Josh McErlean wrapped up his South American adventure with a total of 14 WRC points, but he admitted that Rally Chile truly tested his limits. The Ford driver finished sixth in Paraguay and one position lower in Chile, yet the latter taught him a valuable lesson about what it means to be on the edge.
Muddy Roads That Changed Everything
McErlean described the Chilean weekend as one of the toughest, not just for himself but for the entire team. “I think it was the same for many others as well. Friday began with us thinking that sweeping the road would work in our favour, but the mud turned the situation completely on its head,” he said.
Instead of gaining an advantage, he had to battle unpredictable conditions. “We just tried to manage the weekend and drive consistently. In the end, we finished seventh, so we picked up a few more points. I would say our South American adventure was not so bad after all,” he added.
A Small Mistake with Big Consequences
However, the rally was not entirely error-free. McErlean made a small driving mistake towards the end of Sunday’s opening stage. “The engine stalled under braking, we slid wide and lost the car’s front-end aero, which was a disaster for the rest of the day. Overall, though, it was a reasonably good weekend,” he explained. The incident highlighted just how thin the margin is between success and failure at the top level.
Despite finding points-scoring pace, McErlean admits taking the next step is extremely difficult. He would have to raise the level of risk without making any mistakes. “We have seen that when you really start pushing, things get difficult once you are right on the limit of grip,” he confessed. This comment underscores the dilemma faced by many drivers: chasing extra speed often means taking greater risks.
The 36-Tyre Solution in Chile
In Chile, drivers had 36 tyres available, compared with the usual allocation of 28. McErlean felt the exceptional rule was a good solution. “I think so, yes. In Paraguay, it seemed that the stage speeds were causing the tyres to shed their tread, and perhaps that did not happen as much on this rally. So the situation might have been manageable, but I definitely think it was a good solution to ensure people’s rallies were not ruined because of it,” he said. The decision came after incidents in Paraguay where several drivers suffered tyre issues.
With his South American results, McErlean now has 14 points in the championship. Although he has yet to score a podium, he has shown progress as a driver capable of competing at the top level. However, he knows that to step up, he needs to find a way to push without exceeding the limit. Rally Chile served as a reminder that in rallying, the line between heroic and disastrous is very thin.
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