McErlean planning 'step forward' at Rally Finland

Josh McErlean is in his first season in the top tier of the World Rally Championship

Josh McErlean says it will be a "special feeling" to compete at Rally Finland in the World Rally Championship.

The rally is considered one of the crown jewel events of the WRC and is known as the 'Gravel Grand Prix' because of its fast, flowing roads and iconic jumps.

Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver McErlean, 26, is in his debut season in the top tier of the WRC with M-Sport and heads into the event off the back of a solid performance in Estonia.

"Rally Finland is an event I've been looking forward to ever since we got the opportunity to compete at Rally1 level," said McErlean.

"This weekend is about taking a step forward, trusting in ourselves, committing fully to the pacenotes, and starting to bring everything we have learnt together.

"The key will be confidence and rhythm, and I'm ready to enjoy every moment of the ride through the forests."

McErlean and co-driver Eoin Treacy finished ninth in their Ford Puma in Estonia - a rally which consists of similar traits to the iconic stages of Finland.

The Northern Ireland driver wants to build on momentum gained from Estonia and said "it is all part of the learning process".

"Estonia gave us exactly what we needed, a clean rally, strong pace progression, and something to build from," McErlean added.

"From Saturday onwards in Estonia it was challenging running second on the road, and hopefully we can be a little higher up the order this time, but I certainly now know what to expect if we are in that position again.

"Now for me, it's about fine-tuning, pushing where we can, and keeping that upward curve going."

The rally begins on Thursday and the final of 20 stages takes place on Sunday.