Performance holds key to future prospects as Irish crews prepare for Rally de Paraguay

M-Sport Ford Irish WRC drivers Jon Armstrong (left) and Josh McErlean are seeking strong performances in Rally del Paraguay, the eleventh round of the WRC. Pic: Red Bull Content Pool/@World

With no great certainty as to what next season holds, the M-Sport Ford WRT and Irish crews Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy and Jon Armstrong/Shane Byrne tackle Rally del Paraguay this weekend, the first of a South American double-header in the World Rally Championship were they will be very much in the shop window - with performance holding the key to future prospects. 

Dining at the top table of the World Rally Championship isn't an automatic reservation especially heading into a new season where the menu is still a relatively unknown dish.

Twenty-two soft gravel stages totalling almost 340 kilometres in changing weather and road conditions and challenging visibility (dust) has M-Sport Ford WRT principal Richard Millener commenting, “We have an exciting few weeks ahead of us, starting with Rally del Paraguay. This event impressed us all last year on its debut and I’m sure it won’t fail to impress us again with another stunning opening ceremony and some really interesting competitive stages. 

"As a team, I think we can bring together a lot of knowledge to deliver some strong performances in Paraguay and Chile. These few weeks will demand a lot from everyone, crews and team members alike, but it's such a pleasure to compete on these back-to-back events in South America. Let’s see what adventures await us.” 

Not for the first time McErlean and Armstrong will start from a different base. McErlean can build on last year's outing while Armstrong will be on a maiden voyage and relying on his pre-event preparation.

McErlean said, "Heading back to Paraguay gives us a good opportunity to build on everything we learned last year. Having that experience and a better understanding of the stages and conditions, should put us in a stronger position from the start. 

"Finland was a positive weekend for us and we want to carry that momentum into South America. We’re into the final part of the season now, so the focus is on continuing our progress and finishing the year strongly.” 

For his part, Armstrong will factor in next season uncertainties, "I’m looking forward to the challenge of rallying in a new continent once again. Having never been to South America, it will be amazing to sample the roads for the first time. 

"We’re looking to take a more steady approach with the upcoming events, whilst using our road position to our advantage. It’s nice to be coming back to WRC off the back of a victory at the Grampian Rally - which is a real confidence boost - and we’ll continue to work on our progress as we return to the Puma Rally1 for the remainder of the year.” 

New Zealander Hayden Paddon returns to Hyundai Motorsport outfit and along with Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux will be eyeing up podium places with Neuville proclaiming, "I’m only chasing victories and the best possible results, so the target in Paraguay is as high as it can be.” 

Podium are familiar positions for the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 crews that occupy all top five places in the WRC and who can clinch a sixth consecutive Manufacturers' crown and its tenth in total (by outscoring Hyundai by six points) to emulate Lancia's all-time record. 

On the Driver's front, Welsh ace Elfyn Evans is thirty points ahead of Finland's Sami Pajari with Japan's Takamoto Katsuta eleven points further back. With a total of 140 points still on offer, Oliver Solberg and Sebastien Ogier cannot be ruled out.

Meanwhile, Philip Comyn, Cork City Coroner, has issued sixteen recommendations following the recent inquest into the death of Dunmanway's Eoin McCarthy (22) who lost his life following an accident during the Castleisland based Killarney Forest Rally in February 2022. Competing in a Honda Civic and co-driven by Daniel O'Brien, his Honda Civic slid off the forest track at an unrailed bridge at slow speed and ended up on its roof in a heavily flooded stream on the stage at Mount Eagle. 

The medical cause of death was recorded as hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy due to cardiac arrest following submersion in water in a suspended state. 

The Irish Examiner understands that the McCarthy family's legal representatives have requested Mr. Comyn to investigate how the recommendations were posted on social media on Tuesday last - before the McCarthy family and their legal representatives had sight of the Coroner's recommendations on Wednesday. 

It also appears that Motorsport Ireland or their legal representatives weren't notified prior to the social media post.