Josh McErlean: The Fabia is my way to improve

The young Irish pilot Josh McErlean longed for a career move. And it seems that he has managed to do so thanks to his engagement with the Toksport WRT team behind the wheel of the Fabia RS Rally2. He scored a sensational second place in Portugal and secured a solid number of points in Sardinia, which he has not managed to do very often in his WRC2 career so far.

Some of the favourites struggled in Portugal, but that doesn't make the performance of Josh McErlean and co-driver James Fulton any less impressive. What's more, they were just 3.2 seconds behind the winning crew at the end of the event, reaching for a sensational victory on their debut behind the wheel of the Fabia RS Rally2 rally car. This is a great motivation for Josh McErlean for the future, as his main goal for this year's signing with Toksport WRT was to move forward.

You've been appearing in the FIA World Rally Championship here and there for several years. But only now have you sat behind the wheel of a Škoda. Why?
Yes, we have peeked into the World Rally Championship now and again in the last six years, and before that I was supported mainly by the Irish Rally Academy. We had a few good results, but nothing that would give our careers a major boost, so we were looking for a way to do that. We knew that the Fabia had a lot of winning potential and that Škoda Motorsport had built a great machine and at the same time provided great support. So, we saw the move to the Fabia and Toksport WRT as an opportunity to move towards the best in our career.

And the shift seems to be working. How does the Fabia RS Rally2 feel to you when you drive it?
The car is very easy to drive, can be adapted well to my requirements and is very progressive in setting up the chassis, so there are no tricky surprises waiting for the driver. It's also very comfortable, we felt great in the car from the start in Portugal and we were able to drive to our full potential. And that's what it's all about, having that confidence in the car and being able to go all the way. In addition, the car is very reliable and durable, which is something that comes in handy in such competitions.

What is behind the, perhaps somewhat, unexpected success in Portugal?
I think it's the whole thing: the work of the Toksport team, the support of Škoda Motorsport, the car itself, and the work of my co-driver James, everything came together perfectly. On Friday, we didn't get carried away with pushing too much, thanks to which we managed to withstand even the most difficult passages and achieved an overall great result. A lot of people were pleased and of course I was too, but I must look ahead to what work I must do next.

What are your next plans behind the wheel of the Fabia RS Rally2?
At the beginning of the season, it was about getting to a certain level of performance, and I think we have already achieved a significant part of that, we want to be consistent. In rallying, you must be fast all the time and you must prove that you have what it takes in terms of performance to do so. I want to get results, finish races and make it in the championship. This year I want to have a good end to the season, and I hope that next year we can kick-start the season even
better.

Ireland seems to be the promised land for rallying. Why is that?
I think it's a certain passion of people for rallying. There are a lot of competitions in Ireland, there is something going on every weekend. We have significant support for young drivers through the Irish Rally Academy, and this helps the sport grow. The Academy helps with aspects such as the physical condition of the pilots, diet or the mental side, these are areas where the Academy can help pilots. There's just a good atmosphere around rallying in Ireland, there are a lot of fans.

What were your rally beginnings like?
We have rallying in the family, my dad also occasionally competed. Well, I've always enjoyed cars very much, so this was a logical path. I raced for the first time at the age of eleven and went a long way from various small races, local events in Ireland, through the British championship, the European championship to the World Championship.

What would you say to young riders?
Do it your way and remember that rallying is primarily fun, that you must enjoy it. Along the way, of course, you will meet big challenges that you have to deal with and for which perseverance is the key. I've also experienced a lot of both great and unpleasant moments in my career, you must deal with that. And it is necessary to keep learning. Learn to drive fast.