Josh McErlean is eager to complete an unfinished mission. Wet weather thwarted his plans to showcase his pace at the previous World Rally Championship round in Chile. Now, with only one event left in the current Rally1 era, he heads to Rally Italy Sardinia with the same objective: to prove his speed.
"Yeah, we want to go there and try what we tried to show here: some pace," he told DirtFish. "So let’s try to restart at that one."
The M-Sport driver had a tricky start to his second season at the top level, with mistakes and mechanical issues hindering his progress. However, a career-best sixth place at Acropolis Rally Greece marked a turning point. Since then, he has recorded three top-seven finishes in the last three rounds. Acropolis was indeed the turning point in McErlean's sophomore campaign.
Last year in Sardinia, things didn't go to plan as he ripped his rear-left wheel off on the second stage. Nevertheless, he had been sixth after the opening stage, benefiting from the road cleaning effect. This week, he will start the opening leg eighth on the road.
"We’ll throw everything at it and see how it goes," McErlean smiled. "Hopefully the road cleaning opportunity comes in Sardinia, which we expected in Chile, but it never actually came. So, yeah, I think if the weather stays how it is in Sardinia at the minute, then we’ve a big opportunity on the Friday to really push on and that’s what we want to do."
He also welcomed the return of Martins Sesks, which adds to the competition. "And of course Martins is back as well, so that also adds a bit of fun to it," he added.
Sardinia is McErlean's final opportunity this season to show what he can do, as his plans for the 2027 season are not yet arranged. "Let’s try and get a proper plan over the winter and see what comes next, but I think a strong Sardinia would definitely help our case," he confessed.
With pressure to perform, McErlean knows that a strong result in Sardinia could be key to his future. He is determined to seize every opportunity, especially if the weather conditions are favourable. Rally Sardinia will be a stage for this young driver to prove his worth.
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