Poonawalla takes top honour at Mille Miglia UAE 2024

Yohan Poonawalla honoured with ‘Hero of the Rally’ award at Mille Miglia UAE rally held in December 2024

Pune billionaire Yohan Poonawalla was honoured with the prestigious ‘Hero of the Rally’ award at the Mille Miglia UAE rally held earlier in December.

Yohan Poonawalla honoured with ‘Hero of the Rally’ award at Mille Miglia UAE rally held in December 2024 (HT)

The city-based businessman on Tuesday said, “The recognition is a testament to my passion for preserving automotive heritage and celebrating the timeless beauty of classic cars.”

Poonawalla returned to the event for the third consecutive year to race with his 1974 Jaguar E-Type Roadster Series III, which is powered by a 5.3-litre V12. “Following its recent nut and bolt restoration, this was the first major race for the ‘big cat’ under my ownership, which was raring to do what it was exactly built to do. I was eager to put it through its paces on the stunning UAE roads, in particular, the climb and descent of the awe-inspiring Jebal Jais mountainscape, the country’s highest peak,” Poonawalla said.