Joshua McErlean crashes on opening Sunday WRC stage Rally Islas Canarias

Joshua McErlean crashes on opening Sunday WRC stage Rally Islas Canarias

27th April 2025 0 By Kamron Kent

M-Sport Ford’s Joshua McErlean has crashed out on the opening test of Sunday’s action at the World Rally Championship’s Rally Islas Canarias. 

Feature image credit: Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool

M-Sport Ford’s Irishman, McErlean, has crashed out of the rally on the opening stage of the day, Agüimes – Santa Lucia 1, SS14, marking the second Rally1 retirement of the rally. 

McErlean was the second car to tackle the 14.97km stage, following his teammate Gregoire Munster, but as he ventured through his Rally1 Puma understeered into a right-hand bend. 

Despite his best efforts to get the car to rotate around, the back end smashed into the barrier and snapped the car into a 180° turn, facing the way he came. Although his Puma was too damaged to continue, he was able to pull off to the side to avoid blocking the road. 

Pajari crashes on penultimate Saturday stage in WRC Rally Islas Canarias

His retirement follows Toyota’s Sami Pajari, who was the only person to retire from the event after he suffered an unfortunate meeting with the barrier on Stage 12, on Saturday.

It also means M-Sport Ford no longer has a crew inside the top 10 anymore, as McErlean was 10th heading into Sunday. Munster occupies 12th after the opening stage, having lost time in Saturday’s 11th stage, when he beached his Puma before spectators helped free him. 

The 14th stage of the event was ultimately won by Toyota’s Kalle Rovanpera, who has won all but one stage so far in Gran Canaria. Four more stages remain before the winner is declared.

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About the author

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

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