Concepción, Chile, September 4, 2026: M-Sport Ford World Rally Team is preparing for the second half of the FIA World Rally Championship’s South American double-header as its crews head to Rally Chile, following a demanding Rally del Paraguay.

The team will field two Ford Puma Rally1 cars for Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy and Jon Armstrong/Shane Byrne, while Romet Jürgenson and Siim Oja will compete in a Ford Fiesta Rally2 in the RC2 category.

Based in Concepción, Rally Chile will feature 16 gravel stages covering 311.18 km of competitive distance, with the event’s total route extending to 1,175.01 km.

M-Sport Ford targets strong Rally Chile result

After a challenging but encouraging Rally del Paraguay, M-Sport Ford is looking to carry the positive momentum into Chile. The team highlighted the pace shown by all three crews in Paraguay, despite the demanding conditions and short turnaround between the two events.

Rally Chile will present a different challenge, with crews facing sweeping gravel roads, twisting forest stages and potentially changeable weather conditions.

The event makes its fifth appearance in the WRC, with varying road and weather conditions expected to play an important role throughout the weekend.

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Principal Richard Millener said the team was able to take several positives from Paraguay despite the difficulties.

“Paraguay was a big challenge for the team, the crews, and the entire service park, but we have some really big positives to take from that rally as we now head over to Chile.”

Millener added that M-Sport’s previous experience of Rally Chile will help the team support its drivers, particularly those making their debut on the event.

“Now in its fifth edition, we have a lot of knowledge about this rally that we can use to support Jon and Romet.”

He also praised the team’s efforts to prepare the cars for the back-to-back events.

“The team have worked hard to re-prep the cars this week in Paraguay, before beginning the journey over to Chile.”

Josh McErlean returns to Rally Chile

Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy will once again take the wheel of the #55 Ford Puma Rally1 after securing sixth place in the WRC classification at Rally del Paraguay.

McErlean currently sits ninth in the WRC championship standings and will be making his second Rally Chile start after finishing 37th in the 2025 event following a Super Rally return.

The Irish driver showed strong pace in Paraguay, including running in podium contention on Friday, and will be aiming to build on that performance in Chile.

McErlean said he enjoys the nature of the Chilean stages and believes the event offers an opportunity to continue progressing.

“After a solid run in Paraguay, we’ll head to Chile looking to push on and keep building from there.”

Friday’s stages will provide an additional challenge this year, with the route being run in reverse, making preparation during reconnaissance particularly important.

“Friday will be a little different this year with the stages running in reverse, so that will bring a fresh challenge and make the recce really important.”

Jon Armstrong prepares for Rally Chile debut

M-Sport’s second Ford Puma Rally1 will be driven by Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne.

Armstrong, who currently occupies 13th position in the WRC standings, will make his first Rally Chile appearance after his South American campaign began at Rally del Paraguay.

The Irish driver retired on Sunday in Paraguay and will be looking to bounce back in Chile.

Armstrong expects the gravel roads in Chile to offer a significantly different driving experience compared with Paraguay.

“It’s going to be quite different to what we experienced in Paraguay.”

He described the Chilean roads as more traditional gravel, with a firmer and more compact base that should allow crews to approach the stages differently.

Road position could also be a key factor, with Armstrong highlighting the potential impact of road cleaning on Friday.

“Road cleaning can also be quite significant in Chile, so hopefully we can make the most of our road position on Friday, find a good rhythm early on and carry that through the rest of the weekend.”

Armstrong will be targeting a strong recovery after his difficult Paraguay outing.

Romet Jürgenson continues WRC2 campaign

In the RC2 category, Romet Jürgenson and Siim Oja will compete in the #29 Ford Fiesta Rally2.

Jürgenson is also making his Rally Chile debut after retiring from Rally del Paraguay on Sunday. He currently sits 22nd in the WRC2 standings.

The Estonian driver believes the Chilean stages could suit his driving style, with the roads expected to be faster and more abrasive than those encountered in Paraguay.

“Chile is going to be another very different event for us. There are some fast roads there, a bit more abrasive compared to Paraguay, but I think it should suit my style.”

Following a difficult Paraguay event, Jürgenson is focused on regaining his rhythm and ending the South American campaign on a positive note.

“After a very up and down Paraguay, I think it’s important to get into the rhythm again and finish our season on a positive note.”

Rally Chile 2026: Key event details

Rally Chile will be contested entirely on gravel, with Concepción serving as the event base.

With the crews moving directly from Paraguay to Chile, M-Sport Ford faces a demanding logistical and sporting challenge. However, the team believes the experience gained in Paraguay and its knowledge of Rally Chile can provide a strong foundation for the second event of the South American double-header.

M-Sport Ford Rally Chile 2026 line-up

Ford Puma Rally1

• #55 Josh McErlean / Eoin Treacy
• #95 Jon Armstrong / Shane Byrne

Ford Fiesta Rally2

• #29 Romet Jürgenson / Siim Oja

The focus now turns to the fast and flowing gravel stages around Concepción, where changing weather, road conditions and road position could prove decisive in determining the Rally Chile results.