Martins Sesks will rejoin the World Rally Championship’s top tier after securing a deal to contest Rally Chile next month.
The 24-year-old Latvian made his Rally1 debut earlier this year courtesy of a two-round programme funded by the WRC Promoter and his personal sponsors to compete in Poland (June) and Latvia (July).
Sesks and co-driver Renars Francis turned heads in those two gravel rallies, finishing fifth driving a non-hybrid-powered M-Sport Ford Puma in Poland in June. The duo then challenged for a podium on home soil chalking up two stage wins, including a maiden fastest time, piloting a Puma Rally1 hybrid. However, a mechanical issue on the final stage dropped Sesks from third to seventh overall.
The impressive performances left Sesks and M-Sport keen for further collaboration, which has now resulted in a deal for Rally Chile from 26-29 September, assisted by further support from the WRC Promoter.
Last year’s European Rally Championship runner-up will once again pilot a non-hybrid version of the Puma in Chile, which will present an all-new set of stages for Sesks to tackle.
“We are very grateful for the opportunity to drive a Rally1 car again, just two months after our previous rally,” said Sesks.
“It’s been an incredible adventure so far, and the experience of driving keeps getting better. Competing in Chile in a Rally1 car is truly amazing, so I'd like to give a big thank you to the WRC Promoter and M-Sport for their support and cooperation.
“Of course, it will be quite a challenge, especially starting with a non-hybrid Rally1 car in a rally like this, on slower gravel and at high altitude, which is tough on both the car and the driver. It will be demanding, but we love challenges. Once again, we’ll be the underdogs, driving a rally we don’t know with a non-hybrid car.
"But I believe we are ready, and everyone is motivated to give our best performance, taking on another great adventure this year with M-Sport. We’re looking forward to it.”
WRC Promoter’s Senior Director of Sport Peter Thul added: “Martins has already shown remarkable speed and determination in Poland and Latvia, and we believe his future in the WRC is exceptionally bright. Supporting the next generation is crucial for the continued growth and excitement of the WRC, and our commitment to nurturing young talent remains stronger than ever.”
M-Sport were victorious in Chile last year when Ott Tanak scored the second of two wins for the Puma Rally1 hybrid in 2023.
After exploring options to put Sesks back in a Puma after July’s outing in Latvia, team principal Richard Millener is pleased to add the driver to the team’s regular line-up of Adrien Fourmaux and Gregoire Munster for the trip to Chile.
"Martins made a strong impression in his previous two events with us, so it's a pleasure to welcome him back to the team in Chile,” said Millener.
“This will undoubtedly be a challenging event, completely different from the previous ones. With no prior experience on this tricky rally, it's no easy task, but it's a great opportunity for him to showcase his versatility and further establish himself as a future talent.
"We hope this experience will bolster his ambition to become a regular name in the Rally1 class.”
