As Jon Armstrong guided his M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3 onto the finish ramp in Italy late last month, the climb to the ceremonial end point was an appropriate sign to mark the upward trajectory of his career.
Effectively, Armstrong only had to start the Rally di Roma Capitale round to claim the ERC3 title. But, true to his victorious form, he dominated the stages to collect his fifth victory of the season and lock away the silverware with two rounds remaining. It capped a perfect year.
It was a huge achievement of a career that stretches back over a decade, and the Northern Irishman hopes that it will be another building block to help him return to the WRC service park.
The 28-year-old has big ambitions, and first among them is to put together a deal to step up to the top division of the European Rally Championship in 2024 and test his mettle yet again.
The sim racing champion has lofty targets but has a proven track record. Should the right breaks come his way, this could only be the start of the story.
We are grateful for Armstrong’s time as he put his video game controller down for long enough to tackle the MN posers. Read on to find out more…
Question: Was it a given that you were going to take to the stages yourself at some point?
Damien Doherty
Via email
Jon Armstrong: “I think it probably was a given because my dad, Jackie, did clubman-level navigating with his friends. He didn’t really take things too far, but he did a little bit here and there. He was also a mechanic on lorries as a day job, but on the weekend he would go and wield his spanners in the service park.
“I would go along and be in the service park too and probably get in the way a bit. It was an opportunity for me to get into the car and sit inside. You smell the fumes. Whenever you get into a rally car there is a distinct smell and that was something I wanted all the time.”
MN: Do you remember going to your first rally or was it just something that was just in your life all of the time?
“I was just always there. I have a memory of going to watch a local rally in which my dad was competing. I remember being back home – because we lived so close – and mum got a call to say that dad had had a bit of a roll over.
