ERC
Armstrong holds off Jürgenson in M-Sport 1-2 at ERC Ceredigion
Jon Armstrong heads M-Sport-Ford team-mate Romet Jürgenson by only 0.2sec at JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion, the penultimate round of the 2025 FIA European Rally Championship.
The M-Sport-Ford World Rally Team duo have been locked in a thrilling battle across the morning’s three tricky asphalt stages as the Ford Fiesta Rally2 duo began to pull away from the chasing pack. It is the first time Armstrong has led an ERC event.
Championship leader Miko Marczyk ended the loop in style as the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 driver managed to end the Ford dominance by winning stage four to climb to third, 11.4sec adrift.
Marcyzyk’s nearest title rival Andrea Mabellini managed to recover to 11th after being hit with a two-minute penalty before the start of the rally.
The loop began with Armstrong setting the pace through SS2 Cwm Elan as the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver pipped his Pirelli-equipped team-mate Jürgenson by 0.6sec to move 0.3sec in front of overnight leader Marczyk in the overall classification.
Jürgenson claimed his maiden ERC stage win
© ERC
Jürgenson then chalked up his maiden ERC stage win by topping the times on SS3 Y Diafol, which proved to be the most challenging stage of the loop that caught out many drivers. Jürgenson was 1.7sec faster than Armstrong, who was fortunate not to drop too much time following a half spin into a gate post after getting out of shape through an increasingly muddy right-hand turn.
Armstrong couldn’t match the pace of Marczyk, ending the stage, 4.1sec slower than championship leader.
“It is all okay and we were quite lucky. In the last stage there were two pheasants and I had a spin into the gate and we got away with it luckily,” said Armstrong. “This stage [SS4] is very fast but if we are faster than Andrea [Mabellini], then it is not so bad.”
Meanwhile, Jürgenson admitted he was surprised by his pace particularly in the last stage of the loop.
“A bit [surprised] but I had a smooth run but not a maximum push, so that is positive,” said Jürgenson.
Marczyk hauled himself up to third after winning SS4
© ERC
After setting fifth and fourth fastest times in the opening two stages respectively, Marczyk excelled in the high speed SS4 to overhaul Probite British Rally Championship leader William Creighton, and demote the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 driver to fourth [+14.8sec].
Callum Devine ended SS4 in fifth overall [+25.9sec] although the MRF-equipped driver was forced to quickly put out a fire that erupted from the engine of his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 at the the stage end.
Philip Allen headed to service in sixth, ahead of two-time Rali Ceredigion winner Osian Pryce, who battled a power issue in SS4. Jakub Matulka, Callum Black and Eamonn Kelly rounded out the top 10, with Mabellini 7.8sec away from the top 10.
Max McRae’s rally came unstuck in SS3 when he understeered off the road on the mud-coated right-hand corner 31.9 kilometres into the 33.86km Y Diafol run and got stuck in a ditch. Spectators did however eventually help McRae recover to reach SS4, but he is more than an hour behind.
Meirion Evans survived a high speed crash, 0.5km from the start of SS3 but was able to continue, albeit with brake and suspension damage to their GR Yaris Rally2 following the contact. Garry Pearson wasn’t as fortunate, as a spin and contact with a gate in the stage resulted in an early retirement from 10th spot.
Kelly heads the ERC3 order ahead of Hubert Kowalczyk by 1m39.5sec. There was drama when championship leader Tymek Abramowski stopped 24.2 kilometres into SS3. Rising Welsh star Ioan Lloyd holds first place in ERC4.
Crews will complete a second pass through the stages this afternoon, followed by another blast through the 1.25 kilometre Aberystwyth super special to complete Saturday’s action.
