WRC
Why Rally Sweden is the ultimate playground for rally drivers
Rally Sweden’s extreme high-speed stages offer the “ultimate playground” for a rally driver, according to M-Sport-Ford’s latest Rally1 recruit Jon Armstrong.
Next week’s blast through the snow and ice covered roads around Umeå play host to the second round of the FIA World Rally Championship season. Being the only dedicated snow rally, the challenge is unique with crews tackling ultra-fast snowbank-lined roads at incredible speeds thanks to Hankook’s studded snow tyre. Despite the challenging conditions, the rally is regularly one of the fastest of the year.
It is this unique blend of variables that Armstrong believes makes this rally a favourite of the drivers. Rally Sweden is one of the few WRC events that the Northern Irishman has previously experienced, albeit when competing in Junior WRC in 2022 and 2020. This year however he will receive the full Rally Sweden experience behind the wheel of a Rally1 car.
“It's going to be a different ball game for sure and I've been watching some of the onboard videos and the cars just seem mega in that sort of environment," said Armstrong.
“I think that is the ultimate playground for a rally driver because you can push the envelope in every corner with the grip you get from the studs, and also if the snow banks are big and solid, you've got those as sort of safety barriers. It is a bit like putting the bumpers up in ten-pin bowling.
“It's obviously not that straightforward. There’s different types of snowbanks and you have to gauge it and you just use them a wee bit here and there if you can. It's a unique event and to do it in a Rally1 is amazing because not many people are going to get that opportunity. We're gonna try to enjoy it.”
Armstrong's Monte-Carlo debut turned heads
© WRC
Stepping up to Rally1 on the snow and ice will be a challenge but Armstrong has previously been successful in Sweden, winning the Junior WRC class in 2022 in what he labels as the most satisfying battle of his career. Armstrong was locked in a rally-long fight with Finland’s Lauri Joona that saw the lead change hands on the final day, before the former took the victory by 2.7sec.
It's a bit like putting the bumpers up in ten-pin bowling.
“I went there not really expecting too, too much, but our pace was quite okay and a couple of the others had issues. I think Robert Virves went off the road and then Sami Pajari had an issue, and then we had a massive battle with Lauri Joona and then ended up winning.
“It was nip and tuck and we ended up winning by like two or three seconds. I saw he finished second to Esapekka Lappi in the Arctic Rally last week so he's a driver with good credentials.
“So that was maybe my most satisfying battle. It was just so tight, the whole rally and then, you're flat-out on Sunday, just trying to beat him and we managed to do it, it was definitely one of the most satisfying victories that I got.”
Armstrong heads to Sweden after delivering a head-turning Rally1 debut in Monte Carlo last month. The M-Sport driver ran as high as third after the first two stages and held an impressive sixth through some of the toughest Monte Carlo conditions in recent memory, until a mistake on the final day prompted an early retirement.
“The first night was mega and after stage two we were third overall and even getting to go immediately up to do Meet the Crews with Becs [Williams] on your first night was quite surreal,” he added.
The Northern Irishman has fond memories of Rally Sweden's 2023 edition
© WRC
“Okay, maybe the tide turned then, we got the nominal time for stage three, which I think could have been, let's say, nicer towards us. It dropped us down quite a lot and then I think from that point I was having more of a cautious approach just to try and get the miles under our belt. Our pace wasn't really as quick for the rest of the rally, but we had some really good splits and some good performance across sectors on the stages.
“We were still showing what we could do. I always had the feeling I could do more, but then you risk going off the road and it's a bit ironic that happened in the end. I didn't really feel like it was a crazy performance, but I think that kind of comes from the fact I know the rhythm didn't feel quite where I wanted it to be, coming from like the rhythm I had on the Tarmac with the Rally2 car.
"I just feel like there's definitely more to unlock once I sort of get more comfortable with the car and everything. But I think it's nice that it has been still seen as a positive performance and Rich [Millener, M-Sport team principal] and everyone around us could see that, and I've got so much support from fans and people around me. From that side, it's great. I think deep down in myself, I know I can do better.
