You know those years when everything seems to line up? Well, 2025 feels like Santa showed up in October and just kept emptying his sleigh. First, M‑Sport called to say Shane and I are moving up to Puma Rally1 next season, then the FIA ERC crew crowned me Driver of the Year. I keep waiting for someone to wake me up.
When M‑Sport told us we’d be tackling all 14 rounds of the World Rally Championship in a Puma Rally1, my first reaction was to laugh, then check if it was a prank. I’ve dreamed of this since I was a kid blasting around farm lanes. To hear it’s happening after two seasons in ERC, and just a few months after our wins in Wales and Croatia, still feels surreal. I said it to the press, and I’ll say it here: I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to drive at the top level. It’s something I have worked toward from a very young age, and some years it looked like it might never happen. We were aiming for WRC2 and ended up leapfrogging straight to the big show; WRC Rally1.
The best part is doing this with Shane. We started the journey together, and now we get to take on the best in the world as a team. M‑Sport and the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy have been behind us every step. Without them, and without our sponsors and fans, this call-up would not have happened. We know the challenge ahead is huge: new rallies, new competitors, a faster car, but challenges are what make rallying fun.
Then there’s the Driver of the Year news. The ERC broadcast team spent a week debating who stood out most in 2025, and they picked me. Three of the five experts voted in my favour. They mentioned our two wins, our two podiums and how close we came to the title. One described our late‑season charge as a “tour de force” with commitment, bravery and big smiles at stage ends. I’ll take that. Honestly, I think they just enjoyed watching Shane and me celebrate in Croatia, but whatever the reason, it’s an honour.
Putting these two pieces of news together, I’m feeling equal parts excited and humbled. Excited because the hard work and long nights are paying off in ways I never imagined. Humbled because none of this happens alone. From the mechanics turning wrenches in the service park to the supporters who travel to watch us blast down a country lane, every one of you makes this possible. And while I’m poking fun at the idea of Christmas coming early, the truth is that 2026 already feels like the best present I could hope for.
Here’s to a year of new adventures, new stages and hopefully more reasons to pinch myself. Thank you for sticking with us. We promise to keep the smiles big, the pace notes clear, and the foot firmly planted on the loud pedal.
– Jon
