McErlean closes maiden Rally1 season on WRC's Saudi Arabia debut
Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy complete their maiden Rally1 season on the World Rally Championship's final round, Rally Saudi Arabia, marking another significant first in what has been an important year of development for the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy duo.
The crew take on their first event in the Middle East, renowned for unique sandy stages that will challenge WRC’s best. McErlean will be focused on gaining as much experience as possible while enjoying the fact that it will be a first-time event for all crews, leveling the playing field.
Rally Saudi Arabia offers a demanding mix of open desert speed and rugged, technical, narrow sections. Fast, wide gravel roads with sweeping corners and blind crests contrast with rougher, rocky terrain where accuracy and tyre management become crucial. Shifting sand and inconsistent grip are expected to pose significant challenges, particularly on second passes of the stages.
"It's too early to reflect on the season as a whole because there's still a huge job to do next weekend," said McErlean. "This rally is a complete unknown for everyone, and that makes it one of the toughest events of the year. There's no previous data, no old onboard videos to compare, and no real formbook. We know the speeds will be high in places, but there are also rocky sections where you can easily damage the car if you're even slightly off-line.”
"We've been working flat out since Japan to learn as much as possible. From what we understand, the surface can go from smooth and fast to really abrasive very quickly, so you need to adapt immediately. You can lose time with caution, but you can also lose a rally with one mistake. It's all about finding that balance.”
"I really want to finish the year on a positive note. We've taken big steps forward across the season, and the target now is to put everything together for this final push. It's a fresh challenge for everyone in the championship, and that gives us an opportunity too. The focus is fully on the rally, one stage at a time, managing the conditions, and getting the most out of the car and ourselves. Most of all, we want to enjoy the experience and keep picking up the knowledge for the future.”
County Tyrone co-driver Aaron Johnston caps off his season with Japanese ace Takamoto Katsuta. The Toyota Yaris Rally1 crew showed brilliant speed on the last round, Rally Japan, and will be hoping to end the year on a high after several strong results throughout the season.
The 17-stage gravel event starts with a 4.5-kilometre shakedown on Wednesday morning before kicking off with a super-special that evening. Three stages on Sunday complete the rally, including the longest test of the event, the 33.3-kilometre Asfan stage. The rally is based at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Back in Ireland, MI Rally Academy co-driver Killian McArdle is set to take on his 26th rally of the year. McArdle returns to Michael Cahill's co-driver seat for Saturday's Killarney Historic Rally, where they are seeded 10th in the rally's modified category as the Irish season reaches its conclusion.