ERC
Sesks to fly the flag for Team MRF Tyres in ERC
Mārtiņš Sesks will form part of the Team MRF Tyres line-up when he contests selected rounds of the FIA European Rally Championship in 2026.
Sesks announced earlier this month that he will tackle BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia in May followed by an outing on Rally Five Cities North of Portugal in October.
It has now been confirmed that he will do so with Team MRF Tyres, with whom he won ORLEN OIL 81st Rally Poland last June driving an MRF-equipped Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, plus three other ERC events previously.
According to MRF Tyres, Sesks’ announcement “continues a successful partnership marked by significant results, including overall victories at TET Rally Liepāja in 2022 and 2023, wins at ORLEN OIL Rally Poland in 2023 and 2025, and numerous successes in the Latvian Rally Championship. The relationship between MRF Tyres and Sesks has also extended beyond competition, with the Latvian driver recently taking on a testimonial role at the East African Safari Rally Classic, where MRF Tyres will serve as Control Tyre for the upcoming editions”.
Vivek Ponnusamy of MRF Tyres with Francis and Sesks
© MRF Tyres
Sesks said: “As part of our international programme, we are currently confirming two ERC starts in Sweden and Portugal. The initial plan covered all three gravel events, but with the situation evolving we are keeping a flexible approach. If the conditions are right in terms of budget and logistics, we will evaluate the possibility of adding a third rally later in the season. This approach has already delivered positive results in recent years through our cooperation with Team MRF Tyres, to which we made an important contribution in the fight for the 2025 teams’ title.”
Confirmation of Sesks and co-driver Renārs Francis’ participation on the rounds in Sweden and Portugal underlines Team MRF Tyres’ ongoing commitment to the championship in which, according to an MRF Tyres’ communication, it has “established itself as a benchmark for performance and consistency on loose surfaces. The ERC continues to represent a key platform for tyre development, competitiveness and international visibility”.
The MS MRF Junior Challenge line-up for 2026
© MRF Tyres
The communication continued: “In parallel with its frontline competition activities, MRF Tyres will also launch the MS MRF Junior Challenge in 2026, a new initiative designed to support emerging talents and provide a structured pathway into professional rallying in Latvia. The project has been developed in collaboration with Sesks and aims to offer young drivers not only coaching and sporting guidance, but also concrete technical support, including Rally3 machinery equipped with MRF tyres, ensuring a coherent development environment aligned with the brand’s top-level programmes”.
