ERC
Tight up front as Sesks heads Korhonen in ERC
Mārtiņš Sesks holds the lead of Rally Six Cities North of Portugal by 5.7sec after an action-packed start to the first full leg of the 2026 FIA European Rally Championship decider.
With Renārs Francis alongside, the Team MRF Tyres driver ended the morning loop by winning SS5 with an advantage of 2.6sec over Team MRF Tyres team-mate Roope Korhonen.
Korhonen, who is making his first start at ERC level this season, had set the pace on SS4 to climb back up to second place having dropped to fourth following SS3.
Michelin-supplied Pablo Sarrazin impressed throughout on the demanding loose gravel stages as the Frenchman, who won SS3, headed to the midday remote service in third overall, 8.3sec from the lead. Hankook-equipped Lancia-powered duo Nikolay Gryazin and Léo Rossel completed the top five.
Jan Solans, 2025 ERC champion Miko Marczyk, overnight leader Simone Tempestini, Sarah Rumeau, who completed SS4 with no working intercom, and Portuguese championship contender Pedro Almeida round out the top 10.
Jakub Matulka completed SS5 in 11th with Rúben Rodrigues, the Portuguese championship leader, and Brandon Semenuk next up followed by Arthur Pelamourges and Tymek Abramowski, who is competing as his prize for winning the ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy in 2025.
Five-time WRC rally winner Kris Meeke crashed heavily on SS4 although both he and co-driver Stuart Loudon were uninjured.
Pirelli-supported Kanta Yanaguida leads FIA ERC3 on his debut, 12.9sec ahead of Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT NG team-mate Rio Ogata.
Karl Pedder Nordstrand heads Valentino Ledda in FIA ERC4 by a margin of 1min 07.1sec. But there was drama in the battle for the FIA Junior ERC title – and the accompanying FIA Junior WRC prize drive – when championship contender Tom Heindrichs retired for the day with a damaged oil cooler, which has handed the initiative to his team-mate Timo Schulz.
Following a 15-minute remote service in Boticas, Rally 6 Cities North of Portugal continues with SS6 (Cabeceiras de Basto 2) from 14:32 local time.
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