When Josh McErlean first stepped into a rally car at the age of 11, his dream was to reach the World Rally Championship.

Now, he is one of 10 drivers in the world preparing to compete at the pinnacle of the sport this year.

The 25-year-old from Northern Ireland, who is part of Motorsport Ireland’s Rally Academy, will drive a Ford Puma Rally1 for the M-Sport World Rally team.

“In terms of motorsport, it’s basically the Formula 1 of world rallying,” McErlean told BBC Sport NI.

“You can’t get any further up. It’s the top level and you are racing the best in the world.”

When he was a 15-year-old – two years before he could legally drive on a public road – McErlean claimed the Junior 1000 Rally Challenge series and won the Junior British Rally Championship title in 2019.

“All young drivers dream of this moment,” he said as he reflected on his journey.

“It’s become a reality now and I can’t thank everyone enough for their support.

“We’re in this position now and we have to make the most of it. It’s going to be an exciting time ahead.”