Fresh from matching his career-best result in Paraguay, Josh McErlean heads to Rally Chile with his sights set even higher. The M-Sport driver secured sixth place last time out, equaling his finish in Greece back in June, but he wants more from this weekend's event.
And M-Sport certainly needs it. Although the WRC privateer squad has spent recent years focused on pay drivers, a few strong results before the end of the 2026 season would be a welcome boost for the entire team.
Enjoying the Flow of Chilean Stages
McErlean is confident heading into round eight of the season. "After a solid run in Paraguay, we'll head to Chile looking to push on and keep building from there. It's a rally I really enjoy; the stages are always really nice to drive when you get into a rhythm," he said.
Even though Rally Chile has been a fixture for several years, organisers have tweaked the route. "Friday will be a little different this year with the stages running in reverse, so that will bring a fresh challenge and make the recce really important," the Irishman explained.
He was quick to praise his team's efforts. "The team are doing a massive job across these two rallies, especially with such a short turnaround between Paraguay and Chile, so hopefully we can reward all their hard work with another strong weekend," McErlean added.
Logistical Hurdle, High Ambition
Team principal Richard Millener stressed the scale of the challenge, with only one free weekend between the Paraguay and Chile events. A huge amount of work has gone into preparing the cars to run again.
"Rally Chile is being held for the fifth time, so we have plenty of information about the event. The stages are very varied and the weather can often bring its own challenges, but we are well prepared for them, especially as we can draw on Josh's experience from last year," he stated.
"The team has worked hard in Paraguay this week to get the cars ready again before the journey to Chile. These back-to-back events are a major challenge, but we are focused and ready to attack flat out," Millener concluded.
Baca Juga
Junior WRC memuncak di Chili dengan lima pembalap bersaing memperebutkan gelar dan hadiah utama berupa empat putaran WRC2 2027. Poin digandakan, siapa yang akan menang?
Thierry Neuville menargetkan kemenangan di Rally Chile 2025 meski mengaku trek itu bukan favoritnya. Hyundai diyakini semakin kompetitif setelah perkembangan set-up.
FIA menambah jatah ban Rally1 menjadi 36 untuk Reli Chile setelah kekacauan ban di Paraguay. Prosedur tukar ban di Arauco juga dilonggarkan demi hindari insiden delaminasi.
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