Jon Armstrong is waiting for his World Rally Championship program to be secured for 2027 before deciding who he’ll take as his new co-driver.
The 31-year-old, backed by the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, contested his first WRC season at the top level this year, competing for M-Sport in a Ford Puma Rally1.
Partnered by Shane Byrne, the pair won their first WRC stage in Greece, impressed in Croatia with three powerstage and three Super Sunday points, and secured an important, career best finish of seventh at the final round of Sardinia after a run of errors in previous events.
Armstrong told DirtFish his number one option is to “stay with M-Sport”, but nothing has been signed yet.
“I definitely would like to stay with M Sport because it’s where I’ve been my whole career, and I know the Fiesta very well,” he said.
Armstrong has strong experience in the Fiesta Rally2 - including this year when he won Rally Scotland's WRC candidate event
“Hopefully I could also be involved in shaping the development of the new car to the WRC27 regulations.
“So yeah I feel like that’s the most viable option, but of course if there were other options on the table we will look at them and see if they suit.”
Armstrong has spent practically his entire career driving Ford rally cars, including two years in the Fiesta Rally2 in the European Rally Championship which next year’s Rally1 (with WRC Kit) will be based on.
With 2026 team-mate Josh McErlean driving the car at last weekend’s Rally Six Cities North of Portugal, both drivers could remain with M-Sport in 2027 but Armstrong made it clear he has “no idea” what he’ll be doing next season yet.
“There’s talks happening,” he said, “but I guess until things are signed, it’s very hard to know what will end up happening. We’ve just got to keep our fingers crossed that a deal can be finalized and that I get to have a second year at the top level.
“Being there in some format is all I can ask for because it is quite hard to get a second year, and it’s hard to stay at the top level of rallying. So if we can get a full year, it would be fantastic. Let’s see what happens over the coming months.”
Armstrong announced on Thursday that he and co-driver Byrne would be separating after two years working together.
Asked by DirtFish to explain the decision, Armstrong said: “Shane and I had two great years together. In the first year in ERC with the Fiesta we achieved some really good results towards the end of the season, and then making the transition into the Puma Rally1 was something really special.
“Even going back to that first test at Greystoke, where we got to sample the Rally1 car, through to the announcement of our 2026 program, it was all dream stuff really, and something we were fortunate enough to experience together.
“The separation wasn’t really down to one particular thing. After taking some time to reflect on the season and everything we’d achieved together, we both felt that it was a good time to try something different going forward. Sometimes a change can be positive for both people, and I think we can look back on those two years with a lot of satisfaction.”
On finding a replacement, Armstrong concluded: “It’s something we’re exploring at the moment, and I hope we can make a decision soon. However, getting a seat for next year is the priority at the moment.”
