The competitive momentum shown by Josh McErlean in the World Rally Championship was brought to a harsh halt, destroying any hopes of a sweet finish. The Irish driver had been performing admirably and remained in strong contention until Saturday afternoon, before a minor incident drastically altered the outcome in Sardinia.
The trouble began when the car driven by Josh McErlean suffered a small off on the second stage of the afternoon session. The mishap forced him and co-driver Eoin Treacy to lose more than 50 seconds to the fastest stage time, while also compelling them to stop on the following road section to inspect severe damage to the radiator and cooling system.
The situation escalated when they reached the start of the day's final stage 14 minutes late, aiming to make it safely back to the service park. Unbeknownst to the crew inside the cockpit, the car's steering arm had fractured during the earlier off, ultimately failing on the final stage and causing further damage to the left-rear corner of the vehicle.
Despite attempting temporary roadside repairs alongside Eoin Treacy, advice from the team ultimately forced them to retire to prevent even greater damage to the car. The mechanics worked tirelessly into the early hours, replacing the engine and several major components so the crew could continue the rally on Sunday.
However, the drama did not end in the garage as the replacement engine had not been sealed, breaching the 2026 FIA WRC Sporting Regulations and landing the Irish driver an additional five-minute time penalty. Entering the final day, Josh McErlean practically had no choice but to enjoy his final kilometers inside the current-generation Rally1 car while reflecting on a season ending much earlier than anticipated.
"But that is what the sport can throw at you. Our rally had been going quite well until we unfortunately hit a tree on Saturday evening," Josh McErlean stated regarding the bitter incident.
As reported by RallyJournal, he also expressed high appreciation for the crew's tireless efforts overnight. "The team did a fantastic job changing the engine overnight, and there was hardly any time to spare," he added with deep gratitude.
Contesting his second season in the WRC’s top class, Josh McErlean had consistently scored points for his team, achieving a career-best overall finish of sixth in Greece and Paraguay. Nevertheless, ending his season in Sardinia left the Irishman feeling downbeat, as he would have preferred to contest one more rally this year.
"Of course, everyone wants to go rallying, and we usually expect the season to finish at a certain time. It is really strange for the season to end as early as the beginning of October," he lamented regarding the calendar.
On the flip side, Josh McErlean tried to see the positive side of the longer-than-usual break before the start of the new season next year. "Usually, once the season ends, you have a month to try to turn things around, so from that perspective it is not a bad thing. But we will certainly try to keep ourselves busy and get everything in order for next year," he concluded.
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