Martins Sesks is set for another appearance in the World Rally Championship in 2024 with M-Sport Ford.
The Latvian made his first outing in the WRC as a private entry in 2018 at Rallye Deutschland, being classified 36th overall.
From 2019 to 2021, Sesks made a handful of appearances with LMT Autosporta Akadēmija, piloting a Ford Fiesta Rally4 car for the latter two years. The 25-year-old registered a best finish of 19th in Croatia in 2021.
Sesks has also been competing in the European Rally Championship, making his debut in 2016. After winning his first rally in his home nation of Latvia in 2022, he joined the series full-time in 2023.
Driving for Team MRF Tyres in a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 car, Sesks won two rallies and grabbed four podiums as he finished runner-up to Hayden Paddon by 20 points.
M-Sport managing director Malcolm Wilson admits thinking the ‘pressure would bury’ Martins Sesks on his WRC debut
The Latvian took control of a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 car in the first four rounds of the ERC in 2024 before receiving a call-up to the WRC with M-Sport.
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Driving a Ford Puma Rally1 – having never piloted the machinery before – Sesks was handed his debut at Rally Poland, and he immediately impressed the team.
The 25-year-old went second quickest on his first ever WRC stage and finished fifth overall. Sesks returned for his home event in Latvia and battled Toyota drivers and WRC champions Sebastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanpera throughout the event before a technical issue on the powerstage cost him and left him seventh.
After such impressive displays, M-Sport were keen to get Sesks back in the Rally1 car, and the Latvian is set to get that next chance at the next event in Chile.
Speaking with DirtFish after Acropolis Rally Greece, the team’s managing director Malcolm Wilson spoke of how team principal Richard Millener has been trying to get the Latvian back in the WRC, and admitted thinking that the pressure would get to Sesks om his debut.
He said: “Rich and the guys have been pushing to try and find a way to get him so that he can do Chile, because he did an incredible performance.
“I know Latvia was his home event, but to do what he did, the pressure on him with it being his home event and to basically for two days keep within around five seconds of Ogier, it was quite unique.
“I honestly felt that at some point the pressure would bury him.”
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Rally Chile is set to be Martins Sesks’ last WRC outing in 2024
It is likely that Rally Chile will prove to be Sesks’ final chance to prove himself to M-Sport ahead of a potential move to the team full-time in 2025.
Sesks will be the team’s third entry to the event alongside full-time drivers Adrien Fourmaux and Gregoire Munster, giving the Latvian some good competition to try and match.
Ford are yet to confirm their drivers for 2025. Fourmaux has been linked with a move to Hyundai to link up with Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak, who have both been retained for next season.
With Chile being his final outing in 2024, all eyes will be on Sesks to replicate his impressive performances in Poland and Latvia.