Wet weather thwarted Josh McErlean’s plans to prove his pace at the previous World Rally Championship round in Chile.
Now, with just event left of the current Rally1 era, McErlean heads into Rally Italy Sardinia with the same target.
“Yeah, we want to go there and try what we tried to show here: some pace,” he told DirtFish. “So let’s try to restart at that one.”
The M-Sport driver suffered a tricky opening to his second season at the top level with mistakes and mechanical issues stunting his progress.
However a career-best sixth place at Acropolis Rally Greece marked the turnaround in the 27-year-old’s season, who has recorded three top-seven finishes in the last three rounds.
Acropolis was the turning point in McErlean's sophomore campaign
Sardinia didn’t go to plan last year as McErlean ripped his rear-left wheel off on the second stage, but he had been sixth after the opening stage – benefitting from the road cleaning effect.
This week he’ll start the opening leg eighth on the road.
“We’ll throw everything at it and see how it goes,” McErlean smiled. “Hopefully the road cleaning opportunity comes in Sardinia, which we expected in Chile, but it never actually came.
“So, yeah, I think if the weather stays how it is in Sardinia at the minute, then we’ve a big opportunity on the Friday to really push on and that’s what we want to do.
“And of course Mãrtiņš [Sesks] is back as well, so that also adds a bit of fun to it.”
Sardinia is McErlean’s final opportunity this season to show what he can do, as his plans for the 2027 season are not yet arranged.
“Let’s try and get a proper plan over the winter and see what comes next, but I think a strong Sardinia would definitely help our case,” he confessed.
