Dean & Gagan finish 7th in WRC3 debut at Rally Islas Canarias

Las Palmas, April 27 Indian rally champion Dean Mascarenhas and co-driver Gagan Karumbaiah successfully completed their maiden FIA World Rally Championship, finishing 7th in the WRC3 class debut at the 50th edition of Rally Islas Canarias 2026, completing one of the season’s most demanding all-asphalt events in the WRC here.

Driving a Ford Fiesta Rally3, prepared by PH Sport, the Indian duo made a memorable debut and used the event as a crucial learning exercise on fast, technical and unfamiliar European tarmac stages. This is the first event on the world stage with TSI Racing, which gave them a platform after they won the Indian National Rally Championship in 2025. Competing along with higher-powered cars in the Premier Classes, the Indian duo finished overall 48th and 7th in their class, the WRC3 class.

The rally, based in Gran Canaria, featured 18 special stages presenting a steep challenge for a crew making its first appearance in WRC3 at this level. Despite brake issues on the opening day, Mascarenhas and Karumbaiah worked through the problem, adapted across the remaining stages and steadily built confidence through the weekend to successfully finish the rally clocking 03h 41m 50.6sec for a little over 301.3 competitive kilometres, including a 10-min penalty.

For Mascarenhas, the result was about much more than times alone. Every loop offered a reference point in car setup, stage management, tyre usage and pace-note execution, while also underlining the precision required to compete in international Rally3 machinery on sealed-surface rallies. With no experience at this level, Karumbaiah used the pace notes training to show composure and played an important role in finishing cleanly and maximising mileage. Support from PH Sport, whose experience at the highest level, helped keep the step up in fine fettle.

“It's been a challenging weekend, with tricky conditions, rain in parts, and changing grip levels making it difficult to settle into a rhythm on the first day. We overcame brake issues and settled down, and on Saturday the focus has been on regrouping and learning as much as possible from every kilometre. Every stage taught us something new. Overall, it has been a tremendous experience and a valuable learning curve,” said Dean Mascarenhas.

"For Dean and Gagan, Rally Islas Canarias was a first chapter as they prepare for the grind into the season. It is a demanding debut that delivered exactly what the programme was designed for: experience, perspective and a stronger foundation for future WRC3 appearances,” said Mohan Nagarajan, Chairman and Managing Director of Sidvin Energy Engineering.

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