[WATCH] ‘It never really left me’: Guna makes emotional return to rally

KUALA LUMPUR – Veteran rally driver Gunaseelan Raju says his recent return to competitive rally racing after a 15-year break felt emotional, surreal and deeply personal.

Speaking on Scoop’s Sport Check podcast, the seven-time two-wheel-drive national champion said he never truly walked away from motorsport despite stepping away from active competition.

“I wouldn’t say I quit, but I just took a break,” he said.

The former Asia-Pacific champion explained that family was the main reason behind his decision to pause his rally career.

“My kids were growing up. I had less time with them.”

“I thought, since I won the Asia-Pacific, I told my wife then I would take a break,” he shared further.

Guna officially stepped away from rallying after winning the Asia-Pacific two-wheel-drive championship in Japan, where the late rally lynchpin, Jagdev Singh was his navigator.

“When we passed the finish line, I made the announcement in Japan that I’m taking a break from the sport,” he recalled.

Although he stopped competing, Guna continued managing his rally team and mentoring younger drivers before eventually stepping away fully from motorsports in 2013.

Now, with his children grown up, Guna said the timing felt right to return adding that he is where he belongs.

The veteran racer who is also known as ‘Mr. Consistent’ recently competed in the Millet International Rally China, marking his first rally event in 15 years.

Describing the moment he returned to the driver’s seat, Guna admitted he became emotional before the race even began.

“When I was at the ramp waiting for them to announce the name and all that, I actually felt like pinching myself.”

“And the first thing that I felt that, you know, I thank God that I'm here again,” he said.

Guna also spoke about the challenges of adapting to a left-hand-drive rally car during his recent return to competition in China, admitting that it required significant mental preparation and self-discipline.

“I felt like I was doing homework, trying to imagine sitting in the room and imagining driving from the left side,” he said.

He explained that years of driving right-hand-drive cars had built instincts that were difficult to unlearn, especially during high-speed situations on rally stages.

“Normally, when you drive a right-hand-drive car, you automatically pull left to avoid. But if you’re sitting in a left-hand-drive car, you have to avoid on the right.”

“But what’s your instinct saying? Always, without you knowing, you pull to the left. When you pull to the left, you’ve got opposite cars coming,” he added.

To overcome the issue, Guna said he constantly reminded himself to stay on the correct side of the road and even placed notes inside the car as mental cues.

“So I was programming myself — don’t do the left, don’t do the left.”

“I had a small note on the dashboard which I learned from last time. It’s a left-hand-drive car, okay, stay right. Stay on the right side of the road,” he said.

The veteran rally driver added that the challenge extended beyond competitive stages, as natural habits would still take over even after the race was over.

Despite the difficulties, Guna said his reconnaissance sessions with the rally car gave him enough time to gradually adapt to the unfamiliar driving position.

“Even when we come out of the stage, at the finish, everything is done, helmet taken out, when we go, you tend to go to the left side of the road automatically.

“Suddenly the navigator tells me, ‘Hey hello, that side,’” he said. “Not easy, not easy, but yes, I did it,” he said.

He added that adapting to more powerful rally machinery in the future could present an even bigger challenge due to differences in cornering and driving dynamics.

He also admitted age and time away from racing had changed his approach behind the wheel.

“If it’s going to be a faster car, then maybe it may take a bit of getting used to, because you tend to cut the corners.

“Both sides, left and right, are a different thing,” he explained. “Yes, I am slower. My reactions are slow,” he added.

However, experience and strategy helped him secure a podium finish in China despite mechanical problems during the opening stage.

Guna eventually achieved that goal by finishing second in class, successfully qualifying for the championship.

“There was no pressure for us to win. he said adding that his main aim was to finish in the podium.

“It never really left me. It’s always been in my blood.” - May 14, 2026

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