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RTÉ News
19 hours ago
- Automotive
- RTÉ News
Josh McErlean relishing Sardinian WRC test
Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver Josh McErlean is in action at the Rally Italia Sardegna this weekend for round six of the World Rally Championship and determined to continue his upward trajectory behind the wheel of his M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1. McErlean, who was a WRC2 driver, was a surprise choice to compete for the full M-Sport Ford World Rally Team this year. His chance though came when Frenchman Adrian Formaux quit the M-Sport team to move to Hyundai this season and the British team decided to go with a younger, less experienced three-driver line-up, which included Derryman McErlean. So far the Irish driver has been in the points, his best result a fine seventh place in the opening Monte Carlo Rally, while McErlean finished eighth in the last round in Portugal. The 25-year-old driver from Kilrea was M-Sport's top points scorer during the weekend in Portugal. That momentum will be key on the Italian island's punishing stages, which includes Micky's Jump as part of the Lerno–Su Filigosu stage, one of the most famous jumps in world rallying. Last year's event saw the the joint-closest WRC finish in history, when Ott Tanak beat Sebastien Ogier to victory by two-tenths of a second. The event is held on narrow gravel tracks, which cut through mountainous forests, pushing drivers and machinery to the limit. Sardinia's abrasive gravel also gives it one of the highest tyre-wear rates in the whole season. "Sardinia is one of the toughest rallies on the calendar, no question," said McErlean, who went on to finish fourth fastest in the shakedown. "There's no room for error here – it's narrow, rough, and can catch you out at any second. "But after the positive result in Portugal, I feel we're progressing in the right direction. "We're learning more about the Puma on gravel with every kilometre, and this weekend will be another big step for us." The event opens with a ceremonial start in Olbia before two loops on Friday through Gallura's gritty, technical stages. Saturday will provide the ultimate test, featuring the infamous Lerno–Su Filigosu test. Sunday's action rounds off with a mix of returning classics and a new power stage on the coast at Porto San Paolo. "You have to learn to love this rally, you can't fight it, or it will bite you back", added McErlean. "It's a real test for both car and crew, and that's exactly what makes it so rewarding. We had a positive run in Portugal, and the goal is to carry that rhythm into this weekend." Meanwhile, two days of motor racing action lie ahead for race fans at Mondello Park this weekend as the second round of the ICCR series approaches. The Siltex Safety Zetec Fiestas once again have the largest grids and with a win apiece so far in 2025, Sean McGovern and Alan Dawson will be keen to take the top step of the podium once again. Formula Ford returns to the Kildare venue ahead of the Historic Festival in August and despite a relatively small entry list, all the big FF1600 names are there. Jason Smyth and Morgan Quinn are looking forward to a return to Irish tarmac and, having taken plenty of wins between them across the water, won't be here to make up numbers. Stephen O'Connor is fast, if a touch erratic, but could spring a surprise against the younger opposition if the planets align. BOSS Ireland is back at Mondello too, and all eyes will be on Limerick's Paul Having done most of his racing abroad recently, he brings his 590bhp Dallara World Series to Mondello Park. He was have to tackle the nimble F3 cars of reigning champion Tony Greenan and Noel Robinson. It's a battle of the V8s in the HRCA Historics as Jackie Cochrane's 5.0 Sunbeam Tiger fights off the similarly powered Ginetta G10 of son-in-law Gareth Thompson.
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Automotive
- Irish Examiner
Josh McErlean hoping to conquer 'rough and relentless' Rally Sardinia alongside Eoin Treacy
The "Italian Job" awaits for the Irish pairing of Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy onboard their M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 as they tackle Rally Italia Sardegna, the sixth round of the World Rally Championship that is set to be hot, both in pace and weather. Buoyed by their performance in the most recent round in Portugal, the faster and tighter stages on the island's north eastern coast will provide yet another challenge as they become more familiar with their Rally1 car. For Kilrea's McErlean, it will be a fourth time competing on this infamous event, last year in a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, he punched in eight top-five stage times in the WRC2 category and knows what to expect over the three days. "Rally Sardinia is one of the toughest events on the European calendar - rough, technical and relentless. But you have to learn to love this rally. It's a real test for both car and crew, and that's exactly what makes it so rewarding. We had a positive run in Portugal and the goal is to carry that rhythm into this weekend." Indeed, another positive from Portugal was the fact that McErlean and Killeagh's Eoin Treacy were the top M-Sport crew, that prompted McErlean to add, "I feel we're progressing in the right direction. We're learning more about the Puma on gravel with every kilometre and this weekend will be another big step for us." Based Olbia, it's one of the most demanding of the 14-event WR schedule. Sixteen stages totalling some 320 kilometres of competitive action through the hills and coastline is a supreme test of both man and machine. M-Sport, who have yet to secure a podium finish in the current campaign, have a four-man team with Gregoire Munster, Martins Sesks and Jourdan Serderidis steering the other Puma Rally1 cars. Having played second fiddle to the Toyota Gazoo Racing outfit so far, Sardinia offers the Hyundai outfit some mid-season redemption with Ott Tanak aiming to repeat his 2024 victory in Sardinia where he finished just 0.2s ahead of Sebastien Ogier. In Portugal a few weeks ago the pair had a great battle until a power steering issue for Tanak handed the win to Ogier. This latest showdown is unfinished business from both their perspectives. "Sardinia is another super punishing event." said Tanak, who added, "At first, it can look smooth and sandy, but the roads normally develop quickly. We can suddenly find solid rocks sticking out from the ground, which will make life hard for both the car and tyres. We know our car is not easy to find good setup for different surfaces, but in the past we have done well in Sardegna. Hopefully, we have done our homework and we are going to be on the pace from the start." His team mate and reigning WR champion Thierry Neuville was somewhat more direct. "We need to be consistently fast and there's no room for mistakes, so we will be pushing across every stage. I want to be fighting for the win, so I need to finish ahead of my main championship rivals." Tanak is thirty-four points behind championship leader Elfyn Evans (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) and should, along with his team mates Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux (fifth and seventh respectively) benefit from strong road positions on today's (Friday) six stages. Of course Evans has the onerous task of sweeping the loose gravel from the tracks and that will cost him valuable time and is likely to be a damage limitation exercise for the Welshman. His team mate Kalle Rovanpera, second in the series, will be aiming to cut into Evans' 30-point advantage. The Toyota presence is completed by Takamoto Katsuta (with his Northern Ireland co-driver Aaron Johnson) and Sami Pajari. Cavan co-driver James Fulton calls the notes for Japan's Yuki Yamamoto (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2). Meanwhile, Killarney's Colin O'Donoghue (Ford Escort) is the top seed for Sunday's Laois Heartlands Rally, a six stage event that is headquartered in Stradbally. Opposition includes Scotland's David Bogie (Ford Escort), Donegal's Kevin Gallagher and Wexford's James Stafford both in Darrian T90 GTR's and the Monaghan duo of David Moffett and Richard Moffett in a pair of Toyota Starlets.
BBC News
a day ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
'No room for error' - McErlean prepares for Italy
Josh McErlean believes Rally Italia Sardegna will be "one of the toughest rallies" in his debut World Rally Championship M-Sport Ford driver will compete in Italy for the fist time in WRC1 machinery after a strong previous round in narrow and rocky gravel roads through the mountains, combined with the summer heat, make the rally in Sardinia one of the most gruelling on the WRC calendar."There's no room for error here – it's narrow, rough, and can catch you out at any second," said Motorsport Ireland driver McErlean."You have to learn to love this rally. You can't fight it or it will bite you back."It's a real test for both car and crew, and that's exactly what makes it so rewarding."After a late deal to graduate to the top tier of world rallying with M-Sport, the opening five rounds of the season have been a baptism of fire for the 25-year-old from Northern he had his best performance of the season in Portugal in May as he and co-driver Eoin Treacy finished in eighth place, ahead of more experienced team-mate Gregoire Munster and the highly-rated Martins Sesks. "We had a positive run in Portugal, and the goal is to carry that rhythm into this weekend," added McErlean."I feel we're progressing in the right direction. We're learning more about the Ford Puma on gravel with every kilometre, and this weekend will be another big step for us."The first of the 16 stages takes place on Friday and the event will finish in Olbia on Sunday.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Rally Portugal set to feature record-equaling WRC Rally1 line-up
Rally Portugal will welcome the strongest Rally1 line-up since 2022 when it hosts the next round of the World Rally Championship later this month. Twelve Rally1 cars are set to tackle Portugal's 24 gravel stages for round five of the season from 15-18 May. Advertisement Toyota will once again field five GR Yaris Rally1 cars with the most successful driver in Rally Portugal history, six-time winner Sebastien Ogier, set to make his third start of a partial campaign. The eight-time world champion, who won last year's round in Portugal, will join full-time Toyota drivers, including championship leader Elfyn Evans, Kalle Rovanpera, Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari. The round will also feature the debut of Toyota's recently revealed silver paint scheme that will replace the black livery for the summer events. Hyundai will field its trio of i20 N Rally cars for Thierry Neuville, Ott Tanak and Adrien Fourmaux, while M-Sport-Ford will be represented by four Pumas. Martins Sesks rejoins the squad for the second of six scheduled starts for the British team, alongside Gregoire Munster and Josh McErlean. The fourth Puma will be driven by experienced 55-year-old local privateer Diogo Salvi. The entry marks the largest line-up of Rally1 cars since Rally Spain in 2022. Toyota and M-Sport have already begun preparations for the round, conducting pre-event tests this week. Last time there were 12 Rally1 cars on the entry was Rally Spain in 2022 Last time there were 12 Rally1 cars on the entry was Rally Spain in 2022 Red Bull Content Pool Red Bull Content Pool Advertisement Meanwhile, a record 45 cars have been entered into the WRC2 class, which includes WRC rally winners Kris Meeke and Dani Sordo. Meeke and Sordo are both contesting the Portuguese national championship, which is hosting its fourth round of the season at the WRC event. Former factory Mini, Citroen and Toyota driver Meeke will pilot a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, that has so far edged works Hyundai WRC driver Sordo (i20 N Rally2) to victory in the previous two rounds of the championship. The entry list features several WRC2 title protagonists including Oliver Solberg, current points leader Yohan Rossel, Nikolay Gryazin, Gus Greensmith and Fabrizio Zaldivar. The round will also mark the return of WRC Rally1 driver Pierre-Louis Loubet, having agreed a deal to drive a Ford Fiesta Rally2 for M-Sport, rejoining the team he competed with in Rally1 in 2023. To read more articles visit our website.
Irish Examiner
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Examiner
Motorsport: 'This is the first time we get a clean surface and some consistency in grip'
Given that the opening three rounds of the World Rally Championship were specialised events, this weekend's Rally Islas Canarias offers Irish driver Josh McErlean (25) something more familiar where he can show his true pace in his fledgling Rally1 career. 'It's probably the first rally this season where we can have a little bit of predictability in terms of what we will face. Monte (Carlo), Sweden and Safari (previous rounds) are all very unique. This is the first time we get a clean surface and some consistency in grip," said the Kilrea driver, who termed the event as "an exciting next step.' McErlean and his Killeagh co-driver Eoin Treacy have steadily built their pace and should perform well on the island's sealed surface he has a definite plan. "This will be all about carrying speed through corners, finding that rhythm and committing early. Monte Carlo gave me my first taste of what a Rally1 car can do on a sealed surface, but Rally Islas Canarias is different; it's full on, proper smooth tarmac." He added: "Of course, it's still a WRC round and nothing is ever easy. But we're feeling ready for this one.' McErlean will be joined by his M-Sport teammate Gregoire Munster. Championship leader Welsh ace Elfyn Evans (Toyota Yaris Rally1) has an unprecedented 36 point lead in the series over reigning champion Thierry Neuville (Hyundai i20 Rally1) after victories in Sweden and Kenya and a podium spot in Monte Carlo. Neuville and his teammate Ott Tanak have the task of trying to reduce the points deficit on the 18-stage event. Recently, both Neuville and Evans took part in the ERC round Rally Sierra Morena to get some asphalt mileage under their belts. Hyundai's three-car line-up is completed by Adrien Fourmaux while Sebastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanpera return to strengthen Toyota's points-scoring efforts. Rovanpera has yet to unlock his campaign, which sees him languishing 57 points behind Evans. The Toyota Gazoo Racing outfit also features Japan's Takamoto Katsuta with Northern Ireland's Aaron Johnson alongside and Finland's Sami Pajari. Local legend Luis Monzon (59) will drive a Citroen C3 Rally2 in WRC2 in what will be his 34th iteration of the rally where there is a record-breaking 38-strong entry in WRC2 - the biggest in the category's history. It includes Wexford's Eamonn Boland and his Waterford co-driver "MJ" Morrissey in a Ford Fiesta Rally2. There are six stages today. In motor racing, Wicklow's Max Hart, the current Motorsport Ireland incumbent of the Young Racing Driver of the Year award, will compete in this year's TCR Europe Series that begins this weekend. Racing with Italian outfit Target Competition and Hyundai Motorsport, he will pilot a Hyundai Elantra N TCR on some of the top circuits around Europe. Supported by O'Driscoll's Irish Whiskey he has set his sights on championship victory and the top prize of a free entry for the 2026 Kumho TCR World Tour. "All the circuits will be new to me and I am really looking forward to testing on them. What we have (package) is definitely one with which we can challenge for the title. As I am only twenty-three, I will be competing in the Junior Rookie Championship too, but the aim is to run right at the front from the first round at Portimao this weekend." Meanwhile, Silverstone hosts the second round races in this weekend's British Ginetta Championships where Ballylickey's Robert Cronin races in the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT series and his younger brother Colin and Donegal's Joshua Henry compete in the Junior category. The top 10 for next weekend's Asses Ireland is as follows: 1. Callum Devine/Noel O'Sullivan (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2); 2. Keith Cronin/Mikie Galvin (Citroen C3 Rally2); 3. Matt Edwards/David Moynihan (Hyundai i20 N Rally2); 4. Meirion Evans/Ger Conway (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2); 5. Josh Moffett/Andy Hayes (Citroen C3 Rally2); 6. Eddie Doherty/Tom Murphy (Skoda Fabia R5); 7. David Kelly/Arthur Kierans (VW Polo GTi R5); 8. Declan Boyle/Patrick Walsh (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2); 9. Cathan McCourt/Barry McNulty (Hyundai20 N Rally2); 10. Michael Boyle/Dermot McCafferty (VW Polo GTi R5).
