KEY EVENT STATS
Surface: Gravel
Base: Concepción
Stages: 16
Competitive Distance: 311.18 km
Total Distance: 1175.01 km
WEEKEND FOCUS
After seeing encouraging pace from all the M-Sport crews on Rally del Paraguay last week, the team heads west to Chile for the second part of the WRC's South American adventure.
Rally Chile's flowing gravel stages await the M-Sport crews, with Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy, and Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne preparing to make another outing in their pair of Ford Puma Rally1 cars. Romet Jürgenson and Siim Oja will represent the team in a Ford Fiesta Rally2 in the RC2 category.
Chile makes its fifth WRC appearance, bringing the characteristically changeable weather and surface conditions that will challenge crews after a testing weekend in Paraguay.
Josh McErlean makes his second Chile start after an encouraging performance in Paraguay, showing good pace in the rough stages and running in podium contention on Friday.
Jon Armstrong and Romet Jürgenson continue their South American campaign after their debuts in Paraguay, making their maiden Chile appearances next week.
Richard Millener, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Principal, said: "Paraguay was a big challenge for the team, the crews, and the entire service park, but we have some really big positives to take from that rally as we now head over to Chile.
"Now in its fifth edition, we have a lot of knowledge about this rally that we can use to support Jon and Romet. The stages are very varied, and the weather can often be a challenge, but we are well equipped to take on this challenge, especially with Josh and Eoin's experience from last year.
"The team have worked hard to re-prep the cars this week in Paraguay, before beginning the journey over to Chile. These back-to-back events are a big challenge but we are focused and ready to take on Chile at full speed."
CREW LINE-UP
FORD PUMA RALLY1
#55 / Josh McErlean & Eoin Treacy
Rally Chile 2025 result: 37th WRC (SR)
Rally Paraguay 2026 result: 6th WRC
Current championship position: 9th WRC
Josh McErlean said: "After a solid run in Paraguay, we’ll head to Chile looking to push on and keep building from there. It’s a rally I really enjoy; the stages are always really nice to drive when you get into a rhythm.
"Friday will be a little different this year with the stages running in reverse, so that will bring a fresh challenge and make the recce really important. The team are doing a massive job across these two rallies, especially with such a short turnaround between Paraguay and Chile, so hopefully we can reward all their hard work with another strong weekend."
#95 / Jon Armstrong & Shane Byrne
Armstrong will make his first appearance at Rally Chile
Rally del Paraguay 2026 result: Retired Sunday
Current championship position: 13th WRC
Jon Armstrong said: "I’m really looking forward to Rally Chile. It’s going to be quite different to what we experienced in Paraguay. The roads here are more traditional gravel, with a firmer and more compact base, so the feeling and the way you can attack the stages should be quite different.
"Road cleaning can also be quite significant in Chile, so hopefully we can make the most of our road position on Friday, find a good rhythm early on and carry that through the rest of the weekend.
"It’s nice to have another rally as part of this South American leg. Paraguay didn’t go to plan for us, so we’re motivated to bounce back strongly in Chile and see what we can achieve."
FORD FIESTA RALLY2
#29 / Romet Jürgenson & Siim Oja
Jürgenson will make his first appearance at Rally Chile
Rally del Paraguay 2026 result: Retired Sunday
Current championship position: 22nd WRC2
Romet Jürgenson said: "Chile is going to be another very different event for us. There are some fast roads there, a bit more abrasive compared to Paraguay, but I think it should suit my style. It's definitely an event that I'm looking forward to.
"After a very up and down Paraguay, I think it's important to get into the rhythm again and finish our season on a positive note."
