M-Sport Ford revealed the final version of its current Ford Puma Rally1 car for the 2026 World Rally Championship, featuring a new white, green, and blue livery.

 

This livery change is partly due to an expanded collaboration with Motorsport Ireland, leading to an all-Irish driver line-up for 2026 with Joshua McErlean and Jon Armstrong.

 

McErlean will begin his second season with M-Sport, while Armstrong joins the Rally1 squad after finishing runner-up in the European Rally Championship in 2025. M-Sport focused its off-season development on geometry and weight balance for the Puma.

 

Lead engineer Tim Jackson noted that while not all homologation jokers would be used, efforts were made to improve geometry and weight balance, and brake cooling was also a development focus.

 

Jackson explained that improved brake cooling allows drivers to maintain performance throughout stages. The team completed pre-season testing in the south of France, and Jackson expressed realistic expectations for the upcoming Monte Carlo rally, aiming for consistent performance.