Armstrong and Byrne head to Umea for first full-snow Rally1 outing after encouraging Monte-Carlo debut
Umea, Sweden – 12th February 2026
From one classic world rally to another, Jon Armstrong and co-driver Shane Byrne are set to take on Rally Sweden’s unique snow-covered stages after a promising Rally1 debut on Rally Monte-Carlo.
The Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy duo impressed with competitive stage times on the World Rally Championship’s opening round, positioned as high as third overall on Rally Monte-Carlo’s opening night of action. Battling through a series of punctures, Armstrong and Byrne looked set to secure a top-six finish, only for a slush-filled right-hander to cause them to understeer into a rock, retiring on the penultimate test.
Although disappointed to miss out on a solid haul of WRC points, the Irish pairing turned plenty of heads on their first top-flight rally and head to Sweden with confidence that they have the speed to compete at rallying’s highest level.
Now, they face a completely new challenge with contrasting grip levels and driving styles. Armstrong last competed on Rally Sweden four years ago, winning its Junior WRC category, but knows that rallying between the iconic snowbanks in a Ford Puma Rally1 will be an altogether different test.
Based in Umea, Rally Sweden gets underway with shakedown on Thursday before three days of competitive action from Friday to Sunday. Crews will tackle 300 kilometres of rapid rallying on specially manufactured studded tyres designed to grip into compact snow and ice.
Quote – Jon Armstrong
“I have very good memories of Rally Sweden,” said Armstrong. “Winning the Junior WRC event back in 2022 was a special result for me. I’m really looking forward to going back, even though there are quite a few new stages this time, so in many ways it feels almost like starting from a fresh page with new notes.
“Driving on pure snow with the studded, narrow tyres is one of the ultimate driving experiences in rallying, and to be doing it now in a Rally1 car is really exciting.
“Preparation for Sweden is quite specific. A lot of it is watching onboard footage and trying to build a really good picture of the stages and the character of the rally. We also have a pre-event test coming up next week, which will be important.
“After the test, we should have a good idea of how the car behaves on snow, what it’s capable of, and how to approach the pacenotes. From there, it’s about translating that into a solid recce and seeing how the conditions develop, because Sweden can still throw a few surprises depending on the weather.
“The previous experience definitely helps, but it’s still very different in a Rally1 car. The stages are extremely fast, so the aero is going to play a big role, especially on the high-speed sections. Trusting the downforce and really committing to it is going to be a key focus for me.
“On snow, it’s all about committing early – pitching the car in, trusting the studs to bite, and fighting the tyre against the surface. Using the snowbanks can also be really effective if they’re solid, but that depends a lot on the weather and how well frozen they are. It’s something you have to read carefully as the rally unfolds.
“We will try to understand where our pace is and improve over the course of the event. Sweden is incredibly fast and a bucket-list rallying experience, so you also have to enjoy it. From my side, the focus is on eliminating those small hesitations – moments where you come out of a corner and think you could have stayed flat but didn’t quite trust it. If I can reduce those moments, I’ll enjoy the rally more, and the stage times should come naturally. We’re really looking forward to it – it should be a class event.”
