Martins Sesks is all set to make his top-flight World Rally Championship debut now the covers have come off the non-hybrid powered Ford Puma Rally1 car he will pilot.
The Latvian driver, who finished runner-up in the 2023 European Rally Championship, will make his Rally1 debut on Poland’s gravel roads in next week's seventh round of the WRC.
The event is part of a two-round deal that includes Sesks’ home round in Latvia (18-21 July), which has been made possible thanks to a collaboration between the driver, M-Sport and the WRC Promoter.
As part of the arrangement, Sesks will give a non-hybrid powered Ford Puma Rally1 car its first WRC outing to aid the crew's transition to the full hybrid version of the car in Latvia.
The FIA passed regulations this year which allows teams to field Rally1 cars without hybrid units, instead adding ballast to compensate for the weight of the plug-in hybrid system.
Sesks jumped behind the wheel of the Puma for a test day in Estonia earlier this week to aid preparations for Poland.
"I’m really excited to be back competing in Poland," said the 24-year-old.
"We have some great memories here, especially after winning the ERC round last year. For sure this year is a completely different game, this will be our first event in a Rally1 car.
"The testing we did last week was something incredible, and a completely different experience to anything I’ve done before!
"The car reacts so quickly, and how fast it goes round corners is just so unique and indescribable to anyone who hasn’t driven the car.
"It will be a big challenge to get up to speed, but this is the goal for Poland.
"We will be driving non-hybrid to get use to the aerodynamics of the car, get to know the team and to get more and more ready to be in good shape for Latvia.
"The goal is to get the mileage, finish the rally and learn as much as we can.
"The thought and the feeling with this kind of Latvian red-inspired livery was to show how grateful we are for everything that the country has done for us."
His addition to the Rally Poland entry list will see M-Sport field three Ford Pumas, with Sesks joining regulars Adrien Fourmaux and Gregoire Munster. The Pumas will be up against three car entries from Toyota and Hyundai.
Watch: How Would Rally Drivers Tackle the Nürburgring Nordschleife?
