Codemasters enters Junior WRC Championship with Launch of Dirt Rally Team

EA and Codemasters are getting a little ahead of themselves in their quest to take over the WRC license and are putting a real DiRT Rally team on track in the WRC Junior championship to get a taste of what it’s all about and open doors in the category.

Codemasters® today brings DiRT to life with the launch of the ‘Codemasters DiRT Rally Team’. Comprising Jon Armstrong and co-driver Phil Hall, the duo will make their debut in the 2021 WRC Junior WRC Championship (Junior WRC) this April. The season starts in Croatia before heading to Portugal, Estonia, Belgium and Spain. Additional support comes from Thrustmaster and the Royal Air Force for the 2021 season.

The Junior WRC is widely regarded as one of the most hotly contested series on the rallying calendar. Open to drivers under the age of 30, competitors compete in identical Ford Fiesta Rally4 cars, all supplied by M-Sport Poland, allowing for a highly competitive but level playing field. The Junior WRC, which is contested at five venues across Europe, retains the WRC race weekend set-up and drivers face identical stages and routes.

Jon Armstrong, 26, turned professional in 2015 and has competed in the WRC at both Junior and WRC2 levels. As well as working full time at Codemasters as a rally expert, Jon is well known in the esports scene, having won the 2018 Esports WRC Championship. Co-driver, Phil Hall, is an RAF reservist and former rally driver with several years of experience at WRC and Junior WRC levels.

“We are excited about the launch of the Codemasters DiRT Rally Team, and have high hopes for Jon and Phil in the upcoming Junior WRC season,” said Ross Gowing, DiRT Rally game director at Codemasters. “Working alongside Jon, I know the skill, passion and dedication he brings. He will have the entire studio and the DiRT Rally community behind him.”

“I’m incredibly grateful to Codemasters for putting their trust in me, and I’m honored to be the driver for Codemasters’ DiRT Rally team,” said Jon Armstrong. “Due to the lockout, my partnership with Phil has developed through training with DiRT Rally 2.0. We can’t wait for the Junior WRC to start, and will be sharing our experiences with the community through a series of behind-the-scenes videos.”

See you on the track!