Метка: Rally Chile

Evans snatches lead after Ogier wheel change

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Elfyn Evans snatched the Rally Chile lead from Toyota World Rally Championship team-mate Sebastien Ogier after the Frenchman was forced to change a wheel on stage three.

Evans delivered strong pace throughout the morning’s gravel stages to head to midday service with a 2.2s lead over Toyota team-mate and reigning world champion Kalle Rovanpera.

Toyota protege Sami Pajari climbed to third [+6.6s} after Ogier’s drama, while Gregoire Munster’s fast and clean driving placed the M-Sport-Ford in fourth [+6.9s].

Hyundai’s Ott Tanak was fifth [+7.3s] ahead of Adrien Fourmaux [+7.4s] with championship leader Thierry Neuville in seventh [+13.8s] and team-mate Esapekka Lappi eighth [18.3s]. The top 10 was completed by WRC2 runners Nikolay Gryazin and Oliver Solberg, who could wrap up the title this weekend.

Only three cars successfully navigated through the rally’s opening stage (Pulperia, 19.72km) before officials were forced to cancel the test on spectator safety grounds.

Of the three cars to complete the stage, it was Ogier that set a blistering pace starting third on the road behind Neuville and Tanak.

Ogier was 9.1s faster than Tanak, who was in turn 1.4s faster than Neuville.

«All good, good start,» said Ogier who continued to offer little in stage-end interviews following his suspended €30,000 fine for comments made in Greece.

Neuville faced the brunt of the road sweeping having been first to tackle the stage.

Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

«Really challenging, to be honest, the grip is basically zero. It is like driving on ice at the beginning. We know what our target is» said Neuville, who could also mathematically sew up the title in Chile.

Officials red-flagged the stage shortly after Ogier had reached the stage end meaning the rest of the field had to navigate through the test in road mode, with Neuville’s time given as a notional time. However, that is subject to being revised after the second pass of the stage this afternoon.

The crews managed to pass through stage two (Rere 13.34km) without interruption and it was Evans who managed to tame the tricky loose gravel the best.

The Welshman was 2.3s faster than team-mates Rovanpera and Rally1 rookie Pajari to move to second overall, 6.6s behind rally leader Ogier.

Ogier ensured it was Toyota lockout at the top of the timesheets in fourth, 3.9s slower than Evans. The eight-time world champion once again refused to offer much in terms of comments at the stage-end.

Tanak seemingly followed Ogier’s stage-end comment protest although the Estonian was the quickest of the Hyundais, 4.1s shy of the pace, but ahead of the M-Sport duo of Fourmaux and Munster.

Lappi struggled to make the most of his advantageous road position with the Finn 6.6s adrift. He was however faster than Neuville, who felt the cleaning effect was much worse than the previous test.

M-Sport’s Martins Sesks was a tenth slower than Neuville in his non-hybrid powered Puma having elected to take a steady approach to his third Rally1 start.

The final stage of the morning loop (San Rosendo, 23.32km) provided the first moment of drama for the championship contenders.

Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

Rally leader Ogier was pushing hard on the stage but ran wide at a fast right-hander and clipped a bank with the left rear of his GR Yaris, which knocked a tyre off the rim. Ogier dropped 1m48.5s after being forced to pull over and change a wheel.

This handed the rally lead to Evans, who came through the stage posting the second fastest time. Rovanpera knicked the stage win by a tenth of a second but the Finn admitted he was struggling on a slippery road surface.

«Really bad to be honest, I don’t feel comfortable at all on these roads. I was expecting it a bit, but when it is dry like this it does not fit my usual driving style. I am fighting the car and my driving a lot,» said Rovanpera.

M-Sport’s Munster impressed to post a third fastest time ahead of Fourmaux, Pajari, Tanak and Neuville.

The stage didn’t appear to clean in the traditional way as more rocks were dragged onto the surface after every pass. The challenging conditions led to Lappi running wide and clipping a bank while Sesks fared even worse.

Sesks drifted well wide at a right-hander into a bank which caused a double puncture. Carrying only one spare wheel, Sesks and co-driver Renars Francis opted to change the front left and limped to the finish with the rear left deflated, costing them more than five minutes.

Sesks pulled over to let WRC2 title rivals Oliver Solberg and Yohan Rossel through. The pair trailed early WRC2 leader Nikolay Gryazin ahead of the afternoon loop.



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What M-Sport is looking for from Sesks’ WRC “extended audition”

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


M-Sport is treating Martins Sesks’ Rally Chile outing as an “extended audition” in the World Rally Championship as the Ford team continues to assess the young driver’s skills for the future.

Rising star Sesks and co-driver Renars Francis have earned a third outing in Ford Puma Rally1 this year following impressive displays to finish fifth and seventh respectively in Poland and Latvia rounds earlier this year.

The opportunity to pilot a non-hybrid powered Puma in Chile has been made possible thanks to further support from the WRC Promoter that helped fund the Latvians’ last two Rally1 appearances. 

Sesks’ reputation as a future talent has been enhanced by scoring maiden stage wins in Latvia on his way to challenging for a likely third-place finish before a mechanical issue struck his Puma on the final stage. 

The 25-year-old’s performance has impressed M-Sport enough to emerge as a possible candidate for more drives in the future as the team weighs up its options for 2025.

Team principal Richard Millener is keen to see how Sesks will perform in Chile, a rally that will offer a brand new challenge for the 2023 European Rally Championship runner-up. 

“I think there is a lot of interest from a lot of parties about what he’s capable of and, 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?» Millener told Autosport.

Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1

Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

“I don’t want to expect that he could repeat challenging for a podium in Latvia. What we want to see is another rally with no issues and him get to the end with no mistakes and effectively have a good result, which I think could be done by being clever as well. 

“The title fight is going to be pretty big and Chile is a pretty tricky rally as well. It is fast and technical I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a couple of accidents. 

“If he can get top five again, fantastic, that’s more the goal, so it’s a bit of an extended audition, I guess. But certainly, I’m not in a position to say that he’s going to be signing with us for next year. It’s just a case of trying to see what else we can do for these junior drivers.

“I think he’s already proven what he’s capable of and this opportunity come about through M-Sport pushing as well, but also through promoter and Martins with his own thing. 

“It’s a good opportunity for us to see what throwing a completely new environment at him with not a lot of notice. What he can do and how he approaches it.”

In addition to a set of brand new stages to learn, Sesks is running without hybrid power similar to his debut in Poland. On those fast gravel stages the performance deficit to the hybrid-powered Rally1 cars was minimal, but the deficit is likely to increase on Chile’s technical roads.

“Of course, it will be a big challenge to go to South America and drive a Rally1 car in Chile for the first time,” said Sesks.  

Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1

Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1

Photo by: M-Sport

“It will be a great adventure I think, something new again and we’re now trying to prepare for the rally. We’re watching the onboards and seeing similar things to some European rallies.

“It will be a bit harder for us driving the non-hybrid car, but again it’s an opportunity to show some pace without the hybrid, and if we succeed there it’s even better. Our experience from Poland and Latvia in understanding the car will help a lot. It will be a challenge but we’re looking forward to it.”

Sesks isn’t the only rising star being offered a rare Rally1 outing this weekend with Toyota fielding Sami Pajari in one of its four GR Yaris. The Finn has replaced regular Takamoto Katsuta, who will sit out the trip to South America. 



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Tanak unsure how to act following FIA sanctions for Ogier, Verstappen

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Ott Tänak says it’s “really difficult to know how to act” in interviews following the FIA’s sanctions for comments made by World Rally Championship rival Sebastian Ogier and Formula 1’s Max Verstappen.

The Hyundai driver has raised concerns after the FIA handed Ogier a €30,000 suspended fine for comments the Toyota driver directed at officials regarding hanging dust at the end of the opening stage of Acropolis Rally Greece, earlier this month.

Ogier’s incident preceded a move by the FIA to clamp down on F1 drivers swearing in official press conferences, resulting in three-time world champion Verstappen being issued with a public service order for swearing at last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.

Verstappen then later staged a protest by offering short answers in the post-qualifying press conference.

Speaking in a stage-end interview after Thursday’s Rally Chile shakedown, Tanak was asked what he was excited about looking ahead to the event, which was met with a cryptic “let’s see how the rally will be. It is quite interesting times at the moment, not sure how much I can say but I’m living the dream and enjoying the cars.”

When asked to later explain his comments, he added: “I meant it is strange times in motorsport generally where you need to be very careful what you say and how you express your emotions they are not really allowed for the moment.

Pressed on if he is concerned by the direction that is being taken by the FIA with driver interviews, he said: “Yeah, in rallying with Seb and in Formula 1 as well and with all these things coming together it seems we are really on the radar at the moment, so let’s see where it goes from here.

“It is difficult to say at the moment what is the target, probably the promoter should take us to one side and really explain to us what they expecting, but for the moment to give stage end interviews without any emotion, it is really difficult to know how to act. It is an interesting time.”

Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

Looking ahead to the rally, Tanak is among the favourites for success on Chile’s gravel roads having won the previous two editions.

The Estonian was victorious in 2019 driving for Toyota before winning last year’s battle on the abrasive gravel roads for M-Sport-Ford.

Tanak remains firmly in the title fight albeit 34 points adrift of team-mate Thierry Neuville while his Hyundai team is leading the constructors’ championship by 35 points from Toyota.

“We need to fight for the points and in the manufacturers’ championship it is also tight and obviously Toyota is pushing very hard so it is not really possible to give many points away,” he added.

“We still need to at least try to match them and try to outscore them. It is still a long way to go and many points on the table.

“It is a rally I like a lot it has a very nice profile and it is a pure performance event. It will be about how we get ourselves working as we have been struggling on these kinds of surface with the car, so hopefully we find a bit better balance for this one.”



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It’s not too late to attract new marques to WRC in 2027

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The FIA is confident it is not too late to attract new manufacturers to the World Rally Championship in 2027 amid plans to announce new technical regulations in December.

The world motorsport governing body has been working for more than 18 months to devise the future direction of the Rally1 and Rally2 WRC classes in a bid to safeguard the involvement of current marques and attract new brands to the discipline.

The championship’s future 2027 technical rules are on course to be submitted to the World Motor Sport Council in December, when it is hoped the pathway will be ratified and communicated. 

WRC teams have however raised concerns regarding the timeframe for the release of the rules, urging for a decision to come sooner, given 18 months is regarded as the minimum ballpark figure for a brand to commit to a programme and develop a new car.

There are also worries that Hyundai could leave the WRC as a manufacturer team at the end of 2025 following the Korean brand’s recent announcement of its plans to join the World Endurance Championship under its Genesis brand. Should Hyundai leave the WRC, the championship could face a future with Toyota as the only fully works Rally1 operation with Ford a semi-works outfit via M-Sport. 

Speaking to Motorsport.com the FIA technical director Xavier Mestelan Pinon reiterated that the regulations are on schedule to be delivered in December and that the FIA has been involved in meticulous discussions to ensure it makes the best decision for the WRC.

Mestelan Pinon admitted that the process to ratify the 2027 regulations is not ahead of schedule, but equally not “too late” in its arrival to attract new brands.

Rallye Paraguay

Rallye Paraguay

Photo by: WRC.com

“Time is running but again today, okay we are not in advance, but we are not too late also. For me, there is much pressure to deliver a good regulation and something that will make sense for the future of the World Rally Championship,” said Mestelan Pinon.

“If you release something in a rush it could be not good in the end. We have already discussed this topic for one and half years I would say, but now we must take a good one [decision]. 

“We are not too late and the most important thing for me is to attract newcomers even if the newcomer will take the decision for 2028 instead 2027, I don’t care. What is important is to give the right direction and right vision.”

When asked if it was critical the FIA make the right decision moving forward given the rumours surrounding Hyundai’s uncertain WRC future, he added: “I agree to not lose a manufacturer is a key point and we want to attract newcomers of course. 

“But for me, the most important thing is to be brave and take a good decision regarding the direction rally needs to go in the future. If we are very clear in what we do and where we want to go with the promoter, and working together, this is the best way to keep our current manufacturers and attract newcomers. 

“If we are only working to serve the current ones [manufacturers] or a potential future one then I’m not sure this is the best way to address the current situation. What we need, for me, is a clear vision of where we want to go, and of course, we need to take into consideration the position of our current manufacturers and the potential ones. But again at the end it is our duty as the FIA to take the good decision for the development of the World Rally Championship. 

“Of course, we are discussing with the current three manufacturers and new ones but it is more or less impossible to have a common consensus. We need to take a decision and maybe some of them may not be very happy. But it is all about how the World Rally Championship grows and develops, this is what is most important to me.”       

What we know so far about the 2027 regulations

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: Austral / Hyundai Motorsport

While firm decisions on the 2027 regulations are yet to be made, it appears the proposal the FIA’s taskforce published in February offers a relatively accurate framework for what could be the future of Rally1 and Rally2 classes.

The Rally1 spaceframe chassis, that has increased safety levels and accommodated various car model body shapes, since it was launched in 2022, is expected to continue with adaptations. Plans to expand chassis construction out to tuning companies, and not locked to only manufacturers, is being discussed. 

The FIA is working to reduce costs with the previously touted figure of 400,000 euros for a Rally1 car among the ongoing talks. 

Rally1 cars are expected to based on road going vehicles and are likely to undergo a drop in performance and aerodynamics to help make the category more accessible to developing drivers. Internal combustion engines, hybrid and EV powertrains remain on the table for discussion alongside the possibility of some form of equivalence of technology should the rules develop to be open to various technologies. 

The target for Rally2 is to continue its growth as a category and maintain the current performance deficit compared to Rally1 cars.



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Toyota refusing to give up WRC title fight in Chile

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Toyota is refusing to give up the World Rally Championship fight in Chile this weekend despite previously admitting that its title hopes are “pretty much gone”.

The Japanese manufacturer has won the previous three WRC constructors’ and drivers’ titles but its hopes of retaining the crowns have come under serious threat from Hyundai.

Despite winning six of the 10 rounds this season — two more wins than rivals Hyundai — Toyota heads to Chile’s gravel roads 35 points adrift of the Korean marque with three rounds of the season (165 points) remaining. 

In the drivers’ championship, eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier, competing in a partial campaign, leads Toyota’s charge albeit 38 points adrift of Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville after a late roll in Greece earlier this month.

While the tittle battles are seemingly heading in Hyundai’s direction, Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala is refusing to concede that the fight is over ahead of Rally Chile.  

“The last two rallies have not gone our way in terms of our championship ambitions, but we will not give up the fight,” said Latvala. 

“We will keep pushing and focus on winning the last three rounds of the season and doing everything that we can to keep the pressure on. Our team is really motivated to do a good result in Chile and with Elfyn, Seb and Kalle we have a very strong driver line-up to fight for the win. 

“The stages there are generally fast and flowing, which should suit our drivers and our car. The one thing we discovered last year is that the tyre wear can be quite high when it’s dry so we need to pay attention to that.”

Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Toyota Racing

Meanwhile, rival Hyundai is heading to Chile determined not to loose its grip on the title race. 

After scoring a 1-2-3 at the Acropolis Rally earlier this month, team principal Cyril Abiteboul says his team will approach Rally Chile with ”great caution”.

“While we approach Rally Chile with both optimism and momentum, we are also going into the event with great caution,” said Abiteboul.

“Greece was a fantastic display of what can be achieved with great team-work, but it is imperative we do not lose focus in the final events of the season. 

“The Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid has demonstrated its robustness and reliability at other gravel rallies this season, so we want to end the final event on this surface strongly before our return to asphalt. 

“Every point counts so we need to be at the spearhead of the classification by Saturday evening before we assess how much we need to push on Sunday. 

“We want to protect the advantage we have in all three standings as a priority, but we still want to push for wins and podiums too.”

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No pressure on Pajari after surprise Toyota Rally1 call-up for WRC Chile

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Sami Pajari says there is no pressure to deliver results in his surprise two extra World Rally Championship Rally1 outings in Chile and Central Europe.

Toyota announced last week that the Finnish rising star would replace its full-time driver Takamoto Katsuta in Chile to pilot one of the team’s four GR Yaris Rally1 entries at the gravel rally (26-29 September).

It was also announced that Pajari and co-driver Enni Malkonen would be handed another Rally1 outing at October’s Central European Rally, where Katsuta will rejoin the team after sitting out Chile. 

Pajari made his Rally1 debut this year at Rally Finland where he impressed, claiming a maiden stage win on his way to finishing fourth overall. The performance from the WRC2 title contender led Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala to declare that the Finn was among the team’s options for a Rally1 drive next year, with the operation keen to field at least three full-time drivers in 2025. 

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While surprised to receive Rally1 opportunities so soon after his Finland display, the 22-year-old says there is no extra pressure to perform given the circumstances he now finds himself in.

“Obviously, after Rally Finland, I was only hoping for some extra seat time, and I didn’t see it coming so soon, so of course the feeling from that side is really nice to get some more experience and more seat time with such a great and fast car,” said Pajari.

“It’s just really nice to drive it, but of course there is some challenge as well. It’s not so easy there [in Chile], but I can’t wait to be back in the car and learn more.

Sami Pajari, Enni Mälkönen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Sami Pajari, Enni Mälkönen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Toyota Racing

“It has been really challenging this year for the team, and especially lately and also for Taka, so I feel a bit sorry for him, but I hope he’s doing fine and he will be back soon again in the Rally1 car. But also at the same time, I’m looking forward for my own outing. 

“The plan is just to get more experience and more seat time and get the really valuable kilometres with the Rally1 car and that’s it, so no pressure on the result.”

When asked if he feels confident that he could feature in the factory Toyota team more often next season, he added: «Of course, it’s nice to see that they are already putting some trust in me based on the results we have been doing this year with the Rally2 car, but also I think in Finland I was still proving some nice things, and I hope to continue the same way. 

“Of course, I’m hoping for some more seat time in the future, but it’s also up to so many people, so it’s not fully up to me. I will just try to do my part as well as I can, and then we will see what the future brings.”

Pajari remains in contention for this year’s WRC2 crown, sitting three points behind Oliver Solberg with one round remaining. However, Solberg could wrap up the title if he wins on the South American gravel stages.

“[The WRC2 title] is not fully off my mind. It is in Oliver’s hands a little bit,” Pajari added. “If he is doing really well in Chile, then our hopes for the title are a bit gone. But we have still one more round to do with the Rally2 car still this year and I will do my best there as well. 

“The year has been really strong for us as well, we have got already three wins and a couple other podium places, so the season has been really strong for us as well.  So I think we should be really happy about it. Even if the title is gone, of course we will do our best to get the best possible result.”



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Pajari to replace Katsuta in Chile as Toyota hands protege another Rally1 drive

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Toyota has elected to replace Takamoto Katsuta with protege Sami Pajari for the next round of the World Rally Championship in Chile later this month.

This is part of a decision to hand Finnish duo Pajari and co-driver Enni Malkonen a further two WRC Rally1 outings in Chile and at the following Central European Rally after impressing to finish fourth on their top-flight debut in Finland last month.

Pajari will now join Kalle Rovanpera, Sebastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans in Chile from 26-29 September.

As a result, full-time driver Katsuta and co-driver Aaron Johnston are set to rejoin the Toyota squad for the Central European Rally and the season finale in Japan.

The decision arrives after a difficult run of rallies that has included carries in Finland and last week’s Acropolis Rally where he was sitting in second before a mistake on stage three.

When speaking to Motorsport.com at the end of the Acropolis Rally, Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala stated that there was a 50/50 chance Pajari, who finished fourth overall in Greece while winning the WRC2 class, would receive another Rally1 outing this year.

Sami Pajari, Enni Mälkönen, Printsport Toyota GR Yaris Rally2

Sami Pajari, Enni Mälkönen, Printsport Toyota GR Yaris Rally2

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

“After the great performance that Sami Pajari showed at Rally Finland, we wanted to see more of what he can do in a Rally1 car,» said Latvala.

“The main goal in Finland was to gain experience, but he already demonstrated his high potential. In Greece too, he again showed the high level he’s been driving at with the GR Yaris Rally2 car.

«As we look to invest further in talented young drivers for the future, it’s important to learn more about Sami’s abilities, firstly on some different gravel roads on the other side of the world in Chile, and then on asphalt in Central Europe.

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“He will be driving a fourth car, so there is no pressure upon him to contribute towards the championship. For us it’s more about investing in the future and gaining that experience.

“For Taka, it has been a tough season, but he has the full support of the team and everybody knows that he has the speed.

“With this break, he has a chance to reset and recharge ready for the last two events which will be important – especially Rally Japan of course, where we hope he can be fighting for the podium places again.”

Takamoto Katsuta, Aaron Johnston, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Takamoto Katsuta, Aaron Johnston, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Toyota Racing

Pajari added: “It is amazing to have this chance to drive the GR Yaris Rally1 hybrid on two more events this season.

“It feels really nice to know that TGR-WRT is putting this trust in me. Rally Finland was like a dream come true for me, and after that of course I just wanted to drive a Rally1 car more and more, but I could not have expected that the opportunity would come again so soon.

“I’m really looking forward to Rally Chile, with some nice gravel roads that are mostly flowing and high-speed, so a bit similar to Finland. Central Europe can be even more demanding given how wet and muddy we saw it can be last year.

“For my first time in a Rally1 car on asphalt on such a rally, it could be quite a challenge but it’s one that I’m really happy to face, of course.”

Katsuta has since posted on social media reacting to the news that he will sit out the Chile event. 

«I and Aaron will not drive Rally Chile. We will have a short break from competition after an intense summer that maybe didn’t go as planned, can help me reset and come back stronger for CER and Rally Japan,» read a post from Katsuta.

«Of course it is tough and I am really disappointed with myself, but the team is supporting me to find again the good feeling. Sami and Enni are really great and I wish them all the best for the rally. Good luck for Sami and Enni.» 



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Martins Sesks set for WRC Rally1 return with M-Sport

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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.

Martins Sesks, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team

Martins Sesks, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

“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.”

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