Latest news with #McErlean
Belfast Telegraph
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
Josh McErlean hails job well done at Rally de Portugal: ‘It's been a really nice weekend and we have loved every moment of it'
On his favourite round of the FIA World Rally Championship, McErlean comfortably came out on the right side of a weekend-long battle with team-mate Gregoire Munster in the British squad's second Puma. Remarkably, despite the notoriously rough nature of the competitive route, the 25-year-old reported no major problems with his car, with this boding well for the next round in Sardinia from June 5 to 8. 'Honestly, it has been a really nice weekend and we have loved every moment of it,' reflected McErlean, whose resilience was rewarded with four morale-boosting World Rally Championship points. 'It has been a crazy rally as always; it is so nice to come to the finish clean and with some good times as well. 'It has been a very long and demanding weekend for car and crew, and to finish as the first Puma home is really nice. 'We learned a lot with the car and the tyres, and we will look to bring that forward into the Sardinia test this Wednesday, so we are straight back into it – there is not time for much rest, really. 'We took an approach this weekend that we wouldn't do so much on changing the car set-up. 'The other two guys, Gregoire and Martins Sesks, did a lot, but we largely stayed as we were and it worked out.' Co-driven by Vincent Landais, Ogier completed the four-day gravel classic 8.7 seconds up on Hyundai's Ott Tänak, with double World Rally champion Kalle Rovanpera a further 3.5 seconds back in third. Meanwhile, Kris Meeke's hard luck story at Rally de Portugal continued into a third successive year as suspension failure brought his 100 per cent win record in the Portuguese Championship to an end. Despite an incorrect tyre choice for the opening loop of four stages and picking up a puncture on stage six, Meeke and Stuart Loudon in their Sports & You Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 looked nailed on for victory. However, the harsh nature of the Iberian gravel roads eventually told when the left-rear corner on the Japanese supermini collapsed a few kilometres from the end of Friday's final stage. Although they crawled through 'Sever-Albergaria', they were unable to complete the 62-mile road section back to the city of Porto, meaning they relinquished top spot to Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 driver Pedro Almeida. 'The Yaris was perfect again, and the proof of that was the lead we managed to create throughout the day, but this wasn't the finish we wanted,' said Meeke, who is back in action at Rali de Castelo Branco on the weekend of June 13 and 14. 'Rallies are just like that, unfortunately. We know that we have an excellent car and an excellent team – and we are going to come back strong in the next round.'
Irish Examiner
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Examiner
Motorsport: Top 10 standing for McErlean and Treacy in Portugal
Irish pair Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy (M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1) ended a gruelling Friday schedule of 10 stages of Rally Portugal, round five of the World Rally Championship in ninth position as Estonian Ott Tanak (Hyundai i20 Rally1) headed the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 of Sebastien Ogier by seven seconds, the latter followed by team mates Takamoto Katsuta and Kalle Rovanpera. There was just 0.2s between Hyundai pair Ott Tanak and Adrien Fourmaux following the morning four stages south of Porto with both posting a pair of stage wins. Tanak was best on the morning opener taking over the lead from Welsh ace and overnight leader Elfyn Evans (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) with fellow Toyota driver Kalle Rovanpera providing the main challenge to Tanak, the margin between them was 2.5s. As the event progressed, Fourmaux benefitted from his choice of a soft compound Hankook tyre and with the best times on SS4 and SS5, he displaced Rovanpera to slot into second - just 0.2s behind Tanak. Ogier headed the Toyota challenge in third - 7.4s of the lead and a mere 0.7s ahead of Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1). Championship leader Evans suffered from running first on the road as he swept a clean line for his rivals, he ended the loop in sixth place 21.7s off top spot. Neuville clipped a bank with the rear of his Hyundai on SS2 and was fortunate to escape major damage. McErlean was the top Ford driver in ninth place 2.5s ahead of Gregoire Munster. Their team mate Martiņs Sesks lost several minutes when he was forced to stop and change the front-left wheel following a puncture on the third corner of the day's opening stage that dropped him to eighty-fourth in classification. McErlean described his morning's work. "Very difficult yeah. It's changing all the time, sometimes you run wide and then next corner there's good grip.' On the repeat of three of the morning's stages Tanak maintained the lead as Ogier, Katsuta and Neuville were the respective stage winners. Fourmaux hit trouble on SS8 when he damaged the left front corner of his Hyundai i20 Rally1 that was left marooned on the exit of a corner. Munster edged ahead of McErlean for eighth place, "I just didn't find the rhythm, especially towards the end. Let's keep on learning, still a long day ahead." said McErlean. Although McErlean regained eighth spot on the day's penultimate stage Munster finished the day 4.1s ahead of his team mate. "Less grip than I expected, it's nice to get through the day, probably the longest in my career." commented McErlean. Evans continued to be hampered by running first on the road, he ended the day in seventh - a minute and 0.9s off the lead.
Irish Examiner
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Examiner
'This is a class rally' - McErlean eyeing progress in Portugal
The iconic Vodafone Rally de Portugal with the strongest WRC Rally1 entry in three years, is the latest challenge for the Irish crew of Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy as they continue their journey at the top tier of the World Rally Championship. With a second-place finish in the WRC category under his belt from last year, the 25-year-old Kilrea driver couldn't have imagined the trajectory of his career 12 months later. It's a similar situation for his Killeagh co-driver. Neither are letting the emotions of their spectacular climb get in their way. 'Our game plan, like any other event so far this season, is to progress as much as possible during the weekend." McErlean added, "The margins are tiny and there is zero room for error in Portugal. We need to think strategically and take it day by day. Our expectations remain realistic, we are still learning with every kilometre in the car." Portugal, round five of the WRC, is the first of seven gravel events on the bounce. 'I've done a few events over the years in Portugal but they are all in stark contrast to travelling over the stages in a Rally1 Puma.' said McErlean. Aside from a mistake that led to their retirement in Rally Islas Canaris, the pair are progressing well and the 340 competitive kilometres in Portugal should continue the process. After posting the seventh-quickest time in yesterday's shakedown where his Latvian team mate was quickest, McErlean remarked, "This is a class rally, everyone talks about Friday in Portugal being a big day and it's the same every year. The challenge this weekend is massive but at least we are in familiar territory." The Irish pair will be joined by their M-Sport Ford team mates Gregoire Munster (Luxemburg), Sesks and local hero Diogo Salvi. The Toyota Gazoo Racing Team arrive in Portugal with an unblemished start to the season having won all four rounds to date. In addition, the Japanese team are unbeaten in Portugal since 2019. Welsh ace Elfyn Evans, who is amongst the past winners (2021) has a whopping 43 points lead in the current series. Opposition, even with the Toyota camp, is fascinating with two-time WR champion Kalle Rovanpera, a double winner in Portugal and record six-time event winner Sébastien Ogier nominated (along with Evans) nominated to score points for Toyota's main team. Not surprisingly, Ogier commented, "I've always loved Portugal. It's a rally with a special atmosphere and amazing fans. Last year's win to make it six was really satisfying, repeating that this week would be incredible.' Takamoto Katsuta and his Northern Ireland co-driver Aaron Johnson are also in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1. For Hyundai Motorsport, it's an opportunity for Thierry Neuville, Ott Tänak (both past winners in Portugal) and Adrien Fourmaux to match their rivals. "We need a strong result as a team, we need to be stronger than the Toyotas and we need to outscore Elfyn - he has a big lead in the championship and we haven't been able to fight back as much as we would have hoped, so he will be our main target to beat in Portugal along with Kalle (Rovanpera).' said Neuville. The WRC2 category has a record-breaking 45 registered entries spearheaded by Oliver Solberg (Toyota Yaris Rally2)), Gus Greensmith (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), series leader Yohan Rossel (Citroen C3 Rally2) and Pierre-Louis Loubet (Ford Fiesta Rally2). Although not registered for championship points, Northern Ireland's Kris Meeke will be the focus of attention in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. It is strongly rumoured he is amongst the 270 plus entries received for next month's Donegal International Rally. Meanwhile, Donegal's Eamonn Kelly (Ford Fiesta Rally3) and his Monaghan co-driver Conor Mohan continue their quest for the Junior WRC title, currently they are third in the series - fourteen points behind leader, Sweden's Mille Johansson. Elsewhere, Killarney's Alan Ring (BMW M3) winner of the Historic category of the recent Assess Ireland Rally of the Lakes competes in the nine-stage (142.45km) Rallye d'Antibes Historic Rally that finishes tomorrow (Saturday). Jari-Matti Latvala (Toyota Celica ST185) is the top seed.
Belfast Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
Familiar surface and surroundings just what I need to hit back in Portugal, says Josh McErlean
McErlean makes his fifth start in a M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 this week alongside Eoin Treacy, keen to bounce back from last month's disappointment on Rally Islas Canarias. The pair were forced to retire on the last day after an incorrect pace note meant McErlean carried too much speed into a tightening right-hander, hit an Armco barrier and bent the rear suspension. Afterwards, Team Principal Richard Millener offered a robust defence of his new-for-2025 signing, saying the 25-year-old fully deserved his opportunity to compete at the top level. At one of his favourite events, and on his preferred surface, McErlean is keen to repay that unanimous vote of public confidence with a solid finish on his fifth visit to Rally de Portugal. 'It feels incredible to be heading back to Rally Portugal,' he said. 'This rally means a lot to me. We had an amazing result here last year, and I have been itching to return event since. 'This time, doing it in a Rally1 Puma just makes it even more exciting. It also marks the beginning of the gravel season — and there is nowhere better to kick it off than in Portugal.' In readiness for the 24 stages and 215 miles that lie in store, McErlean completed a pre-event test last week with the British squad on a series of roads similar to the sandy, clay-based surface that is renowned for becoming more rocky and rutted on the second pass. 'Whilst I have done a few events over the years in Portugal, they are all in stark contrast to travelling over the stages in a Rally1 Puma,' he said. 'Our expectations remain realistic. 'We are still learning with every kilometre, but it is safe to say I have been looking forward to this one. The fans, the atmosphere, the roads — everything about Portugal is just mega.' M-Sport Ford will run a third car in Portugal, with McErlean's regular driving mate Gregoire Munster being joined by Latvian prospect Martins Sesks for the second of his six outings this year.
Irish Examiner
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Examiner
McErlean and Treacy struggle with oversteer on opening day at Rally Islas Canarias
Struggling with understeer, the Irish crew of Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy finished outside the top ten on the opening day of Rally Islas Canarias, round four of the World Rally Championship. The Kilrea/Killeagh pairing are 12th overall. The Toyota GR outfit have an impressive lock-out of the top five places with Finland's Kalle Rovanpera finding form and pace to lead team mate Sebastien Ogier by 26.8s with championship leader Elfyn Evans a further 9.6s behind in third after the day's six stages. Rovanpera imposed his authority from the very start and with three stage wins on the morning loop he arrived at the Las Palmas service park with a lead of 17.8s from Ogier, who was on his first WR event since his Monte Carlo victory with Evans a further 2.4s behind in third. Rally leader Rovanpera admitted he couldn't get the tyres to work on the third stage where his Toyota Yaris had some understeer, Ogier's tyres had too much pressure on the opening stage but he moved ahead of Evans on the next stage. Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux, 34.2s off top spot in fourth place interrupted the Toyota dominance as Sami Pajari and Takamoto Katsuta and his Irish co-driver Aaron Johnson placed fifth and sixth for the Japanese team. Set-up issues with their Hyundai i20 N Rally1 saw Ott Tanak and reigning champion Thierry Neuville languish in seventh and eighth respectively. Luxemburg driver Gregoire Munster (ninth) was best of the M-Sport Ford team, however, he too suffered with understeer as did McErlean, who was eleventh. Following his tenth place on SS1 (Valsequillo) the longest stage of the rally at 26.32km, McErlean said, "We struggled a bit towards the end with some precision. (It's) so easy to miss a braking point or a note, everything is happening so much." The Wexford/Waterford crew of Eamonn Boland/MJ Morrissey (Ford Fiesta Rally2) were 28th in the RC2 category. On the repeat loop, Tanak continued his unrelenting pace to complete the full set of fastest stage times. McErlean improved on all his previous stage times. "It's been nice team work today. Greg (Gregoire Munster) has been a big help today to learn off. Two more days of trying to learn this beast and these roads. Obviously, the times haven't been great, but it's been a crazy experience just to drive these roads. I didn't realise that there were so many people in this country, never mind fans." There are seven stages today (Saturday) and six on Sunday. Rally Islas Canarias (Round 4, World Rally Championship) Gran Canaria: 1. K. Rovanpera/J. Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)1h. 10m. 31.8s; 2. S. Ogier/V. Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+26.8s; 3. E. Evans/S. Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+36.4s; 4. S. Pajari/M. Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+55.3s; 5. T. Katsuta/A. Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+1m. 06.0s; 6. T. Neuville/M. Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1)+1m. 13.3s; 7. O. Tanak/M Jarveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally)+1m. 14.1s; 8. A. Fourmaux/A. Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1)+1m. 14.8s; 9. G. Munster/L. Louka (Ford Puma Rally1)+2m. 11.1s; 10. Y. Rossel/A. Dunand (Citroen C3 Rally2)+2m. 50.7s; 11. A. Cachon/B. Rozada (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2)+3m. 09.4s; 12. J. McErlean/E. Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1)+3m. 16.2s.
