TSI Racing’s Dean Mascarenhas to Make His World Rally Championship Debut at Rally Islas Canarias 2026.

India’s most successful rally outfit announces a landmark WRC programme-marking a new
chapter in the country’s motorsport story

• Announces Partnership with PH Sport, One of Europe’s leading rally car specialists

PHOTOS BY P.K.ANANTH KUMAR

Bengaluru, Wednesday, March 25, 2026: Eighteen years after becoming the first Indian team to set foot in the World Rally Championship, TSI Racing is back on the global stage, and this time, they’re bringing India’s finest young rally talent with them. The Bengaluru-based team at a press conference today announced that 2025 INRC double champion Dean Mascarenhas, alongside co-driver Gagan Karumbaiah, will compete in the WRC3 class at Rally Islas Canarias 2026 this April. The announcement marks a defining moment not just for TSI Racing but for Indian motorsport as a whole as Dean becomes only the third Indian driver to participate in multiple rounds of the WRC in a structured programme, following Naren Kumar and Gaurav Gill, both of whom also flew the TSI Racing flag on the world stage.

Partnering with PH Sport, one of Europe’s most respected rally specialists whose client list include World Rally Champions, Dean with Gagan will pilot the Ford Fiesta Rally 3 on one of the WRC calendar’s most technical tarmac events.

Speaking at the Press Conference, Mohan Nagarajan, Chairman, Sidvin Energy Engineering which is backing TSI Racing, shared, “We didn’t build TSI Racing to win championships and stop there. Every title, every season, every young driver we’ve brought through, it’s all been pointing toward this. Dean is ready. Gagan is ready. And as a team, we’ve never been more prepared to take on the world. India has produced world-class rally talent for years. It’s time the world saw that.”

TSI Racing’s return to the WRC is the result of a deliberate, long-term investment in Indian rally talent. Founded in 2007, the team has consistently worked to give Indian drivers the platform, training, and infrastructure needed to compete at the highest levels of the sport. The 2025 INRC season underlined that the groundwork has paid off with TSI Racing walking away with the Overall Team Championship, the Driver’s Championship, and the Co-Driver’s Championship, making a compelling case for the step up to the world stage.

Partnership between TSI Racing and PH Sport
The choice of PH Sport as TSI Racing’s technical partner for the WRC programme is a statement of intent. Based in the heart of Europe, PH Sport is synonymous with rally excellence-a team that has prepared and serviced cars for some of the greatest names in the sport, including Sébastien Loeb, Sébastien Ogier, Dani Sordo, Thierry Neuville, and Kimi Räikkönen. From regional events to the WRC and the Dakar Rally, their expertise is unmatched.

Sharing his views, Bernard Piallat, Founder, PH Sport said, “When TSI Racing approached us, what stood out immediately was the seriousness of their intent. This isn’t a team that’s come to make up the numbers- they’ve done their homework, they’ve built their programme properly, and Dean is a driver with genuine pace. We’re proud to be part of this chapter for Indian motorsport, and we’ll make sure the Ford Fiesta Rally 3 is prepared to the same standard we’d give any driver on our roster.”

For the 2026 WRC rounds, PH Sport will take responsibility for all preparation and on-event servicing of the Ford Fiesta Rally 3. The partnership extends beyond the car-PH Sport’s expertise in managing rally programmes at the highest level brings a depth of operational knowledge that will be invaluable to Dean and the TSI Racing crew on the stages.

Dean Mascarenhas: Dean Mascarenhas has been one of Indian rallying’s most consistent performers in recent years. His 2025 INRC campaign conducted alongside co-driver Gagan Karumbaiah in TSI Racing’s Peugeot 208 Rally 4, the first time the car was debuted in India, was one of precision and consistency, culminating in the Driver’s Championship title.

Rally Islas Canarias is a fast, technical tarmac event on Spain’s Canary Islands and will represent Dean’s most demanding competitive environment to date. It is a challenge he and the team have been preparing for deliberately.

Dean Mascarenhas said, “This is a moment I’ve been working toward for a long time. Gagan and I have put in a lot of work together, and TSI Racing has given us everything we need to be competitive. The WRC is the biggest stage in our sport and we’re going there to give it everything we’ve got.”

Gagan Karumbaiah: A co-driver’s role at the WRC is far more than reading pace notes. At these speeds, on these surfaces, it is an act of absolute trust, and Dean’s trust in Gagan Karumbaiah has been earned over years of competition together. Gagan claimed the 2025 INRC Co-Driver’s Championship alongside Dean, and his methodical approach to recce and note-making will be critical as the pair navigate the WRC’s unique demands for the first time.

Speaking about their decision to not participate in INRC 2026, Mr. Nagarajan said, “The decision to step back from the 2026 INRC season was not one we took lightly. A rally programme, at any level, requires months of planning, and without clarity on the calendar, responsible preparation simply isn’t possible. Our focus this year is the WRC, and we intend to give that the full attention it deserves. We remain deeply committed to Indian rally and to the INRC, and we hope to return to the domestic championship in a position where we can plan and compete properly.”

“It is very satisfying to know that India will have a car in the WRC3 Championship this year. Mohan and I have been working toward this for almost seven years, and the first step was always to win the Indian Championship and that has been done. Dean and Gagan earned their place here on merit, and this year is the beginning of the real work- the WRC is not a one-shot effort, it is a process, and we are in it for the long term,” shared Nicolas Klinger, FIA Rally Safety Delegate, FIA Closed Road Commission President, Founder- Logirace