McErlean planning ‘step forward’ at Rally Finland

The World Rally Championship will be held at Rally Finland, according to Josh McErlean.

Due to its fast-paced, flowing roads and iconic jumps, the rally is regarded as one of the WRC’s crown jewel events and is known as the “Gravel Grand Prix.”

McErlean, 26, who is competing for Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy in his first season with M-Sport, is a top-tier WRC driver and has already put together a strong Estonian performance.

Since we had the opportunity to compete at the Rally1 level, I’ve been anticipating Rally Finland, McErlean said.

This weekend will involve taking a step forward, having faith in ourselves, giving our full attention to the pacenotes, and beginning to combine everything we have learned.

I’m ready to enjoy every moment of the forest ride because the key will be confidence and rhythm.

In an Estonian rally that shares the same characteristics as the famous stages of Finland, McErlean and co-driver Eoin Treacy placed ninth.

The Northern Ireland driver said that the learning process includes using the momentum gained from Estonia.

“Estonia gave us exactly what we needed: a clean rally, a strong pace progression, and something to build on,” McErlean continued.

Running second on the road in Estonia was challenging from Saturday onward, and I’m hoping to move up a little more than that this time. However, I already know what to expect if we are in that position once more.

“It’s about fine tuning, pushing where we can, and keeping that upward curve going,” I said.