Martins Sesks will contest next month’s World Rally Championship season finale in Saudi Arabia as part of an expanded four-car M-Sport-Ford operation that includes multiple Dakar Rally winner Nasser Al-Attiyah.
The WRC rising star joined M-Sport for a six-round WRC programme this year after delivering a series of impressive performances driving the team’s Ford Puma last season. The Latvian had been hopeful of adding another round to his deal before the end of the campaign and now the drive has been made possible with funding from the WRC Promoter.
Sesks caused a stir in the WRC last year after finishing fifth on his Rally1 debut driving a non-hybrid powered Puma, before going on to challenge for a podium in Latvia until a technical issue struck on the final stage.
This season Sesks has shown glimpses of his speed finishing sixth in Sweden followed by top eight results in Estonia and Finland. The 26-year also won Rally Poland which hosted a round of the European Rally Championship.
“I’m very grateful for the support and encouragement we’ve received from our sponsors and fans,” said Sesks.
“We all believed the seventh round would go ahead, and now we’re heading to Jeddah to make the most of everything the WRC season can offer.
“With no opportunity for pre-event testing, we’ll need to adapt to the conditions and draw on the insights we gain from the shakedown. I also think the participation of Nasser Al-Attiyah, and his experience in these parts, is a real bonus for the M-Sport team.”
Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1
Photo by: M-Sport
M-Sport-Ford team principal Richard Millener added: “Martiņs has impressed us this season with his pace, maturity and approach to learning the Rally1 car.
“His results in Sweden, Estonia and Finland show he has real potential on loose-surface events, and Rally Saudi Arabia will be another opportunity for him to demonstrate that, especially as it is a new event for all. We’re delighted to have him back in the Puma for the season finale.”
Sesks will be aiming to learn from the experienced three-time World Rally-Raid champion and four-time Dakar Rally winner Al-Attiyah, who confirmed recently that he will make a one-off return to WRC piloting a Ford Puma for the first time at Rally Saudi Arabia.
Al-Attiyah and Sesks will join M-Sport’s full-time drivers Gregoire Munster and Josh McErlean.
“I don’t believe Nasser is going to win the rally but having a lot of experience gives some good knowledge to our young guys, which will help and they can have a different benchmark,” said Millener.
“The guy is Sebastien Loeb-like regarding his talent in the Middle East and I can only see it as a positive. You have to remember he has never driven the car and he won’t have a test, but he is a driver who will just jump in the car and drive it.
“There are a hell of a lot of challenges but he is a good addition to the team and one that can be beneficial.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
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