Martins Sesks says he has “zero thought” the place his future lies within the World Rally Championship after impressing in three Rally1 outings this 12 months.
The 2023 European Rally Championship runner-up has outlined his rising star standing following a trio of head-turning appearances in rallying’s prime tier due to a programme with M-Sport-Ford, partially funded by the WRC Promoter.
Sesks’ fame as a future expertise has been enhanced by ending fifth in Poland on debut earlier than scoring maiden stage wins in Latvia on his option to a possible third-place end earlier than a mechanical challenge struck his Puma on the ultimate stage.
Final weekend the 25-year-old earned a 3rd Rally1 outing, piloting a non-hybrid powered Ford Puma, at Rally Chile, an occasion Sesks had by no means beforehand contested.
The rally offered a steep but beneficial studying curve after struggling a double puncture in stage two. With just one spare wheel at their disposal, Sesks and co-driver Renars Francis had been pressured to retire.
The pair did get pleasure from a clear run by means of Saturday and Sunday’s phases, regardless of a sudden rear wing failure on the penultimate stage, to log essential Rally1 kilometres.
“I feel in case you had instructed me I might be driving a Rally1 automotive on three events this 12 months I wouldn’t have believed you,” stated Sesks.
Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Group Ford Puma Rally1
Picture by: M-Sport
“Coming to South America for the primary time and driving a Rally1 automotive has been superb. It was actually difficult the primary two events went fairly easily I might say from a driving perspective however this was an actual problem and there was a variety of studying.
“I feel we have now discovered loads for the longer term and now we all know the way to strategy WRC rallies the place we don’t know the roads.”
Sesks’ three outings have impressed administration at M-Sport which is but to verify its driver line-up for subsequent 12 months. M-Sport’s lead driver Adrien Fourmaux is on the centre of the WRC foolish season having been linked with a transfer away from the Ford squad to Hyundai.
When requested about his future in within the WRC, Sesks stated: “I’ve zero thought really. Now we have achieved this rally and I don’t know what will occur subsequent. We’re able to take each alternative. It relies upon how, when and what we will do sooner or later.”
M-Sport crew principal Richard Millener, who was eager to see how Sesks would cope on unfamiliar roads, felt the rookie did a “nice job” within the circumstances.
“For Martins and Renars, I suppose it wasn’t fairly what they’d hoped for,” stated Millener. “A small mistake with huge penalties on Friday, and a troublesome final stage with no rear spoiler, however I feel they nonetheless did an excellent job and bought an perception into the expertise that they should be taught to get to the highest of the WRC – one of many key causes to deliver them right here.”