McErlean buzzing for legendary 'Grand Prix on gravel'
The Jyvaskyla based Secto Rally Finland is one of the most iconic events on the World Rally Championship calendar. It's part of the continuing Rally1 journey for the Irish crew of Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy and their M-Sport team boss Richard Millener wants the Irish duo to "push forward" on one of the fastest gravel events of the series, dubbed "a Grand Prix on gravel".
The pair's ninth place finish in Rally Estonia was another important progression but Millener wants more, not just from the Kilrea/Killeagh combination but their teammates as well.
"Rally Finland is a legendary event and while it's always a huge challenge, it's also an incredible opportunity for our young line-up to shine. Gregoire (Munster), Josh (McErlean) and Martins (Sesks) have all been consistently learning throughout the season and Finland will test every aspect of their driving. We're looking forward to seeing how they adapt and push forward, we're confident we can see some positive results in Finland.'
In his fourth outing here, McErlean is relatively familiar with the terrain in Finland (round nine of the WRC) that includes the classic stages of Ouninpohja and Paijala, while Treacy had his maiden trip with philanthropist John Coyne, the man largely responsible for the MI Academy members' presence at the top tier in World rallying.
McErlean said, 'Rally Finland is an event I've been looking forward to ever since we got the opportunity to compete at Rally1 level. It's a special feeling to be taking on these iconic Finnish roads in such a car. This weekend is about taking a step forward, trusting in ourselves, committing fully to the pace, and showing what we can do with this package. The key will be confidence and rhythm and I'm ready to enjoy every moment of the ride through the forests.'
Up front, the title race continues to gather momentum as Estonian Ott Tanak (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) holds a slender single point advantage over Welsh ace Elfyn Evans (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1). As Tanak is first on the road today (Friday), however, unlike Evans, who led for several rounds, it isn't the disadvantage it was earlier in the season. A winner in Finland in 2018, 2019 and 2022 Tanak knows what to expect on a rally where the average speed is 125km/hr.
'It's all about pure performance. Setup is crucial to performing well because of the mix of high speeds and jumps, you need grip and stability and to be absolutely precise with where you place the car at all times."
Evans is a double victor in Rally Finland and running behind Tanak, he will seek to push home that advantage as he welcomes his team mate and eight time WR champion Sebastien Ogier back to championship action, their team mate Kalle Rovanpera seeks to win his home event for the first time.
In the Junior WRC, Eamonn Kelly/Conor Mohan, who are fifth, warmed up for the event with a second place finish in last week's HYAcenter Ralli - just 0.3 shy of the winners.
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Meanwhile, the FIA and WRC Promoter unveiled the 2026 WRC calendar that has 14 rounds across four continents. The rounds are: 1. Rallye Monte-Carlo (January 22-25); 2. Rally Sweden (February 12-15); 3. Safari Rally Kenya (March 12-15): 4. Croatia Rally (April 9-12); 5. Rally Islas Canarias (April 23-26); 6. Vodafone Rally de Portugal (May 7-10); 7. Rally Japan (May 28-31); 8. EKO Acropolis Rally (June 25- 28); 9. Rally Estonia (July 16-19); 10. Secto Rally Finland (July30 -August2); 11. Rally del Paraguay (August 27-30); 12. Rally Chile Bio Bío (September 10-13); 13. Rally Italia (October 1-4); 14. Rally Saudi Arabia (November 11-14).
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On the home front it seems the proposed Galway Mini Stage Rally (October) remains in a state of flux. Amid discussions between the Munster, Skibbereen and Galway clubs, it appeared that a November date was more appropriate and was set to get the green light at this week's Motor Sport Council meeting. However, objections from their counterparts in Donegal and Killarney seems to have jettisoned that particular proposal - for the moment at least.
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