PRESS RELEASE
Armstrong and Byrne claim a maiden gravel rally win at the Grampian Forest Rally as Rally Scotland preparations gather pace
Banchory, Scotland – 10 August 2026
Jon Armstrong and co-driver Shane Byrne sealed their first ever gravel rally victory at the Grampian Forest Rally, demonstrating their pace against an impressive field in the Ford Fiesta Rally2.
Preparing for next year’s Rally Scotland, which will form part of the FIA World Rally Championship, Armstrong faced a strong entry that included international rivals and established British Rally Championship competitors. The Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver made a steady start, setting the second-fastest time on the opening Durris stage, just 1.9 seconds behind M-Sport teammate Romet Jürgenson.
Fastest times on the next three consecutive stages brought Armstrong within just 0.1 seconds of Jürgenson as the battle for victory intensified. On the fifth test, Armstrong made his decisive move, taking the lead for the first time and never relinquishing it.
Four stage wins from the remaining five tests secured an impressive gravel rally victory. Armstrong crossed the finish line 9.3 seconds clear of Jürgenson, with Lancia’s Nikolay Gryazin a further 39.6 seconds adrift in third place. The Fermanagh native demonstrated his pace consistently throughout, claiming fastest times on seven of the ten stages.
Quote – Jon Armstrong
“It was great to get my first win on gravel,” said Armstrong. “Heading to the Grampian Rally was a really good opportunity because there was such a strong entry, with the Lancia drivers and Romet, as well as the regular BRC competitors who we know are always at a very high pace.
“It gave us a chance to see what we could do, learn the stages and get back into the Fiesta Rally2. It was quite an interesting comparison coming straight from the Rally1 car. Honestly, it felt like everything was moving in slow motion on the first day, and even throughout Saturday.
“When you’re competing against the drivers in Rally1, they’re absolutely on the limit all the time. When you’re trying to get closer to them, you’re learning a huge amount and putting that into practice. So it was nice to come back to reality and realise that you’re maybe at a higher level than you think you are.
“The rally went really well. We took the first couple of stages to settle into things, but then set the fastest time on stage two and from there just tried to have a good battle with Romet. Eventually we were able to get ahead, which was really nice.
“We ended up fastest on seven of the ten stages, so we can’t really complain about that. It was a brilliant weekend and one we’ll definitely remember fondly. To get my first gravel win is really special, and the stages were fantastic with a really good flow to them.
“I’m already looking forward to coming back for Rally Scotland next year.”
Gallery
Notes to Editors
- Event: Grampian Forest Rally (round of the 2026 British Rally Championship and Scottish Rally Championship; official candidate rally for WRC Rally Scotland)
- Location: Banchory, Aberdeenshire, Scotland – forest stages to the south-west of Aberdeen
- Stages: 10 stages
- Distance: 59 competitive miles
- Surface: Gravel forest tracks, expected to mirror the conditions of the planned WRC Rally Scotland
- Schedule: 7 and 8 August 2026, one week after Rally Finland
- Result: First overall – maiden gravel rally win. Second on the opening Durris stage, then fastest on seven of the ten stages; took the lead on stage five and won by 9.3 seconds from Romet Jürgenson, with Nikolay Gryazin (Lancia) third, a further 39.6 seconds back
- Driver / Co-driver: Jon Armstrong / Shane Byrne
- Car: Ford Fiesta Rally2
- Team: M-Sport
- Academy: Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy
- Context: Reconnaissance outing ahead of WRC Rally Scotland’s expected arrival next season; return to the Ford Fiesta Rally2 in which Armstrong and Byrne finished second in last year’s European Rally Championship
Links for editors
- Official website (home): jonarmstrongrally.com
- Press hub: jonarmstrongrally.com/press
