History repeated as Team MRF Tyres celebrates ERC Teams’ title joy

Points scored by Simone Campedelli, Efrén Llarena and Mārtiṇš Sesks during the first six events of the 2023 ERC season were enough for Team MRF Tyres to celebrate another momentous achievement on the international motorsport stage.

Vivek Ponnusamy, Team Representative who heads up MRF Tyres ERC participation, said: “History is not made, it is repeated and I’m incredibly happy and proud for the entire team right from the MRF Tyres management, the engineers, the tyre technicians, drivers and co-drivers, it’s a great achievement.

“Coming to Europe as an underdog and performing at this level of competition and to win the FIA European Rally Championship for Teams back-to-back is phenomenal and I’m over the moon. Even if this weekend’s rally has not started, we are already drenched in champagne so it’s a very good feeling.”

With two outright victories, Sesks has been the best performing driver for Team MRF Tyres. And Ponnusamy was quick to praise the young Latvian driver’s contribution to the Indian tyre manufacturer’s success.

“He’s fantastic,” said Ponnusamy. “When we picked him up last year I said he’s a champion in the making. He has all the qualities, the personality, the ability to win rallies and win them big, that’s what he’s about. I’m very proud of him but I’m also very proud of our outgoing champion Efrén Llarena. He’s done an amazing job, he’s Mr Consistent and I completely rely upon him. The extra he gave helped us to win this championship again. Also Simone Campedelli played a vital role in achieving our target”

After six rounds, Team MRF Tyres heads BRC Racing Team and MRF Tyres Dealer Team in the FIA European Rally Championship for Teams. It has also celebrated winning the ERC Winning Tyre award on two occasions this season following victories for Sesks and co-driver Renars Francis on the gravel-based ORLEN 79th Rally Poland and Tet Rally Liepāja.

As well as proving its pace on asphalt, Llarena and his co-driver Sara Fernández placed third on the asphalt-based Rally Islas Canarias, while Simone Campedelli and Tania Canton took a stage win on the all-Tarmac Rally di Roma Capitale last month.

*Subject to confirmation of the results by the FIA