Martins Sesks had a sensational run in the first-ever Saudia Arabian desert WRC round. The Latvian ace was leading heading into the final day but was ultimately forced to retire with technical issues.
The broader season had been modest for M-Sport Ford. Expectations were not high to begin with, and regular drivers Grégoire Munster and Josh McErlean struggled to produce standout performances over the course of the year.
Sesks contested seven rallies in the Ford Puma Rally1 this season. Before the finale, his best result had been sixth place at Rally Sweden.
In Saudi Arabia he had everything lined up for a maiden victory, but the brutal conditions struck late and knocked him out of contention.
Even so, Sesks left a lasting impression on team principal Richard Millener.
“At the start of the week Martins’ performance was exceptional. Winning multiple stages, leading a brand-new rally and controlling the event against world champions shows his true talent,” Millener said.
Sesks clocked five stage wins – the same total as Hyundai’s Ott Tänak.
“The ending was incredibly tough, but the impact he made this weekend was huge,” Millener added.
It was also striking how decisively Sesks outpaced his team-mates Munster and McErlean, neither of whom could get anywhere near the front-running pace. Still, Millener avoided throwing them under the bus.
“Grégoire and Josh handled the conditions posed by this new rally with real maturity, and they’ve finished their season with the team well,” he noted.
M-Sport Ford has not yet confirmed its driver line-up for next year. At present, McErlean appears highly likely to stay, while Munster has hinted he may even step down to WRC2 and a Rally2 car.
For Sesks, the breakthrough weekend in Saudi Arabia could hardly have come at a better moment. The Latvian is undoubtedly high on the British outfit’s and Millener’s internal lists.
