Career Timeline

The start of Jon’s winning career began with RSA – a lot of fond memories, and hugely beneficial learning experience for a 13 year old boy.

A Pirelli Star Driver finalist, selected through FIA regional shootouts in a programme built to launch future WRC talent.
Today: Jon still competes on Pirelli tyres and proudly count Pirelli as a sponsor.

Won the Vatanen Touch award at the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy shoot-out, earning a fully funded 2016 season in an M Sport Ford Fiesta R2T.
Following a world rally debut at Rally Spain, completed a two day assessment at M Sport headquarters with driving judged by Elfyn Evans.
Edged nine other finalists after physical, media, and on stage tests.
Marked a breakthrough that enabled a move up to regular WRC events with support from DMACK and M Sport.

Winner of the DMACK Fiesta Trophy round, clinched Rookie Champion and finished 3rd overall in the series.
That victory, plus top points across Germany and Spain, earned two WRC2 prize drives in an R5 for the following season.
Second Trophy win of the year after Rally Poland, capped by a clean run from mud-bath gravel to fast tarmac.

eSports WRC world title at Rallye Deutschland, transferring real world rally skills to the simulator.
Trained for more than 250 hours and recovered from a roll in Corsica to stay in contention.
Fastest on the final El Chocolate stage, overturning a 1.4 second deficit to take victory by 3.1 seconds.
A record 2350 entrants took part in the championship and the final was streamed to more than 125000 viewers.

Carryduff Forklift Down Rally – Took overall victory on the first competitive outing in a World Rally Car, a McGeehan Motorsport Mini WRC.
A puncture on SS4 dropped the crew to the bottom of the top ten, followed by a reset that delivered four fastest stage times and a charge back up the order.
Seized the lead on SS9 and won by a margin of just over twenty seconds with Noel O’Sullivan.
Round four of the McGrady Insurance Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship.

Finished Rally Spain with a fastest time on the Power Stage! Just not quite enough to win the title.
The stats for the season don’t lie though:
2nd in Junior WRC
7 events started
3 wins
5 podiums
37 stage wins
Rally leader on 6 of 7 events
Rally leader for 50 stages
120 stages completed
Season average speed: 93.7 kph
Season total distance: 911.1 km
Fastest on shakedown: 4 times

During the 2022 Junior WRC season, Jon Armstrong and co driver Brian Hoy took victory at Rally Sweden from 24 to 27 February. He then finished 7th at the Croatia Rally from 21 to 24 April, 4th at Rally de Portugal from 19 to 22 May, 3rd at Rally Estonia from 14 to 17 July, and 2nd at the Acropolis Rally Greece from 8 to 11 September.

Season summary: 1 win | 3 podiums | Final standing: Runner up in Junior WRC

FIA European Rally Champion – ERC3 (2023)
Rally Serras de Fafe (10–12 Mar) – 1st, co-driver Andrew Browne
Rally Islas Canarias (4–6 May) – 1st, co-driver Cameron Fair
Rally Poland (19–21 May) – 1st, co-driver Cameron Fair
Tet Rally Liepāja (17–18 Jun) – 1st, co-driver Cameron Fair
Rally di Roma Capitale (29–30 Jul) – 1st, co-driver Cameron Fair

Season summary
Wins: 5 | Podiums: 5 | Title: ERC3 Champion (clinched in Rome)
Cameron Fair won the 2023 ERC3 co-drivers’ title

FIA European Rally Championship – 2024
Rally Hungary (12–14 Apr) – 8th, Ford Fiesta Rally2, co-driver Eoin Treacy
Rally Islas Canarias (2–4 May) – 8th
Royal Rally of Scandinavia (13–15 Jun) – retired
Rally Estonia (5–7 Jul) – 6th
Rally di Roma Capitale (26–28 Jul) – 17th
Barum Czech Rally Zlín (16–18 Aug) – 26th
Rali Ceredigion (30 Aug–1 Sep) – 6th
Rally Silesia, Poland (11–13 Oct) – 2nd, first ERC podium; 7 stage wins including the Power Stage

Season summary
Overall: 5th | Podiums: 1 | Stage wins: 8 | Car: Ford Fiesta Rally2 | Co-driver: Eoin Treacy

Rally Poland 2025 — ERC
Result: 3rd overall, Ford Fiesta Rally2 MkII, co-driver Shane Byrne
Dates: 13–15 June 2025, base Mikołajki
Surface: Gravel
Stages: 14
Competitive distance: 189.60 km
Total distance: 793.67 km
Podium: 1) Mārtiņš Sesks 2) Mikołaj Marczyk 3) Jon Armstrong
Winning time: 1:37:56.4 (Sesks)
Gap to winner: +1:15.8
Gap to P2: +9.5 s behind Marczyk
Gap to P4: +22.1 s ahead of Isak Reiersen
Power Stage: SS14 Gmina Mrągowo 2, 15.2 km

Note
First ERC gravel podium.

Barum Czech Rally Zlín 2025 – ERC
Result: 2nd overall, Ford Fiesta Rally2 MkII, co-driver Shane Byrne
Dates: 15–17 August 2025, Zlín, Czech Republic
Surface: Asphalt
Stages: 13
Competitive distance: 207.49 km
Race craft: Finished Saturday 6.5 s off the lead; took 2 stage wins (incl. SS7 Bunč). Power Stage result: P3
Winning margin to winner: +10.7 s

Podium
Jan Kopecký – Jiří Hovorka, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2
Jon Armstrong – Shane Byrne, Ford Fiesta Rally2 MkII
Andrea Mabellini – Virginia Lenzi, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2

Rali Ceredigion 2025 — Rally2 win
Result: 1st overall, Ford Fiesta Rally2, co-driver Shane Byrne
Dates: 5–7 September 2025, based in Aberystwyth
Format: 12 stages, ~185 km competitive
Race craft: Took the lead on SS2 and held it to the finish
Total time: 1:34:52.0
Winning margin: 29.2 seconds
Team note: M-Sport 1–2 (Armstrong ahead of Romet Jürgenson)
Conditions: Heavy rain on Sunday; controlled pace to secure the win

Podium

Jon Armstrong — Shane Byrne, Ford Fiesta Rally2

Romet Jürgenson — Siim Oja, Ford Fiesta Rally2

Mikołaj Marczyk — Szymon Gospodarczyk, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2

Croatia Rally 2025 — ERC
Result: 1st overall, Ford Fiesta Rally2, co-driver Shane Byrne
Dates: 4–5 October 2025, based around Zagreb
Format: 10 stages, ~180.7 km, asphalt
Race craft: Won 5 of Saturday’s 6 stages, led overnight by 27.3 s, managed wet Sunday to seal it
Power Stage: Winner
Winning margin: 45.7 s over Mads Østberg
Podium:
1) Armstrong-Byrne
2) Østberg-Moore
3) Marczyk-Gospodarczyk