Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver Josh McErlean reignited his 2026 FIA World Rally Championship campaign with a hard-earned ninth place at Rally Sweden, securing his first points of the season and leaving behind the disappointment of a non-finish at Rallye Monte Carlo.
After describing Monte as one of the lowest moments of his career to date, McErlean arrived in Sweden determined to rebuild confidence and rediscover his speed in his second Rally1 season with the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team. Despite being under pressure to deliver, the Irishman responded with a composed performance across the only full snow and ice event in the WRC calendar.
This year’s Rally Sweden proved spectacular with temperatures plunging as low as minus 28 degrees Celsius. At the same time, the absence of the thick, forgiving snowbanks often synonymous with the event placed significant emphasis on inch-perfect driving.
McErlean made a positive start on Thursday evening around Umeå, setting the eighth-fastest time despite less favourable road conditions and battling a misted windscreen for much of the opening spectator super special.
Friday, however, presented a significant challenge for the entire M-Sport squad. A tyre strategy gamble left all three Ford Puma Rally1 cars compromised. McErlean struggled with understeer during the morning loop, an issue compounded by running two soft rear tyres, limiting his ability to attack the snow-packed stages. A set-up change at midday service helped stabilise the car and allowed him to rebuild rhythm, and he fought through to hold ninth overall by the end of the leg.
Saturday marked a clear step forward. With improved balance and growing assurance behind the wheel, McErlean increased his pace and delivered one of the standout moments of his weekend with the fifth-fastest time on the first pass of Sarsjöliden. Despite a more challenging afternoon loop, his confidence in the Puma started to return.
A largely clean run through Sunday’s final three stages ensured McErlean brought the car home safely, banking valuable championship points and restoring momentum after the setback at the season opener.
“It’s obviously very nice to get to the finish. It’s been a while, and to build the confidence, especially after Monte, one of the most difficult weekends of my life, means a lot,” said McErlean. “We knew coming here that the conditions would be difficult. With the snowbanks not as big as usual, you couldn’t lean on them in the same way, so it was about being neat, building the rhythm and confidence stage by stage. Saturday, especially, was a good step for us, and the pace was coming more naturally again. It felt very special to finally get that feeling back with the car. There is still work to do, but we’re on the way up now. The most important thing was to get the finish, get some points on the board and reset the season. The whole team has been right behind us through a tough start, and I’m really grateful for that support. Now it’s full focus on Kenya and continuing this progression.”
The Safari Rally heralds the third round of the season and takes crews to the gravel and mud of Kenya in March.
McErlean is backed by Woodland NI, Admore Air Conditioning, M.P Burke Transport, SDC Trailers, EC Framing, Tulach Properties, Carbon Fusion, Fastener Connections and McCormack Contracting Inc.