2025 World Rally Championship

McErlean/Treacy secures dream opportunity with M-Sport Rally1 WRC campaign

Posted: December 22, 2024 6:12 AM

Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver Josh McErlean will join the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team in 2025, driving a Ford Puma Rally1 in the FIA World Rally Championship.

Co-driven by fellow Academy member Eoin Treacy for the groundbreaking season ahead, the 25-year-old Irishman will join the top echelons of the sport, embarking on a full campaign with the British-based factory team, going toe-to-toe against the best drivers in the world.

Supported by the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, McErlean and Treacy will tackle 14 rallies, across four continents and three different surfaces with the M-Sport team, who have an unrivalled history of nurturing progressive young talented drivers such as Craig Breen, Ott Tänak and Adrien Fourmaux.

McErlean, who launched his career by winning the Junior 1000 Rally Challenge title in 2015, has spent nearly a decade laying a solid foundation for his Rally1 debut. He gained early experience in Ford machinery and competed in a Fiesta R2T in the British Rally Championship, before claiming the Junior title in 2019.

Later that year, he was honoured with the Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Award as the country’s top young rally driver. He would also make his WRC debut at Wales Rally GB, marking a significant milestone in his journey.

With sights set on climbing the rallying pyramid, McErlean would embark on a progressive plan of seat time and experience in R5 machinery, before moving into the WRC2 category in 2022 which was bolstered by three top five finishes in the WRC2 Junior category: all the while, banking key experiences of WRC events, terrains and characteristics.

A busy season would follow in 2023 as McErlean took on five FIA European Rally Championship events alongside a demanding WRC2 campaign. His achievements included an impressive fourth overall on ERC’s Rally Latvia and several other top ten finishes in both closely fought series throughout the year.

Thanks to the continued support from the MI Rally Academy and with the backing of Patron John Coyne, McErlean has enjoyed a rapid rise throughout an impressive 2024 season, claiming a stunning WRC2 second-place finish in Portugal early in the season, reinforced by an abundance of top times in the category during the campaign.

Now, thanks to the MI Academy forging a new partnership with M-Sport for 2025, McErlean and co-driver Treacy join M-Sport’s full-time line-up for the 2025 season alongside Grégoire Munster and Louis Louka, marking an incredible achievement for the pairing, the MI Rally Academy and Irish Motorsport as a whole.

“Joining M-Sport Ford next year to drive the Puma Rally1 in the World Rally Championship is truly a dream come true,” said McErlean.

“I’ve always aspired to compete at the highest level of motorsport, and now that opportunity is becoming a reality. I’m incredibly excited to be working with such a professional and dedicated team, and Eoin and I are ready to give it everything.

“This is a massive step in my career, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved— Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, John Coyne, supporters, family, and the team—for making this possible. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel.”

M-Sport is eager to welcome McErlean, Treacy, and the MI Rally Academy team to its Rally1 ranks as they embark on this new chapter together in 2025.

“M-Sport is renowned for giving opportunities to up-and-coming talents in the sport,” said Richard Millener, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Principal.

“With the backing of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, that is exactly what we will be doing for Josh and Eoin. 2025 will be a huge challenge for them both, but a once in a lifetime chance to show the world that they have what it takes to forge a career at the pinnacle of the sport.

“We need to continue to invest in new and emerging talent in the WRC, I am proud to be able to give another two guys the chance to do this.

“The targets and expectations for the year will be very sensible, but I know that the team and all the Irish fans will be behind the pairing and this opportunity for them. I am really looking forward to working with them, and the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy to make this a positive season for us all.”

John Coyne, founder and patron of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy is delighted to see McErlean and Treacy progress into the pinnacle of the sport.

“The Academy’s purpose is to identify and develop young Irish athletes to compete successfully at the highest levels of the World Rally Championship,” he says.

“As key members of our Academy development programme, Josh and Eoin have made tremendous progress in applying their natural talents and developing their skills. I’m looking forward to continuing to guide and support their progress over the coming years at the top level of the sport.”
McErlean will get his first taste of the M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 at the M-Sport headquarters today (December 19th) in preparation for the opening round of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship in January, the legendary Rallye Monte Carlo [23-26 January], marking his debut at the top level of the sport.

M-SPORT AND MCERLEAN/TREACY JOIN FORCES FOR RALLY1 CAMPAIGN IN 2025

Posted: December 22, 2024 6:11 AM

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team is excited to announce that Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy will join its ranks for the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship behind the wheel of a Ford Puma Rally1.

The Irish pairing will make their debut together in the sport’s top-flight after successful seasons across the WRC2 and ERC championships. Supported by the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, McErlean and Treacy will compete in the full season, tackling 14 rallies across four continents and three different surfaces.

McErlean, whose career began by claiming the Junior 1000 Rally Challenge title in 2015, has been building strong and steady foundations for his Rally1 debut over the last decade. After gaining early experience in Ford machinery with a Fiesta R2T in the British Rally Championship in 2017 and 2018, McErlean went on to claim the Great Britain Junior title in 2019, along with the Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Award as young Irish rally driver of the year. He also made his WRC debut on Wales Rally GB later that year.

Gaining more seat time in an R5 car in the WRC and European Rally Championships throughout 2020 and 2021, McErlean secured an impressive third in the WRC3 category on Rally Catalunya in late 2021.

Moving up into WRC2 in 2022, McErlean achieved three top-five finishes in the WRC2 Junior category and banked valuable experience at key European events in Portugal, Sardinia, Estonia, and Finland.

A busy season would follow in 2023 as McErlean took on five ERC events alongside a demanding WRC2 campaign. His achievements would include an impressive fourth overall on ERC’s Rally Latvia and several other top-ten finishes in both highly competitive championships throughout the year.

Thanks to the continued support from the MI Rally Academy, with the backing of John Coyne, the now 25-year-old has enjoyed a rapid rise throughout an impressive season in 2024 alongside James Fulton, claiming a stunning WRC2 second-place finish on his category debut in Portugal early in the season.

The Academy’s support has been vital to McErlean’s progression over the last five years and formed a crucial part of this new partnership with M-Sport.

McErlean will now partner up with co-driver Eoin Treacy, who has worked with the M-Sport team alongside Jon Armstrong in the ERC throughout 2024. Treacy has taken part in an Academy co-driver development programme over the last three years to prepare him for this next chapter with McErlean. With solid experience in the British Rally Championship and select WRC events, Treacy makes the perfect fit to partner McErlean as both make their top-level WRC debuts in 2025.

The Irish duo join M-Sport’s full-time line-up for the 2025 season alongside Grégoire Munster and Louis Louka. M-Sport is eager to welcome McErlean, Treacy, and the MI Rally Academy team to its Rally1 ranks as they embark on this new chapter together in 2025.

Richard Millener, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Principal, said:
“M-Sport is renowned for giving opportunities to up and coming talents in the sport. With the backing of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, that is exactly what we will be doing for Josh and Eoin. 2025 will be a huge challenge for them both, but a once in a lifetime chance to show the world that they have what it takes to forge a career at the pinnacle of the sport.

“We need to continue to invest in new and emerging talent in the WRC, I am proud to be able to give another two guys the chance to do this. The targets and expectations for the year will be very sensible, but I know that the team and all the Irish fans will be behind the pairing and this opportunity for them.

“I am really looking forward to working with them, and the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, to make this a positive season for us all.”

John Coyne, founder and patron of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, said: “The Academy’s purpose is to identify and develop young Irish athletes to compete successfully at the highest levels of the World Rally Championship. As key members of our Academy development programme, Josh and Eoin have made tremendous progress in applying their natural talents and developing their skills. I’m looking forward to continuing to guide and support their progress over the coming years at the top level of the sport.”

Josh McErlean said:
“Joining M-Sport Ford next year to drive the Puma Rally1 in the World Rally Championship is truly a dream come true. I’ve always aspired to compete at the highest level of motorsport, and now that opportunity is becoming a reality. I’m incredibly excited to be working with such a professional and dedicated team, and Eoin and I are ready to give it everything.

“This is a massive step in my career, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved— Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, John Coyne, supporters, family, and the team—for making this possible. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel.”

Eoin Treacy said:
“I’m really looking forward to 2025 with Josh, M-Sport, and the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy. It’s a dream come true to start a season at the top level of the sport. Working with M-Sport in 2024 ERC alongside Jon Armstrong was a huge learning experience for me and I look forward to continuing to develop through 2025.

“I’d like to thank John Coyne, Josh, M-Sport, the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy for their support.”

James Fulton to co-drive for Yuki Yamamoto in TGR WRC Challenge Program

Posted: December 22, 2024 6:02 AM

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing reinforces WRC line-up with youth and experience for 2025 (Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston to complete on all rounds)

Posted: December 22, 2024 5:57 AM

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team has presented its line-up for the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship season as it further strengthens its squad of drivers with a mix of young talent and title-winning experience.

After winning eight out of 13 rallies in 2024 and claiming a fourth consecutive manufacturers’ championship at the season-ending Rally Japan, TGR-WRT will enter 2025 with the mission to defend its crown and fight for the drivers’ and co-drivers’ titles. It will be able to count on an expanded line-up of cars and drivers, with four or five GR Yaris Rally1 entries set to appear on each event.

Joining the team to start his first full season at the highest level will be Sami Pajari, following an impressive 2024 season in which he won the WRC2 drivers’ championship driving the GR Yaris Rally2 car and performed well in his first three outings in Rally1 machinery in Finland, Chile and Central Europe. The 22-year-old from Finland’s promotion demonstrates TGR-WRT’s commitment to developing young drivers as well as the GR Yaris Rally2’s role in providing a pathway to the top of the sport.

Pajari, who will confirm the identity of his co-driver in due course, is one of four drivers who are set to feature on every rally.

Double world champions Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen will return to competing full-time with the team in 2025 after taking four wins from seven starts during a partial campaign this year. Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin, winners of last weekend’s Rally Japan, continue for their sixth successive season with the team, with Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston also returning for another year. Eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais will once more contest a partial schedule of selected events after scoring three victories this season.

TGR-WRT is pleased to confirm that Jari-Matti Latvala will continue in the role of Team Principal. In the last four seasons, in addition to overseeing numerous victories and championship titles, Latvala has been a trusted associate for the team’s drivers while also helping to identify and develop new talent such as Pajari.

As part of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s driver-first approach, Latvala has also been given the opportunity by Akio Toyoda, TGR-WRT Chairman, to continue pursuing his first love of driving alongside his duties of Team Principal – for example, competing in Rally Finland with a GR Yaris Rally1 in 2023 and GR Yaris Rally2 in 2024. This will continue in 2025 when Latvala will drive one of the most successful Toyota rally cars – the Celica ST185 – in the FIA European Historic Rally Championship. He will do so in the colours of TGR, helping to connect the eras of Toyota participation in WRC and further share its passion for rallying with fans.

In order to best support the team and ensure the continuation of the successful driver-first approach, Juha Kankkunen will take up the role of Deputy Team Principal. A four-time world champion, who won the last of his titles driving the Toyota Celica ST185 in 1993, Kankkunen will bring considerable experience of success to share with the drivers and other team members. He already knows the team well, having attended several events in an ambassadorial role over the past few years.

Team name TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT (World Rally Team)
Chairman Akio Toyoda
Team Principal Jari-Matti Latvala (Finland)
Deputy Team Principal Juha Kankkunen (Finland)
Vehicle GR Yaris Rally1 (length 4207mm; width 1875mm)
Engine GI4B
Tyres Hankook

Driver/Co-driver
Driver Elfyn Evans (UK)
Co-driver Scott Martin (UK)
Driver Sébastien Ogier (France)
Co-driver Vincent Landais (France)
Driver Kalle Rovanperä (Finland)
Co-driver Jonne Halttunen (Finland)
Driver Takamoto Katsuta (Japan)
Co-driver Aaron Johnston (Ireland)
Driver Sami Pajari (Finland)
Co-driver TBC

Quotes:
Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal):
“The 2024 season presented new challenges for our team, but we continued to perform at a high level and kept fighting until the final day to successfully retain our manufacturers’ title. For 2025, we are really happy to continue with the same drivers who have been performing strongly for us over recent seasons, and to have more drivers strengthening our efforts for the full championship. It’s also great to welcome Sami Pajari to our line-up thanks to the investment that we are making to develop young drivers. Sami has made great steps this year and we are confident that he’s ready to move up to the highest level. Personally, I’m very excited to have the opportunity to combine my role as Team Principal with my passion for driving, competing with the legendary Toyota Celica, and I’m really pleased that Juha Kankkunen will take on the role of Deputy Team Principal to support me and the team on WRC events: he knows the team well and brings a lot of experience to the role.”

Juha Kankkunen (Deputy Team Principal):
“It is a great pleasure for me to take on this role with the team. During my career I drove with many different teams but I had nine years in total with Toyota: it was the first manufacturer to give me an opportunity in the WRC, and I believe it is probably the best team in the world. There are very good people and the cooperation has always been excellent between Europe and Japan. This team spirit and teamwork is very important and everybody is pushing together. I have a good relationship with Akio Toyoda, having been driving together with him in demonstration events in the last few years, and also with Jari-Matti, who is a great person and very easy to talk with. I’m really happy to work more closely with them and to help the team where I can.”

Elfyn Evans:
“I’m very happy to continue with TGR-WRT next year. Since 2020 we’ve had some great seasons together, and although 2024 could have been even more successful, I know that there’s still a lot of potential in the team and I feel I have plenty more to give as well. So I’m looking forward to continuing our partnership. We know that we need to keep working hard together and hopefully we can achieve more good results in the future.”

Kalle Rovanperä:
“I’m really excited that I will be driving in the full WRC season again next year. This year has been quite different for me, driving a few different cars and still winning some rallies at the same time. It’s been a nice year, but it’s also given me a lot of motivation to return for the full season, to push together with Jonne for the drivers’ and co-drivers’ titles and do our best with the team to win the manufacturers’ championship too.”

Sébastien Ogier:
“It’s really exciting to remain with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing for 2025. We have already had five very fantastic seasons together with a lot of victories and success and I’m really looking forward to continuing this story. Once again my main goal is to give my support to the team in the manufacturers’ championship in a partial programme, and hopefully we can manage to win all three titles. Let’s keep pushing the limits together.”

Takamoto Katsuta:
“I’m really happy that I will continue driving with the team in 2025. It has been a challenging season for me this year, and I want to thank the team and everyone who has been supporting me in the difficult moments. I feel I have shown my speed on most of the rallies, so the confidence is growing and I just need to find the right rhythm through every rally: this is my main target next year. If everything goes well, I’m sure I can fight for more podiums.”

Sami Pajari:
“This is a dream come true for me and I’m really grateful to TOYOTA GAZOO Racing and the team for giving me this amazing opportunity. There have also been many important people who have been helping me and making this possible. It has been an incredible year for us in the GR Yaris Rally2 and in our first events in the Rally1 car, and although we have now reached the place we were aiming for, I also know that this is where the hard work really starts to learn and to push for good results in the future.”

TGR WRC Challenge Program
The TGR WRC Challenge Program started in 2015 aiming to develop professional rally drivers who can compete on the world stage, following in the footsteps of Takamoto Katsuta. The program’s second-generation drivers Hikaru Kogure and Yuki Yamamoto (with James Fulton Co-Driving) will both continue in 2025. It will be their second season driving the GR Yaris Rally2 car on events, including WRC2 rounds, after gaining valuable experience this year.

A third generation of drivers, Shotaro Goto and Takumi Matsushita, were selected to join the program ahead of 2024. Having now taken part in their first rallies in Europe in Rally4 cars, they will continue their training in 2025 with a step up to four-wheel drive Rally3 machinery.

The process to select a fourth intake of young drivers is underway. Following an initial selection event at Fuji Speedway, seven drivers will take part in the final selection in Finland in December.

2025 FIA Junior WRC: Portugal Returns, Central European Rally Debuts

Posted: December 22, 2024 5:52 AM

The FIA Junior WRC calendar for 2025, unveiled today (23 October), promises another thrilling season with the return of Vodafone Rally de Portugal and a debut for Central European Rally.

Building on the record-breaking entry list of 2024, the 2025 championship is set to continue its momentum by offering rising talents the chance to showcase their skills in identical M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3 Evo cars across five high-profile rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship.

The season revs into action in Umeå from 13 – 16 February with Rally Sweden, a high-speed spectacle on snow and ice that serves as the perfect season opener. For many Junior WRC crews, it will be their first experience of rallying with studded tyres on winter surfaces, where average speeds are often among the highest all year.

From 15 - 18 May, crews head to Matosinhos for Vodafone Rally de Portugal – a founding round of the 1973 WRC season and renowned for its passionate fanbase. Last appearing on the Junior WRC calendar in 2022, Portugal’s sun-soaked gravel stages have a reputation for delivering unforgettable drama.

The iconic EKO Acropolis Rally Greece takes centre stage from 26 – 29 June. Already one of the most gruelling rallies in the world, its move to a summer date will only intensify the challenge with scorching temperatures and punishing rocky terrain.

After its popular return this year, Secto Rally Finland once again forms the fourth and penultimate round. Ultra-high speeds and stomach-churning jumps are part and parcel of the gravel-based event, which is based in Jyväskylä from 31 July – 3 August.

The season concludes in style at Central European Rally, making its Junior WRC debut from 16 – 19 October. The event boasts a unique cross-border format with stages traversing Austria, the Czech Republic, and Germany. As a final twist, double classification points will be on offer, adding even more excitement to the championship finale. A life-changing prize will be awarded to the eventual champion, helping them to take the next step in the career with an arrive and drive package to use an M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2 on four European WRC2 rounds in 2026.

FIA Junior WRC championship manager Maciej Woda commented: “2025 is shaping up to be another landmark year for the FIA Junior WRC. We’ve designed a calendar that will challenge our crews across a variety of terrains, from icy roads in Sweden to the searing heat of Greece and the changeable Tarmac of Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany.

“I’m particularly excited about returning to Portugal and the introduction of Central European Rally, which adds a fresh dimension to the series. It’s going to be another thrilling season and I can’t wait to see who rises to the top.”

WRC reveals spectacular expanded 2025 calendar

Posted: December 22, 2024 5:51 AM

Largest calendar since 2008 includes three all-new stops.

All-new stops in Spain, Paraguay and Saudi Arabia highlight a spectacular 14-round 2025 FIA World Rally Championship calendar.

After the traditional start amongst the glitz and glamour of Monte-Carlo in late January, the WRC will take in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America before arriving in Saudi Arabia in late November to complete the largest calendar in the championship since 2008.

The first three rounds of 2025 take on a similar look and feel to 2024, with Umeå gearing up to host Rally Sweden in February, whilst Safari Rally Kenya once again takes place in March.

Well-known to FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) fans, the Canary Islands are ready to welcome the WRC to their shores for the first time, also marking the WRC’s return to Spain following a two-year hiatus. Providing winding smooth Tarmac surfaces, the high risk of fog as the rally makes its way into the island’s mountainous interiors gives this round its own unique challenge.

Hundreds of thousands of fans will disembark in northern Portugal in May for Vodafone Rally de Portugal before the WRC makes its second island stop of the year, returning to Sardinia in June.

Another iconic rally on the calendar returning to its traditional date in June is EKO Acropolis Rally Greece, preluding the WRC’s high-speed European summer in Estonia and Finland.

Estonia returns to the calendar following a year break running in the European Rally Championship, highlighting the WRC’s successful transitioning of events between the ERC and WRC, such as Rally Islas Canarias, Rally Poland and Rally Latvia.

From the north of Europe, the WRC travels to the other side of the globe for Paraguay’s debut in late August, followed two weeks later by Rally Chile Bio Bío. The former, a rally-mad nation that has in recent years increased its global rallying presence with drivers in WRC’s support categories, will test drivers on red gravel roads running parallel to the spectacularly stunning Paraná River.

Back on the calendar for a third consecutive season, Central European Rally will see drivers battling changing Tarmac road surfaces across Austria, Czech Republic and Germany with Europe’s autumn conditions adding to the unique encounter.

Signing off from Europe, it is back to Japan in November for the final Tarmac test of the year, before the WRC season concludes with the highly-anticipated Saudi debut – where each of the three days will provide their own distinct terrain.

“This is a hugely exciting calendar which perfectly blends our traditional rallies with three exciting new challenges, two of which are outside of Europe, highlighting once again the global appeal of our championship,” remarked WRC Promoter Managing Director Jona Siebel.

He continued: “From the ice in the French Alps, knee-deep snow in Sweden, blinding dust in Kenya and Sardinia, high-speed gravel rollercoasters in Finland and Estonia and finally deserts in Saudi Arabia – the variety we are offering in 2025 is unrivalled.”

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said: “It is fantastic to see such a full calendar of events for the 2025 WRC season. Alongside classic locations fans know and love, the introduction of new rallies in Spain, Paraguay, and Saudi Arabia adds even more excitement and reflects the global diversity of competitors and rally fans alike.”

Championship Rounds

Posted: December 22, 2024 5:45 AM

1. Monte Carlo (WRC) - 23-26 Jan 25
2. Sweden (WRC) J - 13-16 Feb 25
3. Kenya Safari Rally (WRC) - 20-23 Mar 25
4. Rally Islas Canarias (WRC) - 24-27 Apr 25
5. Portugal (WRC) J - 15-18 May 25
6. Italy (WRC) - 5-8 Jun 25
7. Greece (WRC) J - 26-29 Jun 25
8. Estonia (WRC) - 17-20 Jul 25
9. Finland (WRC) J - 31 Jul-3 Aug 25
10. Rally del Paraguay - 28-31 Aug 25
11. Chile (WRC) - 11-14 Sep 25
12. Central European Rally (WRC) J - 16-19 Oct 25
13. Japan (WRC) - 6-9 Nov 25
14. Rally Saudi Arabia (WRC) - 27-30 Nov 24
    
    J - Counting Round WRC Junior Championship

www.wrc.com