M-Sport boss labels Armstrong debut as “outstanding” despite final day heartbreak

M-Sport Boss Labels Armstrong Debut Outstanding Despite Final Day Heartbreak

The 2026 FIA World Rally Championship season opener delivered a rollercoaster of emotions for Jon Armstrong as he made a sensational debut in the top-tier Puma Rally1. While the event ended in disappointment on the final day, the performance of the Northern Irishman became the primary talking point of the Rallye Monte-Carlo service park. Armstrong and co-driver Shane Byrne signaled their arrival at the highest level of the sport by trading times with the world’s elite in the most severe winter conditions seen in the French Alps for years.

M-Sport Ford Team Principal Richard Millener was quick to highlight the achievement of his new recruit despite the team failing to get a car to the finish line. Richard Millener said: “Rallye Monte-Carlo was a huge challenge, with one of the toughest formats on the calendar, multiple service locations, long days and incredibly difficult weather conditions. While Sunday was a big disappointment and none of our three Rally1 cars reached the finish, there were still many positives to take away – chief among them, the outstanding WRC debut of Jon and Shane. Sitting as high as third overall and consistently matching, and even beating, established Rally1 competitors, they have really announced their arrival at this level, and I’m excited to see what the rest of the season brings.”

Armstrong’s rally began with a statement of intent during the Thursday night stages. A committed drive through the darkness and ice of Stage 2 saw him clock the third-fastest time overall, briefly moving him into a podium position. He remained a constant threat throughout Friday and Saturday, navigating punctures and heavy snowfall to hold a strong sixth place heading into the final day. However, the treacherous slush of Sunday morning’s penultimate stage caught the crew out, causing an understeer into a wall that damaged the suspension just a few corners into the test.

The retirement of Armstrong along with teammates Josh McErlean and Grégoire Munster marked the end of an era for the British squad. It brought a conclusion to a 24-year streak of manufacturer points-scoring finishes for M-Sport that dated back to Carlos Sainz’s podium in 2002. Despite the statistical blow, the pace shown by the Irish pairing across the weekend has provided the team with significant optimism for the remainder of the 2026 campaign.

Reflecting on his first weekend in the Puma Rally1, Jon Armstrong said: “A proper baptism of fire for our first WRC event in the Rally1 car, we were happy to show some good pace throughout the weekend but ultimately wanted to get a solid result which we didn’t manage to do on this occasion. The conditions were crazy, a proper challenge and we are already looking forward to a new challenge in Sweden.” Armstrong and Byrne will now turn their attention to the snow of Umeå as the championship moves to Scandinavia next month.

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