India’s Dean Mascarenhas to Make International Debut at French Gravel Rally Championship

Millau (France), October 9, 2025: Indian rally driver Dean Mascarenhas is set to make his international motorsport debut this weekend in the French Gravel Rally Championship, competing in the Rallye Terre des Cardabelles from October 10 to 12. The event marks a major milestone for the 30-year-old driver from Mangaluru, who will be the only Indian on the starting grid.

Representing TSI Racing, Mascarenhas will drive a Peugeot 208 GT Line in the FRC4 group’s Rally4 class, co-driven by experienced Brazilian Gabriel Morales — a seasoned navigator with over 100 international rally starts to his name.

A Historic Step for Indian Rallying

The Rallye Terre des Cardabelles, first held in 1984, is one of France’s most challenging gravel rallies, featuring around 150 km of timed competitive stages across the rugged roads surrounding Millau in the Aveyron region.

Mascarenhas heads into his French debut after an impressive performance at home, having recently won the Coimbatore round of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) in the same Peugeot. His entry into European rallying has been made possible through a collaboration between TSI Racing, Sidvin Energy Engineering, and MRF Tyres, with additional support from PH Sport, GT2i, Logirace, and Rallye Notebook.

Focused on Learning and Growth

“I look forward to driving the stages to understand the surface and the pace of European competition,” said Dean Mascarenhas. “I’m delighted to have the guidance of Gabriel Morales and look forward to learning from his experience. I’m extremely grateful to TSI Racing and MRF, without whom this international debut wouldn’t have been possible.”

Mohan Nagarajan, Chairman and Managing Director of Sidvin Energy Engineering, added:

“The French Gravel Championship is among the toughest in the world and a proven ground for top drivers. This event is part of Dean’s training plan, focused on applying what we’ve learned and identifying the next steps. With a co-driver of Gabriel’s calibre, the goal is to learn, adapt, and build for the future.”

Competing Among Europe’s Best

Mascarenhas will compete in car number 66, taking on 125 other drivers across two days of competition. The rally includes liaison and special stages that traverse rural and forest sections around Millau, promising a true test of skill, adaptability, and endurance.

With this debut, Dean Mascarenhas becomes one of the few Indian drivers to compete in a European gravel rally, marking another step forward for Indian motorsport on the global stage.