M-SPORT RALLY PARAGUAY: FORD CREWS HEAD TO SOUTH AMERICAN DOUBLE-HEADER
M-SPORT FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM PREPARES FOR RALLY DEL PARAGUAY AND RALLY CHILE
M-Sport Ford World Rally Team is preparing for a demanding South American double-header, beginning with Rally del Paraguay from 27-30 August before travelling to Rally Chile.
The Paraguay round is the 11th of 14 rounds in the championship and will be based in Encarnación. The event features 22 gravel stages covering 358.88 kilometres of competitive distance.
RALLY DEL PARAGUAY RETURNS FOR ITS SECOND EDITION
Rally del Paraguay returns to the championship after making its debut in 2025. The 2026 event will begin with Wednesday evening's opening celebrations before crews tackle a combination of red-earth, soft gravel and technical sections.
Weather and changing road conditions are expected to be important factors. Sudden rain showers can alter the surface, while changing temperatures, dust and visibility will require crews to adapt throughout the event.
MCRELEAN RETURNS AFTER 2025 PARAGUAY EXPERIENCE
Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy return to Paraguay after competing in the event's first edition last year.
The Irish crew reached seventh overall during the opening day in 2025 before retiring after a mechanical issue on Saturday. Their previous experience of the stages provides an opportunity to build on their understanding of the event.
ARMSTRONG AND BYRNE SET FOR SOUTH AMERICAN DEBUT
Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne will make their competitive debut on the South American continent in Paraguay.
The pair enter the event after showing gravel pace in Estonia and Finland, while their first Rally del Paraguay represents another new challenge during their maiden Rally1 season.
JÜRGENSON AND OJA BEGIN PARAGUAY AND CHILE DEBUTS
Romet Jürgenson and Siim Oja will also make their Paraguay and Chile debuts in the Ford Fiesta Rally2.
The Estonian pairing arrives after finishing fifth in WRC2 at Rally Finland and will look to continue making progress with the Rally2 car during the upcoming South American events.
RALLY DEL PARAGUAY KEY STATS
• Event: Rally del Paraguay
• Round: 11/14
• Date: 27-30 August 2026
• Surface: Gravel
• Base: Encarnación
• Stages: 22
• Competitive Distance: 358.88 km
• Total Distance: 937.76 km
M-SPORT RALLY PARAGUAY: KEY POINTS
• M-Sport Ford World Rally Team heads to South America for a Paraguay-Chile double-header.
• Rally del Paraguay returns for its second championship edition.
• Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy return after competing in Paraguay in 2025.
• Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne will make their competitive South American debut.
• Romet Jürgenson and Siim Oja will make their Paraguay and Chile debuts in the Ford Fiesta Rally2.
• Rally del Paraguay features 22 gravel stages and 358.88 kilometres of competition.
• Rain, dust, changing temperatures and evolving gravel conditions will make adaptability important.
Richard Millener, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Principal, said: “We have an exciting few weeks ahead of us, starting with Rally del Paraguay next week. This event impressed us all last year on its debut, and I’m sure it won’t fail to impress us again with another stunning opening ceremony and some really interesting competitive stages.
“Josh has some solid experience from last year which will bring him a lot of benefit, and Jon and Romet have studied the stages a lot to prepare. As a team, I think we can bring together a lot of knowledge to deliver some strong performances in Paraguay and Chile.
“The next few weeks will demand a lot from everyone, crews and team members alike, but it's such a pleasure to compete on these back-to-back events in South America. Let’s see what adventures await us.”
CREW LINE-UP
FORD PUMA RALLY1
#55 / Josh McErlean & Eoin Treacy
Rally Paraguay 2025 result: 29th WRC (SR)
Rally Finland 2026 result: 7th WRC
Current championship position: 10th WRC
Josh McErlean said: “Heading back to Paraguay gives us a good opportunity to build on everything we learned there last year. Having that experience and a better understanding of the stages and conditions should put us in a stronger position from the start.“Finland was a positive weekend for us, and we want to carry that momentum into South America. We’re into the final part of the season now, so the focus is on continuing our progress and finishing the year strongly.”
#95 / Jon Armstrong & Shane Byrne
Armstrong will make his first appearance at Rally del Paraguay
Rally Finland 2026 result: 46th WRC (SR)
Current championship position: 13th WRC
Jon Armstrong said: “I’m looking forward to the challenge of rallying in a new continent once again. Having never been to South America, it will be amazing to sample the roads for the first time. We’re looking to take a more steady approach with the upcoming events, whilst using our road position to our advantage. It’s nice to be coming back to WRC off the back of a victory at the Grampian Rally - which is a real confidence boost - and we’ll continue to work on our progress as we return to the Puma Rally1 for the remainder of the year.”
FORD FIESTA RALLY2
#39 / Romet Jürgenson & Siim Oja
Jürgenson will make his first appearance at Rally del Paraguay
Rally Finland 2026 result: 5th WRC2
Current championship position: 21st WRC2
Romet Jürgenson said: “Paraguay is going to be something new for me again, and it’ll be the first time ever going to South America as well, so there is a lot to discover. But from what I remember watching from home last year, it looked like a very nice rally with a great atmosphere, and I think as an overall experience it's going to be something very unique.
“We have had a bit of time to prepare and understand what is needed for this kind of event, and I think it's important to get the knowledge from this rally to allow us to hopefully compete at the top level of the sport some day.”
Comments