The Latvian youngster drove a Škoda Fabia Rally2 for the tyre manufacturer team at Tet Rally Liepāja earlier this month. He and co-driver Renars Francis won every single stage to win their home rally by over a minute.
That performance has earned them another shot in the car for the ERC’s sixth round, which takes place next week. It will mark Sesks’ second-ever Rally2 start on asphalt.
“It was a no-brainer to get Mārtiņš back in the car,” said team representative Vivek Ponnusamy. “He is a really talented young driver and it would have been disappointing for everybody if he was not driving in Rome.
“Mārtiņš drove incredibly well in Latvia and he deserves our appreciation and support. He has had good results also in Junior WRC rallies on Tarmac, so that is the hope.
“The main objective for him is just to enjoy the rally. Italy is not an easy event, but we have some long stages that can really shake things up. I think that will be the dealbreaker for many crews,” he added.
Joining Sesks in the five-strong Fabia squad will be Efrén Llarena, who leads the championship by 46 points, as well as his fellow Spaniard Javier Pardo.
Norbert Herczig returns after missing the previous round, as does home hero Simone Campedelli - a past winner of several Italian asphalt rallies.
Eleven-time Italian champion Paolo Andreucci - who usually pilots an MRF-shod Škoda in the national series - will also be in attendance to support and mentor the drivers.
“In terms of the championship, we are keeping calm,” Ponnusamy continued. “There are still three rounds to go and we are very humbled.
“We are just taking things stage by stage. As everybody knows - motorsport can come and bite you very badly, so it’s important to remain calm and be sensible.”
- Full coverage from Rally di Roma Capitale will be available on WRC+ All Live here, including every stage broadcast as it happens as well as key interviews, features and expert analysis from the service park.
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