M-Sport Ford has unveiled the final development stage of its Ford Puma Rally1, the car slated to compete in the 2026 WRC season. The British team has traded in last year’s purple and Red Bull-branded design for a bold new white, green, and blue color scheme.
Irish Talent Takes the Wheel
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The color change signals more than just a fresh look; it reflects a strengthened partnership with Motorsport Ireland and its Rally Academy, resulting in an all-Irish driver pairing for 2026: Josh McErlean and Jon Armstrong.
McErlean, 26, is entering his second season with M-Sport, building on a promising rookie campaign after being promoted from WRC2. He’ll be joined by 31-year-old Northern Irishman Jon Armstrong, who earned his Rally1 seat after finishing as the runner-up in the 2025 European Rally Championship, with victories in Wales and Croatia.
M-Sport is competing this year with two drivers from Northern Ireland
Photo: M-Sport
Focus on Balance and Reliability
Behind the scenes, M-Sport’s winter development program concentrated on refining the Puma Rally1’s vehicle geometry and weight distribution. According to team insiders, the goal isn’t to exhaust every possible upgrade option, but rather to strategically optimize the car’s handling.
“We have a manageable plan, but we probably won’t pull all of our homologation jokers,” explained Tim Jackson, lead engineer at Puma Rally1, at the end of last season.
“However, there are a few things in the area of geometry that should allow us to do some work on the weight distribution to further optimize the balance. Some of the points we have worked on are not directly performance issues.”
A key area of focus has been brake cooling, a component not subject to homologation restrictions. “Brake cooling is not a classic performance factor, but when it works, you can get the most out of your brake package. This ensures that performance remains stable over the entire length of a test,” Jackson said.
“If you can improve things on the car so that the driver can constantly push at 100 percent, then you have effectively gained performance. But towards the end of a car’s lifespan, any further development becomes increasingly more complex and brings less return.”
Testing and Preparation for Monte Carlo
The team completed a successful pre-season test in the south of France last week, gearing up for the WRC season opener in Monte Carlo next week. “Our test went really well,” Jackson reported. “Our driver duo is known to be very young.”
“Jon is new to the team, so the main focus was on him settling in, racking up the kilometers and building up confidence, which he can then put into practice in the rally. We’re going into the start with realistic expectations.”
“The Monte Carlo is a rally where with a consistently solid performance over the weekend you can end up near the front. Let the others push and make mistakes while we build our rhythm step by step.”
- M-Sport Ford has revealed a new white, green, and blue livery for its 2026 Puma Rally1.
- The team will field an all-Irish driver lineup consisting of Josh McErlean and Jon Armstrong.
- Development efforts have centered on improving vehicle balance and brake cooling.
- Pre-season testing in France has been completed ahead of the Monte Carlo rally.
