PRESS RELEASE
Armstrong and Byrne show strong Rally1 pace on their South American debut before late suspension damage ends WRC round eleven
Encarnacion, Paraguay – 31 August 2026
Jon Armstrong and co-driver Shane Byrne showed their potential on the unique red-earth stages of Rally del Paraguay, round eleven of the FIA World Rally Championship, only for a stellar recovery drive to end on Sunday when rear-left suspension damage forced their Ford Puma Rally1 into retirement.
The Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy pairing announced their arrival in South America with a joint third-fastest time on stage two, propelling them into the top five on their first competitive outing on the continent.
On an event that brought trouble to almost all World Rally Championship crews, Armstrong’s rally turned on stage three when the Puma struck a rock and suffered a puncture. The abrasive surface shredded the tyre in quick fashion, triggering a brake failure that pitched the car into a downhill spin. Armstrong nursed the car to the stage finish but lost almost 90 seconds in the process.
A roadside fix allowed the Irish duo to reach the subsequent Super Special and get into midday service, where M-Sport’s mechanics scrambled through the 30-minute window to repair significant damage to the front of the car. A lateness penalty dropped Armstrong to 16th overall, leaving the crew with plenty of work to do to claim any WRC points.
Armstrong responded superbly on Saturday. A fourth-fastest time on stage 11 was followed by third-fastest on stage 12 as the recovery gathered pace, and continued consistency through the afternoon’s loose conditions, headlined by another top-five time on stage 16, propelled him up to eighth by the end of the day. It capped a remarkable turnaround from Friday’s setback.
Sunday began with real promise. Two strong opening stages moved Armstrong up to seventh overall, but disaster struck when he clipped a bank on stage 20. The Fermanagh native nursed the car to the stage finish and could go no further, bringing a premature end to his first Rally del Paraguay.
Quote – Jon Armstrong
“It was a good week in terms of exploring a new rally,” said Armstrong. “The stages were very different to anything I’ve done before, but they didn’t feel completely unfamiliar. You get a sense on the recce of whether a rally is going to be a big challenge or something you might gel with, and I felt quite comfortable with the roads and thought I could get into a good rhythm.
“Friday started with some good pace on the first two stages, but then we picked up a puncture on the third stage. Unfortunately, we didn’t realise we had a puncture straight away and drove on to the end of the stage. By the time we reached the finish, we were driving on the rim and eventually broke the brake disc and brake line.
“That caused a bit of a surprise on the downhill section, which resulted in us spinning the car and damaging the front. Thankfully, we managed to get back to service, but we had to change the whole front of the car.
“We managed to fight our way back up to seventh by Sunday morning, so that was positive, but then we made a mistake with three stages to go and broke the rear suspension. It was really disappointing after the work we’d put in to recover from Friday.
“I think we showed some good pace, particularly on Saturday, where we found a really good rhythm at times. There are definitely positives to take from that.
“The Paraguay stages have a lot of different surface changes, with the clay-based roads making the rally quite unique. Even though it was a tricky weekend for us, I’m sure we can take plenty of knowledge and experience from it going forward, particularly when we come back next year.”
Rally Chile next
Armstrong now turns his attention to Rally Chile, the second leg of the South American double-header and round twelve of the FIA World Rally Championship, where he will look to convert his growing pace into a points-scoring result.
Notes to Editors
- Event: Rally del Paraguay (Round 11 of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship)
- Location: Encarnacion, Paraguay
- Stages: Friday to Sunday itinerary including the 30-kilometre Yerbateras test, the rally’s longest stage
- Distance: 358 competitive kilometres
- Surface: Red-earth gravel – soft on the first pass and heavily rutted on the second, with a high puncture risk and clay-based roads that change character quickly
- Schedule: Shakedown Thursday 27 August; competitive stages Friday 28 August to Sunday 30 August
- Result: Retired on stage 20 with rear-left suspension damage after clipping a bank while running seventh overall. Highlights included a joint third-fastest time on stage two, fourth-fastest on stage 11 and third-fastest on stage 12, after a Friday puncture and resulting brake failure cost almost 90 seconds and a lateness penalty dropped the crew to 16th
- Driver / Co-driver: Jon Armstrong / Shane Byrne
- Car: Ford Puma Rally1
- Team: M-Sport Ford World Rally Team
- Academy: Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy
- Context: Armstrong’s first competitive event in South America and the opening half of a South American double-header, with a recovery from 16th to seventh before a late retirement
- Next event: Rally Chile (Round 12 of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship), shakedown Thursday 10 September, competitive stages Friday 11 September to Sunday 13 September
Links for editors
- Official website (home): jonarmstrongrally.com
- Press hub: jonarmstrongrally.com/press
