Sesks’s best result was sixth place in the season-opening Rally Sweden. He also scored points in Estonia and Finland, but judging by the results, the season was undeniably a disappointment.
However, the Latvian impressed in the season-ending Rally Saudi Arabia, where he even fought for victory. The excellent rally ended in retirement on the final day, first with a double puncture on the penultimate special stage, before the run came to a complete halt due to a technical issue ahead of the final stage.
The Rally Saudi Arabia and his dominant victory in the Polish ERC round were nevertheless further proof that Sesks has the performance level. His driving programme for this year is still open, although rumours suggest a similar schedule to last season.
With M-Sport Ford, Sesks was repeatedly quicker than his team-mates Grégoire Munster and Josh McErlean, even if that does not carry great weight in a private team known for its pay drivers.
“We were quicker throughout the season. However, we haven’t really focused on that, although of course some comparisons were made during the rallies,” Sesks says.
According to Sesks, comparisons with team-mates are ultimately pointless. Speed is the sum of many factors.
“From my perspective, I have also been slower than them at times. There is no magic factor involved; it all comes down to circumstances. And if you look at this level and you are ten seconds slower on a stage because you are just playing it safe, that quickly turns into a deficit of a second or one and a half per kilometre,” Sesks sums up.
“Feeling also plays a big role. When the feeling isn’t confident, what does that second per kilometre even mean? Every kilometre has several difficult sections and corners. If you brake a little too early every time, the gap builds up quickly.”
