Armstrong was testing in the French Alps on Sunday ahead of next week’s WRC season opener. The Irishman’s pre-event tests for the Monte Carlo round suffered a minor setback when he slid his rally car off the road.
A tight right-hand corner proved too slippery and the Ford Puma Rally1 slid sideways into the ditch on the left. Armstrong was unable to get the car out of the ditch under its own power, and assistance had to be called to the scene.
Fortunately for Armstrong, the off happened at low speed and the car did not sustain any major damage. However, even a small off so early in the first tests is unlikely to do much good for confidence.
Armstrong enjoyed a strong season last year in the European Rally Championship. He won rounds in both Wales and Croatia, and also stood on the podium in Poland and the Czech Republic. In the final standings, the Irishman finished second, losing out by six points to Miko Marczyk, who did not score a single win but produced a consistent campaign.
Even so, Armstrong’s drive with M-Sport Ford came as a surprise to many. However, Motorsport Ireland decided to back Armstrong’s dream, as it has also done with Josh McErlean, who will begin his second full season in the top WRC category next week.
Rally Monte Carlo gets under way on Wednesday, 21 January. There will be a total of 17 special stages, covering approximately 340 kilometres.
Watch below as Armstrong puts the Ford Puma Rally1 car through its paces on the test stage.
