Last month, the pair were fighting for ERC3 honours at the Azores Rallye. A few weeks later, they were sharing a car during a test session in Widłak’s native Poland.
Armstrong’s Azores outing was a one-off in preparation for his FIA Junior WRC campaign, but his pace caught the attention of Widłak, who decided he could learn a thing or two.
“I met Jon at the Azores Rallye,” explained Widłak. “His speed was amazing. He sent me two onboards after the rally, and I decided that we need to get him in [the car] for a test.
“It was an amazing feeling to sit in the same car as him and learn all the details. He taught me a lot in the car, but the conversations on rally topics also helped me a lot.
“Jon opened my eyes to many things; the driving line, seeing the road, speed management and car management. My perception of rallies changed quite a lot during the two days of testing,” he added.
Widłak currently tops the ERC3 championship standings by 15 points from Kaspar Kasari, who took victory at round one.
The 30-year-old remains happy with his progress, and told FIAERC.com that he now feels more confident on asphalt - a surface he has not previously favoured.
“I think that we have started the season well,” he continued. “We are the class leaders - maybe it is not because of pure speed - but we have a good plan and we are implementing it.
“We want to fight for the highest goals, and Rally Islas Canarias is the first asphalt rally of this year’s ERC. I have always felt stronger on gravel, but now we are well-prepared after the tests with Jon.”
Lead image also by Banan Foto
Finland
Italy
Hungary