PRESS RELEASE

Early podium challenge ends in Friday retirement, but Armstrong responds with Super Sunday and Power Stage points

Rijeka, Croatia – 13th April 2026
Jon Armstrong further demonstrated his ability to challenge his more experienced World Rally Championship rivals on Croatia Rally. An unfortunate retirement on Friday ended his early podium challenge, but the M-Sport driver responded on Saturday and Sunday to consistently set competitive times and score six FIA World Rally Championship points with third-placed finishes on Super Sunday and the Power Stage.

Returning to a venue where Armstrong and co-driver Shane Byrne claimed a European Rally Championship victory last year, the Irish duo showcased the pace that has marked them as ones to watch in their maiden WRC campaign.

Armstrong showed blistering speed aboard the Ford Puma Rally1 on Friday morning and went fastest up until the midpoint of stage two. Unfortunately, a front-left tyre delamination cost him around 30 seconds in the second half of the stage.

The Fermanagh native bounced back strongly on the next 24-kilometre test, coming within 0.1 seconds of setting the fastest time. However, a slide wide on a left-hander covered in loose chippings resulted in an impact with a kerb, forcing the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy crew to retire and ending what had been a hugely promising opening day.

Returning under super-rally regulations on Saturday, Armstrong and Byrne returned immediately to their competitive pace, setting multiple top-three stage times.

Armstrong spent Croatia’s final day in direct battle with the championship’s frontrunners. A string of impressive times resulted in a third-place finish on both Super Sunday and the Power Stage, scoring six valuable championship points.

Across the rally, Armstrong recorded nine top-three stage times, underlining his competitiveness on asphalt.

Quote – Jon Armstrong

“I am really pleased with the pace,” said Armstrong. “Croatia is a rally where we’ve gone well before, so it was one we were targeting to really show what we could do. It has been nice to be able to battle with the frontrunners, and I think we had nine top-three stage times across the event, which is really strong.

“There are a lot of positives to take from that, and it feels more and more comfortable now to be competing at that level. Saturday and Sunday also gave us a good opportunity on the smoother stages to work on the Puma’s set-up, particularly with an eye on the Canary Islands, so that was valuable as well.

“We had a strong start to the rally with a third-fastest time on the opening stage. On stage two, we were quick on the splits but then picked up a puncture, which was frustrating.

“We bounced back well after that and were very close to a stage win – just 0.1 seconds off – and at that point, a podium result was definitely within reach. Unfortunately, on stage four we got caught out in a section that had roadworks. It was quite difficult to read the road because the surface had changed, and there were loose chippings dragged onto the stage.

“We just ran slightly wide and ended up damaging the rear suspension, which was obviously disappointing, but that’s how it goes sometimes.

“There are definitely plenty of positives to take away. We have learned a lot, especially in terms of set-up.

“It’s still going to be a challenge on the Canary Islands Rally, especially adapting to a smoother driving style, but based on how things felt towards the end of Croatia, I think we are not too far away.”

Notes to Editors

• Event: Croatia Rally (Round 4 of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship)
• Base: Rijeka, Croatia
• Driver / Co-driver: Jon Armstrong / Shane Byrne
• Car: Ford Puma Rally1
• Team: M-Sport Ford World Rally Team
• Academy: Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy
• Key moments: Fastest to midpoint of stage two before front-left tyre delamination; 0.1s from a stage win on the next test; retirement on Friday after impact with kerb in loose chippings; multiple top-three times after returning on super-rally
• Points: 6 WRC points (3rd on Super Sunday and 3rd on Power Stage)
• Stage times: Nine top-three stage times across the event
• Next event mentioned: Canary Islands Rally

ENDS