With a demanding route spanning Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic, this year’s Central European Rally promises to test precision and adaptability, with unpredictable autumn weather adding an extra layer of uncertainty.
Starting in the German town of Bad Griesbach, the event opens with a nearby Super Special Stage before crossing the borders into Austria and the Czech Republic on Friday morning. Tyre-fitting zones will punctuate the action on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, posing a logistical challenge for both teams and crews as they work to preserve their cars over long, demanding days without full service opportunities.
With narrow lanes, cambered corners and technical sections through farmland and forest, maintaining rhythm and managing tyres will be crucial across the rally’s three-nation route.
Grégoire Munster returns to Central Europe for the third time, making it one of his most experienced WRC rounds in Rally1 machinery. Munster and co-driver Louis Louka made their second-ever appearance in the Puma here in 2023, finishing an impressive seventh overall. Last year, the Luxembourg driver matched his career-best result with another fifth-place finish.
After another valuable season of development, Munster will be targeting a strong result on his favoured Tarmac surface in Germany next week.
Lining up alongside Munster is Josh McErlean, who tackles the Central European Rally for the first time in top-level machinery after two years of experience competing in the WRC2 feeder category. McErlean showed strong pace throughout 2024, finishing fifth in WRC2, and will look to build on that form next week alongside Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy co-driver Eoin Treacy.
M-Sport Ford Team Principal, Richard Millener, said:
“Central Europe offers one of the most diverse Tarmac challenges in the championship, with three different countries, surfaces, and weather patterns to contend with. Grégoire showed real potential here last year and continues to develop his speed on asphalt, while getting Josh some more Tarmac experience in the Rally1 car will be really important. With both drivers well prepared and rested after South America, we’re looking forward to a competitive weekend and bringing home a strong result for the team.”
Grégoire Munster said:
“Central Europe is a special event to me because it's the first Tarmac event I competed on in the Rally1 car back in 2024. We’ve had some good results here in the past, and the conditions are quite similar to what I used to drive in Belgium and Luxembourg, so coming back to my roots with the Puma is always very special. We've worked hard to have a good feeling with the car on Tarmac, so let's see how it goes; the weather across the three countries can certainly pose a challenge on this event.”
Josh McErlean said:
“The Central European Rally is a demanding Tarmac event, and a great opportunity to continue building my experience in the Puma Rally1 across all three countries. The goal is to find a strong rhythm, adapt to the changing grip levels, and develop confidence in the car across all conditions and hopefully end with a strong result.”
