Aishwarya Pissay’s 2025 season unfolded in places where exhaustion is part of the landscape. Long stages, shifting terrain, and the quiet pressure that comes with carrying Indian motorsport expectations followed her from one rally to the next.
Already one of the most accomplished riders the country has produced, she arrived this year with history behind her and ambition ahead. By the time the dust settled, she had added a fourth World Championship title to her record, along with performances that reflected not just speed, but maturity, resilience, and a growing comfort with the hardest edges of rally raid racing.The defining moment came with the capture of her fourth World Championship title, a milestone that had sat quietly in the back of her mind for years.
“This season was extremely special for me. One of the biggest highlights was winning my fourth World Championship title, which is something I dreamed of for years,” she said. The title was reinforced by category victories at Rally Raid Portugal and Rallye du Maroc, two events that test riders in very different ways. Portugal demanded constant adaptation as terrain shifted without warning, while Morocco brought heat, dunes, and marathon stages that drain focus as much as fitness. “Both rallies pushed me mentally and physically, and those wins showed me how far I’ve grown as a rider,” she reflected.
Consistency was the thread that tied her campaign together. Pissay achieved most of the goals she set at the start of the year, especially the aim of performing reliably at world championship level. The challenges she encountered were not mechanical or strategic surprises, but internal ones. “In Portugal, the terrain changed constantly and demanded instant adaptation. In Morocco, the heat, dunes, and long stages created mental fatigue that I hadn’t fully anticipated,” she said. Those experiences sharpened her understanding of rally raid as a mental discipline as much as a physical one.
Away from the clock and timing sheets, the season offered quieter rewards. Pissay speaks warmly about bivouac life, particularly in Morocco. “Sitting in the desert after stages, sharing stories with riders and mechanics, and experiencing that raw rally culture were moments I’ll always cherish,” she said. It is there, far from podium ceremonies, that rally riders often reconnect with why they race.
The off season will be anything but idle. Pissay is focused on structured training, navigation work, and building greater physical and mental strength for longer and more demanding rallies. Looking ahead, her ambitions are expanding beyond category success. “I want to push deeper into the overall classification, not just category victories,” she said, with Dakar remaining the long term horizon.
For newcomers watching her path, her advice is grounded and direct.
“Respect the process. Championships and rallies demand patience, resilience, and discipline. Focus on learning every single day, and the results will follow.”
It is a mindset that has carried her to the top four times, and one that suggests she is far from finished.
