A strong and composed performance from Grégoire Munster secured another top-ten finish, while Josh McErlean’s debut in Chile was cut short by technical trouble on Saturday. Local hero Alberto Heller relished the chance to perform in front of home fans in a Puma Rally1 car.
Friday’s damp and foggy opening leg saw all three drivers challenged by the tricky conditions. Grégoire Munster enjoyed a strong start, expertly navigating an issue in SS3 when the gear shifter broke, he was able to continue in the afternoon loop keeping a strong pace against the competition. A consistent run throughout the day saw Munster and co-driver Louis Louka sitting seventh overall by the end of the day.
Teammates Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy, making their Rally Chile debut, had an early moment when they suffered a high-speed spin two kilometres into the opening test, losing the front bumper and complete aero package. Despite the setback, McErlean delivered an impressive performance through the remainder of Friday, running comfortably inside the top ten before a puncture on the final stage dropped him to tenth overnight.
Local hero Alberto Heller relished the chance to compete on home soil, impressing with competitive times throughout Friday and finishing the day in 12th overall whilst enjoying the atmosphere of his home stages.
Saturday brought muddy and treacherous conditions - and with them, drama for the M-Sport crews. Less than five kilometres into SS7, McErlean was forced to stop with a fuel pump issue that left him unable to continue, despite attempts at roadside repairs. Heller suffered a sensor issue on the same stage, and although he and co-driver Luis Allende worked hard to carry out repairs, they too were ultimately forced to retire for the day.
Leaving Munster to fly the M-Sport flag, the Luxembourger produced another measured and consistent drive. Adapting to changing grip levels and stage conditions, Munster pushed hard to defend his position against Katsuta throughout the day. A slow puncture on the afternoon loop compromised his tyre strategy, costing him a position, but he ended the day in eighth overall.
Sunday’s final stages saw Munster continue with strong pace, setting competitive times and bringing his Puma Rally1 car home safely to secure an eighth-place finish overall. McErlean and Heller both returned to action on Sunday, with McErlean gaining further valuable experience of the Chilean stages, while Heller was able to enjoy the finals day stages in the Puma on home roads and in front of the home fans.
A final push in the Power Stage saw Munster cross the line only 4.8 seconds off the fastest time, securing an eighth overall finish. McErlean and Heller finished cleanly, just behind him in the Power Stage times, finishing 37th and 38th overall respectively.
With Rally Chile bringing the curtain down on the South American double-header, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team now return to the UK to regroup and prepare for the Central European Rally next month.
M-Sport Ford Team Principal, Richard Millener, said:
"It’s been a weekend of mixed fortunes for us. Grégoire has once again shown how much progress he is making, managing the rally really well and delivering a strong and consistent result. For Josh, it’s a big shame that technical issues ended his rally so early and he was forced to miss all of the rest of the stages. Regardless, the experience he has still gained here will serve him well for the future. And for Alberto, it was great to see him enjoying his home rally so much, and while his Saturday disappointment was tough to take, he came back on Sunday and showed the same pace and determination that he had from the start. Overall, there are still positives to take away as we look ahead to the remaining events of the season."
Grégoire Munster, Eighth Overall, said:
"It’s been a good weekend overall and I think we showed some strong pace. We pushed from start to finish without making mistakes, and while there’s always room for improvement, I feel that both the team and I have made a real step forward in performance. It’s a positive way to end the gravel events, and now we look ahead to Central European Rally - an event I really enjoy and one I’m looking forward to."
Josh McErlean, 37th overall, said:
“Its been a challenging weekend, obviously it was a shame to miss out on both Saturdays in Paraguay and now Chile. But we still go to do the recce and write the pacenotes, and we got through Friday and Sunday's stages but we still need to work on the pace and performance. In Chile it's been hard to compete with the boys at the top, and we’ve got a lot to take home from the weekend.”
Alberto Heller, 38th overall, said:
"It was a really good rally for us and we enjoyed it a lot with the team. We learned a great deal, and with all the fans here in Chile it was an amazing experience - the support on the stages was incredible. We gained some valuable kilometres and learned a lot about driving in this category, which is very different and at such a high level. Of course, it was a shame about what happened on Saturday, but that’s part of motorsport and sometimes these things happen. It was nice to be able to restart on Sunday and continue learning, and overall it’s been a very positive rally for us."
