That said, the partnership that took us from European asphalt and gravel all the way to the sharp end of the World Rally Championship is officially over. M-Sport Ford pair Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne confirmed the decision in separate statements on Thursday, 22 October, choosing to call time on their pairing after contesting all 13 rounds of the 2026 season aboard a Ford Puma Rally1.
Looking back, their trajectory was a wild ride. The duo joined forces for the 2025 FIA European Rally Championship, immediately stamping their authority on the stages by winning Rali Ceredigion and Croatia Rally in a Ford Fiesta Rally2. That brilliant campaign secured them second in the final standings and punched their ticket to the WRC's top category with M-Sport Ford for this year.
Their lone season in the premier Rally1 class brought real flashes of brilliance. Most notably, they grabbed a breakthrough stage victory at the EKO Acropolis Rally Greece, proving Armstrong could mix it with the established frontrunners of the championship. They ultimately wrapped up the campaign with a seventh overall finish at Rally Italia Sardegna, standing proud as the highest-placed M-Sport Ford crew.
Both competitors emphasized that the parting of ways was completely mutual. Armstrong noted that while the choice was difficult, the timing was right to pursue different plans and new challenges for the 2027 rally season, while also thanking Byrne for his hard work and commitment across their two years together.
Byrne echoed those sentiments, reflecting fondly on a progression that carried them from European success to the world stage, while thanking the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy and M-Sport for helping develop his career. As for what comes next? Neither statement named Armstrong’s upcoming co-driver or detailed exact competition plans for either driver in 2027.
