Motorsport Ireland Academy duo Josh McErlean and Jon Armstrong will drive for M-Sport in the World Rally Championship in 2026.

McErlean, 26, will get behind a wheel for a Ford Puma Rally1 and will be co-driven by Eoin Treacy after his debut campaign last year.

Two-time Junior WRC runner-up Armstrong will join McErlean in an all-Northern Ireland line-up for M-Sport as he makes his debut in the top tier of rallying.

The 31-year-old challenged for the European Rally Championship title last year and will be joined by co-driver Shane Byrne.

The 2026 World Rally Championship gets underway at the iconic Rally Monte Carlo from 22-25 January, with 13 more rounds on the calendar before the final round in Saudi Arabia in November.

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Richard Millener, M-Sport’s team principal, said Armstrong’s form in the ERC last season, when he had two victories and two more podiums in the final five rounds, was “impossible to ignore”.

“It’s very exciting to see Jon and Shane get the opportunity to make the step-up to Rally1 machinery with us. I’m genuinely eager to see how they progress throughout 2026,” he said.

“Jon’s been working towards this opportunity for a long time now, and his strong ERC performances at the end of last season made it impossible to ignore him.”

Armstrong said he was “very grateful” to drive a Rally1 car and reaching the pinnacle of the sport was a “dream come true”.

“There have been years where things didn’t go our way and we weren’t sure if it would ever happen, but we’ve had a very strong season in ERC, showed our potential, and naturally you then want to see what you can do in the World Rally Championship.

“I’m very happy and extremely grateful to M-Sport, who I’ve been driving with for most of my rally career, and also to the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy – without them we definitely wouldn’t be here. We’re really looking forward to the year ahead.”

Second season ‘means everything’

McErlean said securing a second season with M-Sport “means everything” after a solid rookie campaign.

After a late deal to drive in the WRC, McErlean finished seventh on his debut in Monte Carlo and equalled that result in Finland and the Central European Rally.

“I’m incredibly grateful to M-Sport and the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy for continuing to believe in me and giving me the chance to build properly,” McErlean said.

“To have another season at this level means a lot. I’m in a completely different place mentally compared to this time last year, stronger, clearer, and ready to enjoy the challenge ahead.

“2025 was all about learning, learning the car, the championship, the rhythm of Rally1, and what it really takes, mentally and physically, to operate at this level week in, week out.

“We made real progress across the season, and I could feel things starting to click more and more as the year went on.”

Millener said McErlean’s progression in his first season was “very clear to see”.

“It’s great to be able to give them the opportunity to continue this upward trajectory.

“Away from the events, they have both become much-valued members of the team and I’m really looking forward to working with them again.”