PRESS RELEASE
Armstrong and Byrne bank valuable Rally1 mileage at iconic Rally Finland as a Friday retirement halts their WRC round ten points chase
Jyvaskyla, Finland – 3 August 2026
Jon Armstrong and co-driver Shane Byrne gained crucial mileage and experience at the 75th edition of Rally Finland, round ten of the FIA World Rally Championship, after an unfortunate Friday retirement curtailed their championship points chase on what proved to be an incredible introduction to rallying’s most iconic event aboard their Ford Puma Rally1.
Setting out with confidence on his first Rally Finland appearance in ten years, Armstrong made a steady start by setting the eighth-fastest time on the opening spectator-friendly Harju stage. The Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy duo’s early progress was halted abruptly early in stage three, however, when they became stuck in an unforgiving Finnish ditch. Clipping a bank as the road narrowed more than expected, Armstrong’s Ford Puma Rally1 was sent into a ditch where it became completely beached. Despite no damage to the car, the crew were unable to extract themselves, forcing an early retirement from Friday’s action.
With only minor work required, M-Sport had the car ready for Saturday, when Armstrong quickly returned to Friday’s pace. Staying within Josh McErlean and Thierry Neuville’s competitive times, the Fermanagh native was falling in love with the flat-out Finnish gravel roads.
A sixth-fastest time on Sunday’s Power Stage reiterated the Irish duo’s potential on the WRC’s on-the-edge classic. Armstrong was the fastest of M-Sport’s crews on the 30-kilometre decider, capping off a weekend of valuable experience before the summer break.
Quote – Jon Armstrong
“Rally Finland was an incredible event,” said Armstrong. “It’s such a fast rally and experiencing those roads for the first time in a Rally1 car was a real privilege because I had very little previous experience there.
“To be part of what is likely to be the final Rally Finland for this generation of Rally1 cars was something really special. It definitely takes nerves of steel, but once you get into the rhythm it’s an amazing feeling. I really enjoyed the whole experience and it’s an event I’m already looking forward to coming back to next year with more experience.
“After the disappointment on Friday, it was good to get plenty of mileage on Saturday and Sunday. Even though we were opening the road again, we still managed to show some encouraging pace. We’re not a million miles away from the front, but the top guys are absolutely flying through those stages, so it’s all about continuing to build experience. That’s what we came away with, and it will definitely help us going forward.
“It’s also one of those bucket-list rallies. Some of the jumps are just incredible and the way the Rally1 cars fly, with all the aero working, is pure class.
“We started the rally quite positively and set a good time on stage two, so we were building confidence.
“Then on the next stage we went from one of the wide roads into a much narrower section with quite a strange surface. I was trying to keep a good rhythm and came into a corner that tightened slightly more than I expected. It wasn’t enough that it should have caused a problem, but the grip just wasn’t there for the tyre to bite.
“The car understeered a little and when I tried to get it to rotate, the rear stepped out and got pulled into the ditch. That dragged the front of the car in as well and we became stuck.
“It was a really disappointing way for the day to end because we were there to gain mileage and experience. It was a small mistake with big consequences, and unfortunately there weren’t enough spectators nearby to help get the car back onto the road.
“The main thing was getting back in the car, enjoying the driving and making the most of the experience. That’s exactly what we did.
“Despite opening the road, we still showed some promising pace, which gives us confidence. We know there are still areas to improve, but every kilometre in these cars helps. The more experience we gain, the more comfortable we’ll become, and hopefully that will continue to close the gap to the front.”
Grampian Rally preview
Armstrong’s focus immediately switches this weekend to the Grampian Rally in Scotland, where he will pilot a Ford Fiesta Rally2 in the British Rally Championship as part of M-Sport’s preparation for next year’s Rally Scotland.
“We’re straight back into action this weekend with the Grampian Rally in Scotland,” said Armstrong. “We’ve already started preparing by watching onboard videos, and we’ll head over on Thursday for a short test before the recce begins.
“It’s a slightly different format to what we’re used to, but it’ll be nice to get back into the Fiesta Rally2 and compete in a national championship again. There should be some really strong competition, so I’m looking forward to seeing where we stack up.
“I don’t really know what to expect in terms of performance, but the aim is simply to drive to the best of our ability, show some good pace and put together a solid event.
“It’s useful preparation for the future as well, with the stages in that region potentially featuring in a future Rally Scotland.”
Notes to Editors
- Event: Rally Finland (Round 10 of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship), 75th edition
- Location: Jyvaskyla, Finland
- Stages: 20 stages
- Distance: 316 competitive kilometres
- Surface: Fast gravel – sweeping, high-speed stages with big jumps, crests and dips; universally known as the gravel grand prix
- Schedule: Shakedown Thursday 30 July; competitive stages from the Thursday evening Harju opener through to Sunday 2 August, finishing with two passes of the 30-kilometre Himos-Jamsa test
- Result: Retired from Friday’s action after becoming beached in a ditch early on stage three (no damage). Restarted under super rally regulations, returning to competitive pace on Saturday and setting a sixth-fastest time on Sunday’s 30-kilometre Himos-Jamsa Power Stage – the fastest of M-Sport’s crews
- Driver / Co-driver: Jon Armstrong / Shane Byrne
- Car: Ford Puma Rally1
- Team: M-Sport Ford World Rally Team
- Academy: Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy
- Context: A valuable first Rally1 experience of the iconic Finnish gravel event before the summer break, with Armstrong next contesting the Grampian Rally in a Ford Fiesta Rally2 in the British Rally Championship as part of M-Sport’s preparation for next year’s Rally Scotland
- Next event: Grampian Rally, Scotland (British Rally Championship, Ford Fiesta Rally2)
Links for editors
- Official website (home): jonarmstrongrally.com
- Press hub: jonarmstrongrally.com/press
