- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,171,045
- Reaction score
- 59
Jon Armstrong says Rally Sweden is "the ultimate playground" as he prepares for his second World Rally Championship outing.
Armstrong made his debut with M-Sport in rallying's top tier at Rallye Monte Carlo in January, where he impressed before a late crash.
The event in Sweden is the only full snow rally on the 14-round WRC calendar and the 31-year-old says hi "looking forward" to the 18 stages, which start on Thursday and run until Sunday.
"I'm really looking forward to Rally Sweden," he said.
"It's the only full snow event on the calendar, so it's always the ultimate playground for driving a rally car."
Armstrong won the rally in a Junior WRC car in 2022 and hopes to replicate that performance on the fast snow-covered roads in the north of the country.
The Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver has been testing his Ford Puma and is looking forward to tackling the second rally of the year in Rally1 machinery.
"I haven't competed in Sweden since 2022, but I have great memories from the event - that was the year I won the Junior category.
"The stages have changed a bit since then, so there will be plenty of new notes to write during recce, but I'm really excited for the challenge ahead."
Armstrong's M-Sport team-mate Josh McErlean had a difficult opening round of the season in the French Alps after an accident on the opening stage and a second off on the final day.
McErlean and Armstrong, who both come from Northern Ireland, will be joined by Latvian Martins Sesks in a third M-Sport car for the rally.
The 26-year-old, who is in his second year in the WRC, says his focus is now on "bouncing back" in Sweden.
"Sweden is a rally I'm really looking forward to. The focus is now on bouncing back, keeping things consistent, and building momentum across the whole weekend.
"We showed a strong performance level here last year, and with the extra experience I've gained since then, the goal is to repeat that level and keep pushing forward. I'm focused and ready to get back to work with the team."
Continue reading...
Armstrong made his debut with M-Sport in rallying's top tier at Rallye Monte Carlo in January, where he impressed before a late crash.
The event in Sweden is the only full snow rally on the 14-round WRC calendar and the 31-year-old says hi "looking forward" to the 18 stages, which start on Thursday and run until Sunday.
"I'm really looking forward to Rally Sweden," he said.
"It's the only full snow event on the calendar, so it's always the ultimate playground for driving a rally car."
Armstrong won the rally in a Junior WRC car in 2022 and hopes to replicate that performance on the fast snow-covered roads in the north of the country.
The Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver has been testing his Ford Puma and is looking forward to tackling the second rally of the year in Rally1 machinery.
"I haven't competed in Sweden since 2022, but I have great memories from the event - that was the year I won the Junior category.
"The stages have changed a bit since then, so there will be plenty of new notes to write during recce, but I'm really excited for the challenge ahead."
Armstrong's M-Sport team-mate Josh McErlean had a difficult opening round of the season in the French Alps after an accident on the opening stage and a second off on the final day.
McErlean and Armstrong, who both come from Northern Ireland, will be joined by Latvian Martins Sesks in a third M-Sport car for the rally.
The 26-year-old, who is in his second year in the WRC, says his focus is now on "bouncing back" in Sweden.
"Sweden is a rally I'm really looking forward to. The focus is now on bouncing back, keeping things consistent, and building momentum across the whole weekend.
"We showed a strong performance level here last year, and with the extra experience I've gained since then, the goal is to repeat that level and keep pushing forward. I'm focused and ready to get back to work with the team."
You must be registered for see images
Continue reading...
