Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne delivered an outstanding Rally1 debut on the opening round of the World Rally Championship. Unfortunately, their impressive performance ended in heartbreak on Rally Monte-Carlo’s penultimate stage amid tough winter conditions.
Armstrong, promoted to Rally1 after a runner-up European Rally Championship finish in 2025, set the third-fastest time on an incredibly slippery, snow- and ice-covered stage two on his Monte-Carlo debut, proving his natural driving ability at the top level. The Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy crew sat third overall after the second stage and finished the opening day in fifth after encountering thick fog on stage three.
The Fermanagh driver’s strong start was hampered by a series of punctures, losing 30 seconds on stage seven before having to stop and change another punctured wheel on stage eight. A further puncture on stage ten, Saturday’s opening test, cost more valuable time. Despite the setbacks, Armstrong and Byrne continued in sixth place, aiming for strong WRC points as top M-Sport crew. Another top-five Rally1 time on Sunday’s opening test reiterated their WRC potential. Unfortunately, a slush-covered right-hander caught out their Ford Puma Rally1 on Rally Monte-Carlo’s penultimate test, understeering into a rock and inflicting rally-ending damage.
Still, their drive was among the highlights of many at WRC’s season-opener, including M-Sport team principal Rich Millener, who described their performance as outstanding and is excited to see what the rest of their season brings.
“Overall, I think the weekend was very positive, especially that first night when we showed what we could do with some strong times,” reflected Armstrong. “After that, the goal was to be cleaner and smarter, focusing on gaining as much experience as possible. We were doing that and were holding sixth, but unfortunately, we got caught out on the penultimate stage on cross-pattern tyres. When we hit some slush, the tyre couldn’t clear the water quickly enough and we understeered into a rock, which damaged the car and forced us to retire. It was frustrating not to finish after all the effort from the team and everyone involved to get us there. That said, there are a lot of positives to take from the weekend. It feels tough right now, but we experienced the full Monte-Carlo challenge in a Rally1 car, and that’s something not many people get to do. I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunity and for everything we’ve learned from it.”