10/01/2026

Why M-Sport has faith in youth over experience WRC line-up

M-Sport favouring youth over experience when it comes to its World Rally Championship driver line-up is nothing new, having developed a reputation for being perennial producer of star talent.

The British squad has provided a valuable proving ground for WRC stars of the future, with many of those going on to win or challenge for world titles. Its most recent success alumni being Ott Tanak and Elfyn Evans, the former going on to become world champion with Toyota in 2019, while the latter is a five-time WRC title runner-up.

The production line has continued to produce with Adrien Fourmaux its latest star, who after a breakthrough 2024, left the squad to join Hyundai and challenged for outright wins in 2025.

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Developing drivers has been part of M-Sport’s ethos for generations, and as a privateer operating against the likes of full factory efforts from Toyota and Hyundai, where resources are plentiful, opting to develop talent rather than spend big on experience is often the best and most logical option.

This year, M-Sport has once again adopted a similar approach, offering full-time drives to Irish duo Josh McErlean and Rally1 rookie Jon Armstrong. On paper the duo is clearly the least experienced 2026 line-up when it comes to competing in rallying’s top tier, but M-Sport team principal Richard Millener is predicting his Motorsport Ireland-backed drivers will deliver an “exciting year” and challenge the WRC’s elite during the campaign.

“We’ve been working on it for a while in the background to try and find a way to be there [competing in WRC] again and know how hard it is for us to do that,» said Millener.

«It will be an exciting year. I’d like to go and try and take the fight to [the] Hyundai guys on some events, I think we can do that and prove a point visibly.

“Absolutely I think we can do it, Martins [Sesks] was leading a rally for us for two days in Saudi Arabia last year. Jon has won some rallies and been on Hayden’s [Paddon, Hyundai’s new signing] pace in rallies and things like that. So [I] don’t see why they [Josh and Jon] can’t be in a position where we can be taking it to them. I think that will be one of the goals that we look at this year.”

Millener’s viewpoint ahead of this month’s annual season opener in Monte Carlo is backed up by the recent performances delivered from his young charges. For McErlean, this season represents only his second campaign competing in Rallying’s top tier after impressing M-Sport in his rookie season 12 months ago.

Rich Millener, Team principal M-Sport Ford Rally

Photo by: M-Sport

The 26-year-old scored seven top 10 finishes in 2025, recording best results of seventh in Monte Carlo, Finland and Central Europe during a year where he quickly got to grips with the step up from Rally2 to Rally1. Having been able to match, and sometimes eclipse, the speed of his more experienced team-mate Gregoire Munster last year, it is anticipated that McErlean will take another step forward in 2026.

“It was always the intention to try and find a way to do two years with Josh. But I think he kind of exceeded our expectations so obviously that made the decision slightly easier,» Millener added.

“Now, it could be harder for him. He’s got experience of all the events, and he’s going to go back in and needs to kind of prove the same pace and a bit more. It’s not going to be the easiest challenge in the second year, but I think it’s one he’s ready for.

“I do think having a team-mate like Jon is actually a good thing for him. They’ll get on very well very quickly from the beginning so they can all work together, and I think Jon will help Josh in some rallies and likewise the opposite in the others. I’m quite happy with the way [it’s] lining up.”

Armstrong faces the biggest challenge of the two drivers with the notoriously challenging Monte Carlo roads marking his first competitive start in a Rally1 car.

However, the 31-year-old does have a wealth of valuable experience on his side having worked his way through the junior ranks in Rally3 and Rally2 machinery. Armstrong has twice finished runner-up in the Junior WRC. In 2021, he finished second to now Toyota factory star Sami Pajari – proving that he possesses the skill level to compete with the WRC’s best rising stars.

Jon Armstrong

Armstrong also heads into 2026 with his confidence high after finishing runner-up in the European Rally Championship, ending the 2025 season with a second in the Czech Republic, followed by two breakthrough outright wins in Wales and Croatia.

“A lot of us have known that Jon’s certainly got sheer pace. We’ve seen that in some of his results in a Rally3 car with M-Sport Poland and they were quite incredible, to be honest,” said Millener.

“We then put him into a Rally2 and the first year was difficult and I think expectations were higher than the realities, to learn the next car up and be on the pace. There was a bit of negativity around his performances towards the end of that year, but I pushed to make sure that we considered him for 2025 and we got a deal together to put him back in ERC, in the Rally2 car.

“The first part of the season wasn’t the best, maybe a bit tricky, maybe pushing a bit too hard, making a few silly small mistakes, which cost him. But then, all of a sudden, he managed to turn around and get a good couple of results, which then led to a couple of wins as well. As soon as he took that first win in Ceredigion, I think his whole mindset changed.

“I think he was a lot more relaxed and knew he could do it and instantly you’re away. I think he turned into a very different person at that point, which we’ve seen before when Adrien (Fourmaux) got his first podium in WRC.

«I think he’s another top student that has come through the M-Sport ranks and proven his way to the top. He’s earned his position to get to that.