Their current record remains clear: a Paraguay WRC3 podium followed by a complete Rally Chile classification.

Those outcomes show two sides of an international campaign. One weekend delivered the trophy. The next delivered the finish, the learning and a complete set of kilometres from one of the fastest gravel rallies on the calendar.