Neither M-Sport driver was proud of the package deal their staff delivered to Gran Canaria, struggling in an analogous method to the Hyundais in not with the ability to belief the entrance finish, partly as a result of element decisions made forward of the rally.
McErlean went to extremes on automobile setup to search out one thing that will revitalize his confidence in persistently discovering the restrict of the Puma, at one level softening the automobile up so severely that he’d disconnected the entrance anti-roll bar completely – normally reserved for when it’s raining and stability is required over theoretical most efficiency.
Each rally this 12 months presents McErlean with a mountain to climb. That mentioned, he did not clear the minimal benchmark anticipated of a Rally1 driver, being outpaced by the highest Rally2 drivers (Yohan Rossel and Alejandro Cachón) and on the ultimate morning he ran extensive into an armco barrier, ending his rally.
He was additionally 0.5s/km off the tempo of team-mate Grégoire Munster for a lot of the rally – an even bigger deficit than between fellow rookie Sami Pajari and his all-conquering Toyota team-mate Kalle Rovanperä (0.4s/km).
