WRC Rally Islas Canarias: Season-Best P8 for McErlean as Irish Crews Conquer the Asphalt
The 2026 World Rally Championship’s visit to Gran Canaria proved to be a high-stakes masterclass in tyre management and resilience for the M-Sport Ford crews. In a weekend defined by technical precision and unpredictable grip, the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy duo of Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy secured a standout eighth place overall, while teammates Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne battled through a series of dramatic hurdles to finish 11th.
McErlean’s Measured Charge
Arriving in the Canary Islands with a point to prove, Josh McErlean delivered his most composed performance of the season. The Derry man signaled his intent early, posting the fifth-fastest time in Thursday’s stadium Super Special.
Throughout Friday and Saturday, McErlean focused on consistency over outright aggression, a strategy that paid dividends as the abrasive Spanish tarmac began to punish those who pushed too hard. His maturity was on full display during Saturday’s SS14; after receiving a warning that teammate Armstrong had gone off, McErlean prudently eased his pace to ensure the car made it home, yet still finished within seconds of the lead pace.
A clever performance on Sunday morning saw him outpace veteran Dani Sordo, confirming a career-best P8.
Josh McErlean: “It’s been a really positive weekend for us. We had a clean rally for once, which represents a big step up in performance compared to previous events. The team has done an excellent job, and I’m grateful for their patience. We’re looking forward to Portugal—a rally we really enjoy.”
Armstrong’s Weekend of Resilience
Jon Armstrong’s rally was a rollercoaster of pace and misfortune. Despite his prior experience on these roads, the Fermanagh man faced an early scare on Friday with an understeer into an escape road, followed by a driveshaft issue that left his Puma with front-wheel drive only for the final Friday test.
The drama peaked on Saturday’s SS14 when Armstrong went wide into a field. Only the quick intervention of local spectators allowed him to rejoin the stage, though the incident cost him over two minutes. Compounding the physical challenge were persistent intercom issues that Armstrong described as “torture therapy” inside the cockpit.
However, Armstrong refused to let the weekend slip away. On Sunday, he showed his true speed, going seventh fastest on the Power Stage to leapfrog back into 11th overall.
Jon Armstrong: “It’s been quite a tricky weekend. I probably underestimated the challenge in terms of all the consecutive corners—the tyre gets very hot and there’s not so much grip. I made some mistakes trying to learn the tyre… but I’m grateful to get to the finish. We’ll try to pick ourselves back up for Portugal.”
The focus now shifts immediately to the gravel. M-Sport heads to Rally de Portugal in just over a week
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