Josh McErlean finished seventh overall in Jyvaskyla and was M-Sport's leading driver, but he believes one simple factor denied a more spectacular record.
According to the Irishman, this year's Rally Finland was exceptionally dramatic. "It was a really crazy rally. It's been a long time since we've seen so many crashes in the Rally1 category, especially crashes of that magnitude," he said. McErlean believes many of the accidents came down to one fundamental aspect: most happened on new stages, or at the very least on newly written pace notes.
McErlean also encountered difficulties himself on Friday when heavy rain disrupted his rally. "Friday was difficult. We found ourselves right in the middle of the storm and lost more than a minute and a half. That obviously wasn't ideal," he said. However, he was pleased with his pace over the remainder of the weekend. "We stayed in the fight, and our pace on Saturday and Sunday was good compared with our team-mates. We also tried to keep Thierry Neuville behind us, but that's always difficult against Hyundai's factory team."
McErlean also pointed out that the weekend was significant for another reason: it was the final Rally Finland for the current generation of Rally1 cars, which will leave the championship after this season. "This was the last time these cars competed here. The speeds are absolutely incredible. I thought last year's rally was fast, but this year's was even quicker. If Friday's weather had been better, we could have witnessed the fastest Rally Finland in history," he explained.
He believes the current Rally1 machinery will be missed. "I'm sure people will miss them. These cars are incredible when they're performing at their full potential. Let's see what the future brings," McErlean concluded.
Baca Juga
Josh McErlean mengungkapkan faktor yang menghalangi rekor Reli Finlandia: banyak kecelakaan di stage baru. Simak analisis lengkapnya di Sportrik.
Elfyn Evans uji Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 di Grampian Forest Rally, Skotlandia. Ajang ini jadi pemanasan jelang debut Rally Scotland di WRC 2026. Simak analisisnya.
Delapan pebalap WRC terjaring razia polisi di Reli Finlandia, termasuk Adrien Fourmaux. Pelanggaran didominasi kecepatan, dengan satu kasus membahayakan. Simak detailnya.
Lanjutkan dengan Google
Diskusi & Komentar (0)
Mari Bergabung dalam Diskusi!
Masuk dengan mudah untuk mulai memberikan komentar, membalas, dan berinteraksi dengan pembaca lainnya.
Komentar Terbaru
Belum ada komentar. Jadilah yang pertama!