Saldanha and Murthy win RC2.1 class in RAAT Rally of Thailand

Indian rally driver Jason Saldanha and co-driver P.V.S. Murthy dished out a commanding efficiency within the second spherical of the RAAT Rally of Thailand to clinch total second place and a win within the RC 2.1 class to emerge because the front-runners within the 2025 worldwide rally season.

In 2023, Saldanha grew to become the primary Indian to win a category title within the RAAT Rally of Thailand and has since continued his upward trajectory.

Behind the wheel of a 1.4-litre turbocharged Suzuki Swift, a 2WD machine, Saldanha was up in opposition to a discipline full of extra highly effective 4-wheel drive (4WD) vehicles.

But his strategic driving and relentless tempo secured him a spot on the general podium with a timing of 1 hour, 7 minutes and 58 seconds.

“The roads have been extraordinarily slippery as a result of rains. It was one of many hardest occasions… Only one mistake may have ended it for us,” stated Saldanha, who hails from Sakleshpur, a small city in Karnataka.

Veteran co-driver Murthy, with 25 years of rally expertise, performed a key position with exact tempo notes and regular calls, enabling Saldanha to push the boundaries safely throughout all phases.

With this outcome, Saldanha leads the 2025 Total Championship with a 10-point margin over Thailand’s Mana Pornsiricherd, and dominates the RC 2.1 class with 40 factors, nicely forward of the second-placed driver, who has 15.

Held within the scenic Khok Samrong district of Lopburi, the rally attracted 30 opponents from Japan, China, Korea, India, and Thailand and the difficult terrain and unpredictable climate examined the drivers within the high-stakes rally.

Spherical 3 of the RAAT Thailand Rally Championship will likely be held at Sa Kaeo, Thesaban Mueang, from July 18 to twenty.