Josh McErlean outlines the keys to success as he braces to tackle Rally Finland challenge
McErlean's programme continues at Rally Finland where he is set to make his fourth appearance at the fastest WRC fixture and his first as a works-backed entrant.
There is the expectation that the 26-year-old can build on his Rally Estonia performance from earlier in July; a mature approach rewarded with a third top-10 result of 2025.
It was also the second time the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy Member outshone his more experienced driving mate Gregoire Munster since he kicked things off in January.
Estonia's smooth, fast-flowing roads bear a close resemblance to Finland's, and having successfully overcome that challenge, McErlean is confident he can continue to improve.
'This is all part of the learning process, and Estonia gave us exactly what we needed – a clean rally, strong pace progression and something to build from,' he said.
'Now, for me, it is all about fine-tuning, pushing where we can and keeping that upward curve going.
'Finland is an event I have been looking forward to ever since we got the opportunity to compete at Rally1 level; it's a special feeling to be taking on Finland's roads in such a car.
'This weekend is about taking a step forward, trusting in ourselves, committing to the pace notes and starting to bring everything we have learnt together. The key will be confidence and rhythm. I'm ready to enjoy every moment of the ride through the forests.'
Someone else who is expecting big things of McErlean, as well as Munster and the third Puma Rally1 of Martins Sesks, is M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Principal Rich Millener.
'Rally Finland is a legendary event, and while it is always a huge challenge, it's also a truly incredible opportunity for our young lineup to shine,' he said.
'Gregoire, Josh and Martins have all been consistently learning throughout the season, and Finland will test every aspect of their driving.'
Rally Finland offers 190 miles of competitive action from Thursday onwards, with Saturday the longest leg of the event before crews turn their focus to Sunday's 'Ouninpohja' stage.
As part of its refreshed itinerary for 2025, organisers have introduced various new speed tests, including 'Parkkola', 'Leustu', 'Paijala' and 'Vastila'.
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