Armstrong will debut new Fiesta Rally3 Evo at Spanish ERC round

Armstrong – twice a runner-up in the FIA Junior World Rally Championship – is set to take the controls of the fresh-faced supermini on Rally Islas Canarias, which commences on Friday.  

Looking ahead to the closed-road meeting, Armstrong says he is looking forward to the challenge, but conceded preparations have been overshadowed by the shock death of fellow Irishman Craig Breen last month. 

“I haven’t driven on Tarmac since Croatia Rally last year, but it is a surface I love to drive on,” said the 28-year-old, who will be navigated by Cameron Fair.

“It will be a difficult challenge after the last few weeks, but I will try to enjoy the rally and do our best pace.” 

To boost the competitiveness of a car that has already carried crews to overall victories, engineers have opted for shorter gearbox ratios to “enhance the powertrain’s torque delivery at lower speeds” and revised the front brake ducts to increase the volume of airflow for improved cooling. 

Specific dampers for Tarmac and gravel are also being rolled out as part of the upgrade package for greater precision and stability whilst also “enhancing the vehicle’s traction properties” in the wet and dry. 

Visually, the Ford Fiesta Rally3 Evo sports a reprofiled bonnet and front bumper as well as LED headlamps and taillights. Lighter and smaller wing mirrors that are less damage prone also feature.

The final key alteration comes at the rear of the car where a new roof-mounted rear wing that is common to its more powerful and faster Rally2 sibling is present. Yielding “aerodynamic performance improvements”, the reshaped component also gives it a “sleek yet aggressive appearance”. 

Maciej Woda – the Managing Director at M-Sport Poland – said: “The Rally3 category is a very important category, not just for M-Sport Poland, but for the entire sport. We have had extremely positive feedback from customers around the world about the Fiesta Rally3 since its launch. 

“Some of the results have been truly impressive, too, with the car taking overall event victories and fighting at the sharp end of some very competitive national championships.”

He added: “The intention is that the Ford Fiesta Rally3 Evo helps our customers when they are fighting for their championships. This year we will face competition in the Rally3 category from another manufacturer in Renault Sport which we are all very much looking forward to.”