FINAL CLASSIFICATIONS
WRC / OVERALL
7th: Jon Armstrong / Shane Byrne
18th: Mārtiņš Sesks / Renārs Francis (SR)
22nd: Josh McErlean / Eoin Treacy (SR)
EVENT SUMMARY
Rally Italia Sardegna marked the final outing for the M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 cars and the end of the 2026 WRC season. It brought an emotional close to five years with the car, which began with Sébastien Loeb's victory on its debut at the 2022 Rallye Monte-Carlo, and the Sardinian scenery provided a fitting backdrop for the farewell.
The event lived up to its reputation for rough conditions, which caused problems for crews across the field. Punctures caught out both Sesks and Armstrong on Friday, costing them precious time and forcing them to fight to claim back lost time.
Armstrong delivered a strong, consistent drive to finish seventh overall, equalling his best WRC result in his maiden Rally1 season.
A mechanical issue ended Sesks's day early on Saturday afternoon, and McErlean's moment on SS12 had severe consequences, forcing him retire on the road section back to service on Saturday evening. Both crews restarted on Sunday to finish the event with a final push.
M-Sport closes another busy WRC season and bids farewell to the Puma Rally1. Attention now turns to a new era in 2027 alongside Ford Racing, in exciting news revealed on-site in Sardinia earlier this week.
Richard Millener, M-Sport Ford Team Principal, said: “It’s certainly been an emotional weekend to round off the season. Jon has ended his first season on a really positive note, with a clean and mature drive, and its great to see him match his best result. Mārtiņš and Josh have had it harder, but both have shown their determination and some good pace to match it, giving them both some really positive points to take into the future. I think everyone is excited to see what these guys will do next year.
“Seeing the championship battle go to the last two corners of the Power Stage is true testament to why this sport is so incredible. What an incredible story to end the season, and a huge congratulations goes to Elfyn, Scott, and the whole Toyota team - what an incredible story to tell.
“The championship now heads in a new direction for 2027, and we’re thrilled to say we will be a part of that future with Ford Racing. The news this week from Ford is huge for the sport, and we at M-Sport are thrilled to be a part of this bright future alongside them. Now it’s time to head home, enjoy a few months to rest up and reset, before we take on the challenge ahead.”
CREW SUMMARIES
FORD PUMA RALLY1
#95 Jon Armstrong / Shane Byrne
Armstrong and Byrne made their first competitive appearance in Sardinia, aiming for a clean rally to end their debut Rally1 season on a positive note. Working from new pace notes on rough, demanding terrain that was unfamiliar to them, they delivered a clean drive with some good pace across the weekend.
While they were still adjusting to the conditions on Friday morning, they had to change a puncture on SS4, which dropped them to 16th overall before midday service. They returned with fresh focus in the afternoon, setting the fifth-fastest time on SS6 and the sixth-fastest on SS7. That smart, determined drive recovered positions, and they ended the day eighth.
Toyota's Takamoto Katsuta would move ahead of them in the overall standings after Saturday's opening stage, but the pair then held ninth for the rest of the morning and stayed out of trouble, reaching the end of the day drama free.
They gained a position after Neuville's accident and set the fifth-fastest time on SS12. McErlean's retirement later that day moved Armstrong up one more place, placing him seventh overall heading into the final day.
Another clean run through Sunday's brutal stages brought Armstrong home seventh overall, equalling his best WRC result in his debut Rally1 season. He enjoyed the Puma Rally1 for the last time and ended the year with a strong final impression, with clear sights now on future prospects.
Jon Armstrong, 7th overall, said: “So, Rally Sardegna is finished. It was my first time here, so I didn’t know what to expect, but on recce it was very challenging to understand how fast to drive, and then the roads were really rough when we got there.
“We just had a strategy to stay out of trouble and get to the finish of the rally, so that’s the goal achieved.
“It’s been really cool to be part of the last event with the Rally1 car. Overall, the season has had some highs, but a lot of lows. I think we can be happy with our potential, and hopefully we’ll be able to put the experience we’ve gained this year into improving again next year.
Overall, not too bad, and thanks to the team and all the sponsors for their dedication and efforts to help us achieve what we have this year.”
#22 Mārtiņš Sesks / Renārs Francis
Sesks returned to the team for the first time since Rally Finland, keen to be back on the rough gravel that caught him out on this event last year. The Latvian opened the weekend with times close to his teammates' but a puncture on SS4, as Armstrong also had suffered, left him 17th at midday service. Two seventh-fastest times in the afternoon brought him back to tenth overall at the end of the first full day, fighting back in style.
Sesks struggled to find a rhythm on Saturday. The conditions were brutal, and running near the front of the order meant heavy road-cleaning for him and co-driver Francis.
On the road section to SS11, after midday service, the Latvian crew detected a problem with the power steering. The crew and team agreed the car should return to service for a full inspection, which sadly meant retiring for the day.
They restarted on Sunday with a focus on enjoying their last stages in the Puma Rally1 on Sardinia's roads. They set the seventh-fastest time on the Power Stage, reached the finish, and ended their partial season with the team on a positive note, despite their struggles throughout the weekend.
Mārtiņš Sesks, 18th overall, said: “Two and a half years done. It’s been an incredible experience to be part of this, to be part of the elite of world rallying. We’ve had some really high highs and also some low points, but looking back at it, I think it’s been great for the future.
"We’ve already tested many things in the sport, so let’s see what next year brings and what the future brings. I just want to say thank you to everyone who’s been with us, and let’s see what happens.”
#55 Josh McErlean / Eoin Treacy
McErlean opened the weekend well with a clean drive on Thursday evening and throughout Friday. Fifth- and sixth-fastest times on SS3 and SS4 placed him seventh overall at midday service. He continued to drive consistently through the afternoon loop and held that position to the end of the day.
McErlean found Saturday morning's dusty conditions difficult, but he was still quicker than his teammates on the opening two stages. His confidence grew in the afternoon, and he gained a position on SS11 when Hyundai's Neuville dropped out of contention.
A small off-road moment on SS12 then had big consequences. The pair lost more than 50 seconds to the fastest stage time, and they had to stop on the following road section to assess damage to the radiator and cooling package. They reached the start of the next stage 14 minutes late, with the aim of getting back to service safely. However, a steering arm had been fractured on SS12 without the crew knowing, which failed on SS13 and caused further damage to the rear left of the car.
McErlean and Treacy made repairs and set off back to service, but a loss of water ended their day early.
The team remained focused on getting the pair to the finish to close their second season and final event in the Puma Rally1. Mechanics worked into the early hours, replacing the engine and several major components so the crew could restart on Sunday.
A measured drive through Sunday's stages allowed the pair to enjoy their last day in the Puma Rally1, before an emotional goodbye at the stop line. Grit and determination defined their final event in the car.
Josh McErlean, 22nd overall, said: “What a way to end the season. Watching that Power Stage from a fan perspective was quite incredible, seeing Elfyn and Scotty win the championship like that.
“But yeah, that’s what this sport brings. Our rally was going quite well until, unfortunately, we hit a tree on Saturday evening. The team did a terrific job to change the engine overnight, with not much time to spare.
“It’s been a rollercoaster of a year, so I’m really thankful to have been in Rally1 for two years now. Let’s see what the future holds, but there have been many great friends and memories made.”
