Josh McErlean opened up about the bitter memories of last year's Rally Sardinia with a note of optimism. The Irishman had a strong start, sitting sixth overall after the opening stage, but disaster struck his team, M-Sport, on the following stage. McErlean and teammate Gregoire Munster both retired, and Martins Sesks, in the team's third car, rolled.
The series of incidents turned into a nightmare for M-Sport in Sardinia. Although McErlean and Munster were able to rejoin on Saturday, they missed crucial Friday mileage. McErlean admits there is still plenty to learn from that experience.
“We had good pace last year on the Friday stage that we managed to contest. We’ll see. I’m not completely familiar with this year’s stages yet, but I’m sure there will be plenty to learn,” he said.
The lesson was perhaps born from overenthusiasm. Now, the team is determined to finish the season on a high note without repeating the same mistakes.
“Exactly. Hopefully the same thing won’t happen again this year. And of course Martins is back as well, so that adds a little more fun to it,” added McErlean.
More than that, McErlean wants to showcase the speed they briefly demonstrated in Chile. “But we want to go there and try to show what we were also trying to show in Chile, which is our pace. So let’s try to get that going again.”
With a full driver lineup back, M-Sport hopes to turn the nightmare into a valuable lesson. This year's Sardinia will be a test of mental strength and strategy, especially in managing risks on the tough gravel stages.
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