The Northern Irish driver Jon Armstrong, who competes with the M-Sport Ford team, achieved a remarkable performance at the Rally of Croatia, reaffirming his prospects for success at the highest level of the World Rally Championship (WRC). In this event, Armstrong was able to surpass rivals from the higher tier, showcasing a speed return that proves he belongs to the elite of rally racing.
Armstrong, who was the runner-up in the European Rally Championship in 2025, had set himself the goal of proving that he deserves a place among the prominent figures of the WRC. “This is not my first experience in the WRC, but it is my first at the highest level. The most important thing is to demonstrate that I belong here,” he commented before the start of the season at the Monte Carlo Rally.
Since then, the former esports driver has impressed with his performance in events like Monte Carlo, Sweden, and Kenya. However, it was in Croatia where he showcased his true potential, managing to position himself among the top three in ten stages, even surpassing drivers from the factory teams of Toyota and Hyundai.
Furthermore, in the third stage, Armstrong and his co-driver Shane Byrne finished just 0.1 seconds shy of winning the stage, losing out to the 2024 champion, Thierry Neuville. Despite an error that caused them to lose time in a later stage, the team finished third both in the general classification of Saturday and in the Power Stage, accumulating six valuable points for the championship.
After demonstrating his speed, Armstrong has set his next goal to achieve a top-five finish, considering that the upcoming rally in the Canary Islands could be an ideal opportunity. “We have shown what we can do, and we belong at this level,” the driver asserted, highlighting the necessary adaptation to gravel surfaces to improve his future performance.
The director of the M-Sport team, Richard Millener, expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance during the rally, highlighting that it has been an exciting event and a success for Armstrong and Byrne, who have demonstrated great speed against more experienced drivers. “Seeing them fight among the top is an impressive achievement,” Millener concluded.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
