WRC
Learning curve continues as McErlean targets gains in Japan
Josh McErlean is eyeing further progress at next week's FORUM8 Rally Japan after delivering his most complete performance yet in a Rally1 car at Central European Rally.
The Irishman steered his M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 to seventh overall on the tri-country event, matching his best FIA World Rally Championship result and showing clear progress against the category’s benchmark drivers.
“It’s been a big learning experience,” said McErlean. “We’ve faced every sort of condition - running at the front of the field, running at the back - and it was nice to see Greg [Munster] back out again after his mishap on Friday so we could properly compare times.
“From the start of the rally to now, I think we’ve really improved that gap. That was the main aim coming here - to get more Tarmac mileage, because the Canaries was our last event on that surface. I think at one point we were about two seconds [per kilometre] off the quickest. This morning, though, we were only 0.7 seconds [per kilometre] off Ogier, which is a big improvement, but there’s still more to find.”
© WRC
That closing gap to Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Sébastien Ogier was a tangible sign of the strides McErlean and co-driver Eoin Treacy are making in their first Rally1 campaign.
“Pretty much everything we’ve done here we’ll take to Japan,” he said. “At least now we know the direction we need to go, maybe in terms of set-up. But there’s still so much more to come in terms of driving - just trusting the car and maybe pushing a bit further in Japan.”
While he doesn’t expect the fast Bavarian and Bohemian roads to mirror Japan’s narrow mountain passes, McErlean believes the mileage gained in Central Europe will be invaluable.
“Japan’s stages are slower and more technical, with longer corners,” he noted. “The Tarmac there is very particular. Some places here had low grip, a bit like Japan, but overall it’s not that representative. Still, at least we’ve had a proper Tarmac event here, and that’s a good step heading into Japan.”
