M-Sport Ford confirmed on Tuesday that Sesks will compete in at least six WRC events in a Ford Puma Rally1 during the upcoming season. After making an impression in three Rally1 outings last year, Sesks has now managed to secure the budget for a more extensive programme.
See also: Martins Sesks secures a comprehensive Rally1 programme for the WRC
Sesks will start his WRC campaign at Rally Sweden in February, but his preparations will take him to Finland first.
“We have tests planned in Finland with a Rally1 car before the WRC round in Sweden. These tests will be our main preparation for the Rally Sweden,” Sesks revealed during a press conference.
While Sesks didn’t specify the location for the test, one strong possibility is the Arctic Lapland Rally, which could serve as a testing event. This would align with M-Sport’s plans, as Jourdan Serderidis is set to compete in the Arctic Lapland Rally with a Ford Puma, ensuring M-Sport’s support crew will already be present.
Alternatively, Sesks could undertake a standalone test day either before or after the Arctic Rally, which would also make logistical sense for M-Sport.
Five consecutive gravel rallies
In addition to Sweden, Sesks will compete in five consecutive summer rallies in Portugal, Sardinia, Greece, Estonia, and Finland – all on gravel, his preferred surface.
“The calendar is designed so that these five rounds follow one another, ensuring that we are on the same level as other drivers. Last year, when we competed in Poland and immediately afterwards in Latvia, we were in good rhythm and form. But after a four-month break before heading to Chile, it was difficult to compete with others who had been consistently in top form,” Sesks explained.
Sesks is also working to secure funding to add the Saudi Arabian WRC round, a season finale that will be new for all competitors, potentially eliminating any advantage based on experience. He expressed optimism about including Saudi Arabia in his calendar.
Additionally, Sesks hopes to gain experience on asphalt.
“Some ideas are forming. This year’s calendar clearly includes three tarmac events, one of which is in the Canary Islands, where we’ve driven before. This rally is somewhat part of our plans and vision,” Sesks revealed.
“It would definitely be interesting, and I hope we might have the chance to compete in an asphalt rally with a Rally1 car this year. But for now, these six events are the team’s programme, and we’ll see during the season what we can do to make progress.”
Source: go4speed.lv
