Mascarenhas secures second at French Gravel Rally

Indian rally star Dean Mascarenhas announced his arrival on the European stage with a sensational performance, finishing second in the Rally4 class at the 41st Rallye Terre des Cardabelles (French Gravel Rally) here.

Making his European debut, Mascarenhas teamed up with experienced Brazilian co-driver Gabriel Morales, piloting a Peugeot 208 GT Line in the Rally4 (FRC4) category. The duo completed the challenging course in 1 hour, 37 minutes 43.4 seconds, securing 36th overall among 122 starters. The rally proved brutally tough, with 40 retirements, leaving only 82 cars to cross the finish line.

“The stages were super-fast, technical, and very different from what I’m used to in India. It was the toughest rally I have ever competed in,” Mascarenhas said. “Gabriel and I found a good rhythm, and finishing on the podium in such a strong field gives us huge motivation for what lies ahead.”

Building on growing confidence in the left-hand-drive Peugeot, Mascarenhas pushed harder in the subsequent loops, climbing to 41st overall and third in Rally4 by Saturday. Sunday’s Leg 2, covering the Sévérac d’Aveyron and Altes stages twice, saw the Indo-Brazil pair clock a combined 31 minutes 24.3 seconds, moving up to 29th overall and cementing their second-place finish in Rally4.

Mascarenhas’ strong showing in one of France’s toughest gravel rallies marks a promising start to his European campaign and highlights India’s growing presence in international motorsport.