Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy are aiming to build on their joint-best World Rally Championship result after finishing seventh overall at last weekend's Central European Rally.
McErlean's third asphalt event since graduating to Rally1 machinery was hosted by Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic, with tricky stages throughout the four days.
McErlean overcame an early hurdle on Friday morning when a rock embedded in a cut damaged their Puma's front wheel and steering arm. The M-Sport Ford Irish crew remained focused however, persisting through until it was repaired.
A brave tyre choice on Saturday morning helped the 26-year-old to continue to up his speed, climbing up to seventh overall, and was satisfied with his progression to finish as lead M-Sport driver.
"It has been a big learning experience," McErlean reflected. "We have had a bit of everything this weekend, running at the front and the back of the field.
"It was great to see Grégoire [Munster, team leader] back out after his mishap on Friday so we could properly compare times.
"From the start of the rally to now, we’ve closed that gap to him, and that was one of our main goals coming into this event."
County Tyrone co-driver Aaron Johnston continued his strong season alongside Toyota's Takamoto Katsuta, with the pairing securing fourth overall. Katsuta and Johnston added two valuable bonus points with a fourth-fastest time on the Power Stage.
Eamonn Boland and MJ Morrissey marked their return to WRC action for the first time since the Canary Islands Rally earlier this year.
The Irish crew sealed a top-20 finish in their Ford Fiesta Rally2, claiming second place in the WRC Masters Cup and demonstrating their enduring competitiveness on the world stage.
Unfortunately, Eamonn Kelly and Conor Mohan's Junior WRC title challenge came to an early conclusion when they slid wide on a gravelly final corner of stage one, sending their Ford Fiesta Rally3 into a roll.
While both crew members emerged unscathed, roll-cage damage forced retirement from the championship's deciding double-points finale, ending their hopes of claiming the championship.
