Armstrong shines in tough Rally Monte-Carlo winter conditions

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.”

Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy endured a challenging Rally Monte-Carlo in their second season with M-Sport Ford World Rally Team. The crew were one of several caught out on a left-hander that had freshly formed ice on Thursday night. Their Puma slid off the road to end their night early, but M-Sport mechanics had all repairs made so they could return to the action on Friday morning.

McErlean made amends with a sixth-fastest time on the epic 28.7-kilometre Saint-Nazaire-le-Désert / La Motte-Chalancon test on Friday morning and gained valuable mileage throughout the rest of the event. 

An impact with an armco barrier on the same stage as Armstrong on Sunday caused front left suspension damage that ultimately forced them to retire despite completing the stage.

"It was a really tough Rally Monte-Carlo for me personally, and not the result I wanted to start the season with," said McErlean.

"Monte is an event that can catch anyone out, and this weekend certainly tested me. Despite that, the support from M-Sport and the team never wavered, and there are still positives to take away. I'll take the lessons on board, reset, and come back determined to show what we're capable of.”

County Tyrone co-driver Aaron Johnston survived punctures and power steering trouble to finish a wintery Rally Monte-Carlo as sixth-fastest Rally1 crew alongside Takamoto Katsuta, starting their year with WRC points in the bag.

James Fulton had been sixth in Rally Monte-Carlo's Rally2 standings before an accident on black ice coming down from Col de Turini forced the County Cavan co-driver and Yuki Yamamoto to retire their Toyota Yaris Rally2 on the rally's final day.

Eamonn Boland and MJ Morrissey completed the tough four-day event aboard their Ford Fiesta Rally2, claiming a runner-up finish in the WRC Masters Cup.