Gaurav Gill is a name that commands immense respect in motorsport circles, and for good reason. He’s India’s first and only rally driver to win the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC)—not once, but three times. He also holds the distinction of being the first Indian motorsport athlete to receive the prestigious Arjuna Award. With over 25 World Rally Championship (WRC) stage wins, more than 30 international podiums, and a near-mythical endurance through injury and adversity while also helping to develop tyres and EVs with the country’s top car makers, Gill’s résumé is unmatched in the Indian racing ecosystem.
But those statistics only scratch the surface. The journey to that podium has been far from linear—shaped as much by resilience as by raw talent and consistency. From being a national-level tennis player and motocross rider to racing without funds, battling injury, and surviving one of the darkest moments in Indian rallying, Gill’s story reads like a survival guide for aspiring racers. And even now, nearly two decades in, he’s still pushing himself for more—with dreams of a full-fledged Dakar Rally run and a long-term vision to build a globally competitive Indian racing team.
Below, Gaurav Gill sits down for a no-holds-barred conversation about his origin story, the uphill battle for sponsorship, his tragic 2019 accident, the mental and physical toll of the sport, and what it really takes to survive—and thrive—in Indian motorsport today.
In Conversation with Gaurav Gill
Q: How did you develop a passion for motorsports? Do you remember your first time you watched a competitive race, and when did you realize this could be your career?
Gaurav Gill: I had a pretty interesting childhood. I was big into BMX riding and doing bike stunts. At the same time, influenced by my mother’s love for tennis, I was competing at the national level back then—I was even seeded with the ITA. So, sports were a big part of my life from the beginning. My maternal family also had a deep love for motorsport. My uncle was a professional rally driver and had a lot of rally and race cars around the house and as a young, those always fascinated me… I couldn’t wait to start driving. Eventually, when I turned 15, I just dropped the tennis bag one day, picked up bike keys, and never looked back.
Q: What pushed you to transition from bike racing to four-wheel racing?
The main reason was that I couldn’t race rally cars at the time—I wasn’t 18 yet. But motocross and supercross didn’t require a driving license because it’s in a closed circuit or stadium, so I started there. The federation had only recently allowed teenagers to race under their license. When I learnt this, I picked out my bike and then, went on to win the national motorcross camp race and was quickly inducted by the TVS team. I began riding for their factory team and it was pretty cool!
Once I turned 18, I finally shifted to car racing, which was always the goal.
Q: Do you think starting with bikes gave you an edge when you transitioned to rally cars, perhaps in terms of like reaction time, instincts or risk taking?
Definitely. And historically, some of the most successful drivers in the world also started with bikes. Riding helps you understand grip, terrain and a lot of technical stuff that gets embedded in your system, which can be used to your advantage in the car in a very intuitive way. When you get into cars, you already have that muscle memory. Plus, bike racing teaches you risk assessment, which helps a lot in rallying.
My first love was always driving cars, and it also helped that cars were safer. Bike racing took a huge toll on my body—I've had seven major surgeries and over 30 screws and implant rods. Even today, I still go for regular physiotherapy to stay in shape and avoid the pain flaring up.
Q: Can you recall your first competitive rally race and what it felt like?
When I was 17, I did an autocross race in Delhi. It was a big motocross event and I’d borrowed a friend’s car. I ended up winning the overall event—beating some of the top JK Tyre drivers, who were national champions. That caught their attention, and the team boss invited me over and made me a part of their team and that was my official entry into rallying. The day I turned 18, I started rallying but obviously, I was practising and rallying at the time was mostly gravel… like it is even today. But, the art of driving on gravel is completely opposite of track driving, because the cars are sliding and drifting, whereas the track has so much grip. So yeah, I had to do a lot of homework, practice a lot. While my friends were preparing for exams, I was outside practicing with a homemade rally car, watching VHS tapes, and reading magazines. That’s how I trained myself back then.
Q: Motorsports wasn’t mainstream when you started. How did you get not just your family and friends but also sponsors to believe in your dream?
It was really, really tough. I came from a business family and was expected to get an MBA and join the business. Everyone thought motorsports was just a hobby like gold or shooting—not a career. But I was determined and a bit of a rebel, being a racer was what I wanted to do and so I forced everyone in my family to trust me. Even my friends would say that I was stupid or mad to do this, but I knew I could turn my dream into my reality. It was a long road, but I have been very lucky and blessed to have found the right sponsors and mentors at the right time. JK Tyre supported me early on, and I was mentored by RD Sanjay Sharma, who helped me shape my career path. I started winning very early, which helped build credibility. Still, I had to fight hard to prove this could be a full-time profession.
Q: Sponsorship is still a major challenge for Indian motorsport athletes. What has your experience been like? Has it gotten easier for you over the years?
Sponsorship is the hardest part of this journey. Motorsport is expensive—far more than most other sports. And if you go pro and compete at the international level, the budgets are massive, not just a few lakhs or crores. The higher the level, the tougher its going to be the best driver on the grid and this sport shows no mercy. You know, it’s literally like you go hard or you go home. Its really cutthroat, and to be a part of the race, you need a lot of money. I was lucky to have sponsors like JK Tyre who believed in me and sent me abroad for training with ex-world champions and test my potential for those big-budget races. I proved my mettle by delivering great results but I was pretty raw at the time. I then started learning that driving is an art, it’s not just get in the car and be a lunatic, be go stupidly fast, unlike what most people would like to believe about motorsports. But the truth is, you have to be super smart to be able drive these machines at their limit for days on end. There is a lot of science and finesse to it. But my trainers believed in my talent and helped me understand the science behind the sport, how maintaining my fitness was important and helped me finesse my capabilities, which in turn helped me find more sponsors.
But even then, it was a constant struggle. In India, people compare motorsport sponsorship to cricket. If a brand can get IPL visibility for ₹10 crore, why would they give that to a rally driver? I can’t promise them the kind of ROI or eye balls that cricket brings in. So, you have to not only win but also learn to market yourself—and most drivers aren't taught that.
Q: You've been consistent at the top for two decades. What's your secret?
Discipline and fitness. I still have the same hunger to win that I had 25 years ago—but now I’m smarter and safer. I don’t make excuses. Even enough I’ve not had enough time to practice, I don’t use that as an excuse to not be able to win. I go out there and give it my all because I’m really hard on myself. I have to be firs tbe my own critic and I’m not going to wait for somebody else’s fault. With me, it’s no bullshit when I’m on track. If you’re there and you’ve got the opportunity, you make the most of it, that’s it. In recent races, I’ve landed podiums despite limited seat time. For me, it’s simple: go hard or go home. I’m super focused and don’t tolerate drama—especially from myself.
Q: Motorsports are steadily gaining more attention in India, due to the increasing popularity of F1. Do you think young Indian drivers today have a better shot internationally compared to when you started?
Yes, the sport has definitely become more mainstream now. When I started, it was just me, Narain Karthikeyan, and Karun Chandhok going international. Today, there are dozens of Indian drivers on the global stage. But I don’t get caught up in the “first Indian” label. I’m proud to represent the country, sure—but I care more about results than titles. Winning is what matters to me.
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Q. How did you feel when you became the first Indian to win the APRC Championship?
Like I said, I am my biggest critic, so I don’t have these qualms about being the first… I don’t care about it honestly, because I care more about seeing myself on top of the podium. It doesn’t have any value for me to be the first and I never talk about all these things. I want to go and win for myself and the country, but I don’t want to talk about this being the “first” of anything because for me, it’s more important to keep performing. In fact, when I started winning the Asia Pacific and was at the WRC level stages, people always thought that I was born and brought up in UK or something, because they could not imagine that I could be at that level being in India without any access or means to practice in these cars. Being in a race was the only time I got to drive or see one of them and that, for me, was a bigger matter of pride than being first. But now, I have about 27 or 28 international victories, about 30 plus second places maybe 10 third places… I’ve won three championships and I have 25 WRC stage wins. I think, I’m only happy when I’m performing well.
Q: What’s your take on India’s motorsport infrastructure and what frustrates you the most?
The biggest gap lies with our federation. Globally, federations identify and fund young talent—here, that’s not the case. Usually, it’s the federation that actually pumps in the money from sponsors to send that driver to compete in world events. In the last two decades, world rally champions have emerged out of France and Belgium because their federation has supported them, they don’t come from family money. It’s their federations that have made sure that local manufacturers got involved. India is soon going to be the third-largest automotive market and yet us drivers have to run around for sponsors. We’ve been trying to convince the Federation of Motorsports of India to be more actively involved. They need to involve manufacturers like Hyundai or Maruti and convince them to invest in the sport.
Q: You were the first motorsport athlete to receive the Arjuna Award. What did that moment mean to you?
Out of all my accolades, the Arjuna Award was the most important one. It was only because of that I felt like I proved my beliefs and made this a full-time career. It was a statement that motorsport is a legitimate, professional sport—requiring fitness, dedication, and risk. We’re not just entertainers. In fact, I’d argue rally drivers are fitter than most cricketers. The physical demands are insane—driving in 65°C heat, wearing four layers, no air conditioning, and still pushing flat out. Even the kind of g-forces your body goes through is insane.
You also have to be very mindful of your weight, because gaining even a single kilo can have an impact on your performance. If you’re rallying with a co-driver and you break down, its just me and him even fixing our car in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes, I’ve lost over six kilos of body weigh in tow days, drank 10 litres of water in a day… it’s insane and it takes a toll on you. But that being said, winning the Arjuna Award was a moment of great pride, but I’m a bad loser. I want to keep winning, keep being on podiums and hopefully, win the world championship this year.
Q: 2019 was a year of mixed emotions for you. Fresh off your Arjuna Award win, you faced probably the darkest moment of your career when your car collided with three people who had driven onto the barricaded track on their motorcycle forcibly, a few hundred metres from the finish line. The accident resulted in three deaths and put you and your co-driver in the hospital. Since then, what changes would you like to see in Indian rally safety protocols?
That incident changed a lot in Indian motorsport. The biggest concern is obviously always safety protocols in place. Organisers need to take safety as seriously as drivers do, because at the end of the day, we’re the ones risking our lives out there. If anything happens, we’re the ones who will have to bear the brunt of it. If they want to put up an event, they need to act like pros and think like drivers. So there’s a gap there, but everyone is learning. Since that incident, I’ve been part of conversations with the federation and organisers on how to improve things, and thankfully, we’re moving in the right direction. Now, most of our events are run in private properties, so that’s one way of keeping this under check. That incident shook not just me, but everyone involved. But now, we’re all working together to make sure the sport is safe and at the top level.
Q: What are your racing plans for this year?
This year, I’m competing in two rounds of the WRC and one round of the cross-country Rally Raid Championship, which basically leads to the Paris-Dakar event. That’s the big goal now. But again, budgets are absolutely insane. I might have to go around with a begging bowl to make it happen!
Q: Outside of racing, how do you unwind?
I love to travel, drive around, meet old friends and just chill. I work out regularly and just take time to unwind.
Q: Tell us about your work with JK Tyres and Mahindra.
My relationship with JK Tyres goes back to my teens. Sanjay Sharma mentored me and has played a massive role in my career. Today, I’m also involved in their R&D—engineering rally tyres and road tyres based on my racing experience. With Mahindra, it’s been 12–13 years. I also help them with R&D on their EVs, including the BE.06. I even conceptualized the launch event to show people that EVs can be fun and fast too.
Q: You had an academy and are co-owner of Gujarat Trailblazers in the Indian Supercross League. How involved are you with mentoring young drivers?
I’ve stepped back from the day-to-day of the academy. It’s run by close friends now. I mentor selectively—only when I trust the driver’s potential. Our academy has trained over 50% of the current Indian Rally Championship grid. I’m always happy to give free advice and support the community. But I do wish the younger lot focused more on skills than selfies. Social media helps, but real talent is still key.
Q: Do you feel social media is skewing opportunities in motorsports today?
Absolutely. Some drivers who aren't pros get more opportunities than I do, simply because they have a larger social media following. That’s the reality. It’s frustrating, but I try not to let it affect me. I focus on being the best driver I can be.
Q: What do you want people to say about Gaurav Gill 20 years from now?
That I was relentless. It’s easy to be champion once—but staying at the top, again and again, is what defines greatness. I will always want to be at the top level, for as long as I can raise money… If I can’t, then I’m going to use whatever means I have, but I don’t think I ever see myself stopping. I want to be involved in the sport long-term, maybe build a team that can help young Indian drivers compete globally without facing the battles I did. And yes, I’ll keep driving as long as I can raise money—or use my own.
Q: Who’s your all-time favourite rally driver?
Sebastien Loeb and Sebastien Ogier. I know both personally. They’re very different personalities but have achieved things nobody has even come close achieving. They’ve mastered the art and I really look up to them. I’ve got a lot ofadvice from them and have learnt a lot watching them. In any sprot, if you stop learning, you’re dead. You’re never going to evolve. In motorsports especially, you always have to keep learning and updating yourself—especially with how fast the tech is changing. If you don’t, then somebody else is always going to be there to take your seat.
