When Josh McErlane first got into a rally car at the age of 11, his dream was to reach the World Rally Championship.
He is now one of 10 drivers in the world preparing to compete at the top of the sport this year.
The 25-year-old from Northern Ireland, who is part of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, will drive a Ford Puma Rally1 for the M-Sport World Rally Team.
“In terms of motorsport, it's basically Formula 1 World Rally,” McLellan told BBC Sport NI.
“You can't get any further than that. It's the top level and you're racing the best in the world.”
As a 15-year-old – two years before he was legally able to drive on a public road – McRelian won the Junior 1000 Rally Challenge series and won the Junior British Rally Championship title in 2019.
Reflecting on his journey, he said: “All young drivers dream of this moment.”
“It's now a reality and I can't thank everyone enough for their support.
“We are in this position now and we have to make the most of it. It will be an exciting period ahead of us.”
