M-Sport Seeks Performance from Sesks’ WRC Extended Audition
M-Sport is eagerly anticipating Martins Sesks’ upcoming Rally Chile outing as they view it as an “extended audition” in the World Rally Championship. The Ford team is continuing to evaluate the young driver’s skills for potential future opportunities within the team.
Sesks, along with his co-driver Renars Francis, has impressed M-Sport with their performances in the Ford Puma Rally1. Their notable finishes of fifth and seventh in the Poland and Latvia rounds earlier this year have earned them a third outing in the powerful rally car.
The chance to pilot a non-hybrid powered Puma in Chile has been made possible thanks to additional support from the WRC Promoter, who assisted in funding Sesks’ last two Rally1 appearances. This opportunity in Chile will allow Sesks to showcase his talents on a different stage and further solidify his reputation as a rising star in the rally world.
During the recent Latvia rally, Sesks displayed his potential by securing maiden stage wins and challenging for a likely third-place finish before encountering a mechanical issue on the final stage. Despite this setback, his performance caught the attention of M-Sport, positioning him as a strong candidate for future drives with the team as they consider their options for 2025.
Richard Millener, the team principal of M-Sport, is eager to see how Sesks will fare in Chile, a rally that presents a new and unique challenge for the young driver. Millener expressed, “I think there is a lot of interest from a lot of parties about what he’s capable of. There’s a lot of discussion about Latvia, Poland being very similar events, home events and him knowing them well, can it be repeated in some way?”
The team is looking for Sesks to deliver another strong performance in Chile, with Millener emphasizing the importance of completing the rally without any issues or mistakes. While challenging for a podium may not be the primary goal, achieving a top-five finish would be considered a success. Millener acknowledges the difficulty of the Chile rally, describing it as fast and technical, potentially leading to a few accidents.
As Sesks prepares for the rally in Chile, he is aware of the challenges that lie ahead, particularly driving a non-hybrid Rally1 car on unfamiliar terrain. Despite the difficulties, Sesks views this as a great adventure and an opportunity to showcase his pace without the hybrid power. Drawing from his experiences in Poland and Latvia, he believes his understanding of the car will be beneficial in navigating the technical roads of Chile.
In addition to Sesks, Toyota is also offering a rare Rally1 outing to rising star Sami Pajari, who will be driving one of the GR Yaris cars in place of Takamoto Katsuta for the Chile rally weekend. This further highlights the trend of teams providing young talent with opportunities to showcase their skills on the world stage.
Overall, the upcoming Rally Chile event will serve as a crucial test for Sesks as he continues to prove his capabilities to M-Sport and the wider rally community. The outcome of this “extended audition” could potentially shape the trajectory of his career in the World Rally Championship.