Why 2025 is right for M-Sport’s new recruit to make WRC leap

M-Sport-Ford new signing Josh McErlean believes 2025 is the best time since the Rally1 era began to make the leap to the World Rally Championship’s top tier.

McErlean is gearing up to make the jump from WRC2 to the top class this season after a somewhat surprise ascension to a full-time seat at M-Sport following Adrien Fourmaux’s move to Hyundai.

The 25-year-old Irishman is under no illusions regarding the challenges of adjusting to competing against the WRC’s elite in a Rally1 car in what he has described as a “dream” move in his rallying career to date.  

However, he feels now is as good a time as any to make the transition with the WRC set to undergo two significant regulation changes this year.

This season crews will have to adjust to driving Rally1 cars without hybrid power and adjust to an all-new control tyre from Hankook, that few drivers have tested extensively.  

“There is a lot of learning to do, there is no doubt about that. I’m being realistic, it is a massive challenge for me personally,” McErlean told Autosport. 

“It is about trying to keep the basics simple, after all, it is still a rally car. Talking to the team now it seems as though [without hybrid power] it is a big Rally2 car or a Rally2 car on steroids.

“There is no doubt the team can help a lot and they are known for developing young drivers. We have been to the factory twice now and I’m trying to get bedded in as quickly as possible. 

“The most important thing is to keep the process simple and don’t get carried away with all the information and car set up, it is more about trying to get used to the car and the team. There is a lot to get used to with the aerodynamics and the power, okay it is bit more simple without hybrid.

“There are new tyres as well but we don’t know what the [old] Pirelli [tyre] was like with this car, so there are no comparisons from our side, whereas others will be comparing a Hankook to a Pirelli. I think maybe it is the most simple year from the past few years to jump into Rally1 without hybrid and the change of tyres. 

“I think Monte is going to be a big challenge for every team. We want to keep ourselves to ourselves for the time being.”

McErlean’s mileage behind the Ford Puma Rally1 has been limited to outings on M-Sport’s test track at the team’s Cumbria factory before next week’s pre-event test in France, ahead of the Monte Carlo season opener (23-26 January). 

“Last week we did a rollout with the test car and it was good to get good kilometres but it is not the same as a mountain road in Monte Carlo,” he added.

“Next week we will test in France which will be a big day for us. Going into Thursday night at Monte Carlo is a big ask with three stages at night, but it is the same for everyone.”