WRC
McErlean: "I'm sure there are definitely good times ahead"
A change in location prompting an itinerary overhaul will ensure Croatia’s return to the FIA World Rally Championship will provide “a bit of everything”, according to M-Sport-Ford’s Josh McErlean.
A change in location prompting an itinerary overhaul will ensure Croatia’s return to the FIA World Rally Championship will provide “a bit of everything”, according to M-Sport-Ford’s Josh McErlean.
The WRC will return to asphalt next week with a visit to Croatia for the first time since 2024, although this year’s edition is set to produce an altogether new challenge for the crews and teams. The rally has relocated from its previous base in the capital Zagreb to the port city of Rijeka.
Josh McErlean during Croatia testing
© Matija Mikulec
Croatia is renowned for its narrow, bumpy roads featuring various grip changes and plenty of cutting. These attributes are expected to feature again, but this year only three of the stages from the 2024 edition have been retained, including the Platak test, held near the ski resort north of new host city Rijeka.
The new itinerary will offer crews a significant change in the variety of stage characteristics with the traditional Croatian stages complemented by a selection of smooth asphalt tests, more akin to those witnessed in the Canary Islands.
Changeable weather is also likely to be a factor. In the build up to the event teams encountered snow while conducting pre-event tests. Should such weather arrive next week, Hankook has added its non-studded winter tyre to the options available to teams.
Josh McErlean during Croatia tests
© Matija Mikulec
“What we know from previous years is the Platak stage is quite high up, I think it is over 1000 metres [above sea level],” opined McErlean. “We had some snow on our test and it shows you the snow can be around, and Hankook has added the winter tyre as well now so we will have to take that into account.
“When you travel towards the sea, the stages are a completely different characteristic. I think there is definitely a bit of everything.
“Hopefully it [the luck] is turning and we can get the rub of the green. You can dwell on it a lot but I don’t like being a negative person and you have to look towards the future and see what we can change."
“We talk a lot about the surface in Croatia with the Tarmac and how slippy it can be. I think the weather can play a lot, and in previous years there has been a lot of cutting, and there will definitely be a lot of cutting this year, but I don’t think it will be as bad as in previous years due to the variety of the stages.
"There is one stage along the coast Sunday that is very much like a race track, a bit like what you see in the Canary Islands. I think the variety of stages is quite different from previous years, but still I think you can expect an insane rally.
Croatia road conditions
© Croatia Rally
“It should be good and usually with these rallies it changes character on the different days, but I think it does that stage by stage this year from what I’m seeing from the videos.”
With such a variety of stage characteristics, and the fact that Croatia and the upcoming Rally Islas Canarias (23-26 April) are linked rallies when it comes to differential options, a compromised set up will be required.
For these linked events, transmission components such as differentials must remain sealed across both rallies. Teams may not change them between events unless the car retires from the first rally, or the FIA Technical Delegate gives written approval. If the seals are broken without approval, a five-minute penalty is applied at the following rally.
Josh McErlean has had a challenging start to 2026
© Jaanus Ree
“With the rallies being linked with the differentials we need to choose a combination which we hope will work on both rallies,” McErlean added.
“I think we are in a good place from that side definitely and a better place than we were last year at the Canary Islands. It seems like we have made a step forward since Monte Carlo, so hopefully that can give us some confidence to improve on Tarmac.”
While Croatia is a whole new event for McErlean, the Irishman believes the significant changes to the itinerary will help level the playing field. After suffering retirements in Monte Carlo in January and last month’s Safari Rally Kenya, the Irishman is desperate for a clean rally.
Josh McErlean experienced varying conditions during Croatia testing
© Matija Mikulec
“It is nice to go to Croatia and it is a brand new event for me. I did the recce in 2023 so I have some knowledge of three of the stages that have been run before, but all in all it is probably a good thing that it is a brand-new rally whereas I could have been on the back foot a lot,” said McErlean.
"It is going to be new for everyone to level the playing field but we are still back on Tarmac and hopefully it is a less dramatic than Monte.
“It has been a hectic start to the year, there is no doubt about that. I’m sure there are definitely good times ahead.
“Hopefully it [the luck] is turning and we can get the rub of the green. You can dwell on it a lot but I don’t like being a negative person and you have to look towards the future and see what we can change. Hopefully we can have a nice clean Croatia and things can kick off from there.”
