Orlen (Poland), 22 Could 2023: Mārtiṇš Sesks charged to his second victory within the FIA European Rally Championship after he fended off after which pulled away from title chief Hayden Paddon to win ORLEN 79th Rally Poland on Sunday (Could 21).
MRF launch:
Workforce MRF Tyres took a dominant victory within the third spherical of the FIA European Rally Championship with Martins Sesks and Renars Francis placing on a grasp class within the ORLEN Rally of Poland.
The Latvian duo began the day with a lead of 8.2 seconds and proved untouchable all through the day. They took an additional 4 stage wins and pulled their lead out to virtually 40 seconds of their Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 to take their first win of the season and the second of their profession. Over the rally, Sesks and Francis averaged 115km/h on the quick and slender roads that demanded grip and confidence.
Martins Sesks, winner, Workforce MRF Tyres, mentioned “The Workforce MRF Tyres automobile was unbelievable this weekend. The MRF Tyres have been simply incredible by the rally and gave me the arrogance to push by! I’m thrilled to take my second win within the FIA ERC and I wish to thank the staff and everybody again in India for making this occur. Rally Poland was one thing particular and I’m trying ahead to getting again to Latvia for the following spherical.”
The tyres needed to take care of rocks being drawn onto the road, and the MRF Tyres stood the check of toughness that was demanded all through the rally.
In whole, there have been six MRF Tyre automobiles that gained factors on this rally.
Efren Llarena, Denis Radstrom, Pontus Tidemand and Simone Campedelli have been the opposite level scorers for staff MRF Tyres. Workforce MRF Tyres continues to guide the Workforce Championship, whereas Sesks strikes to second within the Driver’s Championship.
Because it occurred
The FIA ERC now strikes to Rally Liepaja in Latvia for one more quick gravel rally, one the place Workforce MRF Tyres and Martins Sesks reigned supreme in 2022.
With Renars Francis co-driving his Workforce MRF Tyres-entered Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, Sesks accomplished Saturday’s opening leg 8.2s forward of Paddon.
Though Sesks initially gave the impression to be on the defensive when his BRC Racing Workforce rival gained Sunday’s opening check to slender the hole to 7.4s, it wasn’t lengthy earlier than the 23-year-old Latvian sprinted clear to win forward of Paddon by 39.6s.
“It feels actually particular, doing it at house is one story in entrance of a house crowd, however doing it right here in Poland is totally completely different, it exhibits the automobile, the staff, the tyres, we’re all able to struggle,” mentioned Sesks, who strikes into second place within the provisional standings, 37 factors behind early pacesetter Paddon. “It feels so good to be driving for such an excellent staff with such an excellent automobile. It’s a pleasure and to have the ability to carry out at such a excessive degree it’s actually good. Everybody desires to make a press release however in our minds we need to maintain our heads down and simply do our work.”
Paddon’s high-paced endeavour on SS9 got here at a value as he accomplished the stage with a broken front-right tyre, which might have a significant bearing on the result of the victory struggle. With just one spare Pirelli on board his Hyundai i20 N Rally2, Paddon needed to make a troublesome choice.
“We both saved pushing like we have been doing however then you definately danger one other puncture and also you retire,” he mentioned. “Whenever you’re fascinated about the championship and the factors on supply it’s about taking part in the sensible recreation and that’s the choice we needed to make.”
After setting a succession of high three stage instances, Michelin-equipped Miko Marczyk accomplished the rostrum on his dwelling spherical of the ERC having gained the occasion final yr.
“I’m very glad as a result of most likely our tempo was higher than final yr after we gained the rally,” mentioned the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 driver. “If somebody advised me earlier than the race I might end between Hayden Paddon and Mads Østberg I might say for certain it’s excellent. The perfect man gained the rally.”
Josh McErlean (Hyundai i20 N Rally2) began Sunday’s motion 1.5sec forward of Mads Østberg within the battle for fourth, just for a high-speed spin 1.6km from the beginning of SS13 to drop him to seventh, poor reward following a robust efficiency from the Motorsport Eire Rally Academy driver. Østberg gained the Energy Stage on his method to ending fourth in his MRF Tyres Seller Workforce Citroën C3 Rally2.
In a single day set-up modifications designed to cease Mikko Heikkilä having to “struggle with the automobile” reworked the Finnish champion’s prospects as he moved up from eighth firstly of the day to fifth within the general rating aboard his Michelin-equipped Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo.
Mathieu Franceschi accomplished the highest six after his cautious strategy to Sunday afternoon’s phases paid dividends for the younger French driver, who marked his twenty fourth birthday by scoring his first Energy Stage factors in fourth in one other Michelin-shod Fabia Rally2 Evo.
Simone Tempestini adopted McErlean dwelling in eighth, whereas Erik Cais completed in a confidence-boosting ninth adopted by European champion Efrén Llarena.
Filip Mareš scored ERC factors for the second occasion working in eleventh having misplaced greater than 40s rolling on Saturday morning. Dennis Rådström completed twelfth on his first ERC occasion aboard a Rally2 automobile together with his GN Motorsport team-mate Pontus Tidemand inserting thirteenth after a spin and reverse on SS14. Grzegorz Grzyb was subsequent up in 14th carefully adopted by Simone Campedelli who hit again from going off right into a discipline on SS14. British champion Osian Pryce positioned sixteenth on his ERC debut.
Andrea Mabellini was eighth when he went off the street into haybales on SS13 and rolled. He finally regained the street however retired shortly afterwards. The Italian had by no means pushed on high-speed gravel phases in a Rally2 automobile making his late exit powerful to take.
Jon Armstrong gained the FIA ERC3 class in a Ford Fiesta Rally3 with Ola Nore taking spot in FIA ERC4 driving a Renault Clio Rally4. The Norwegian additionally gained the FIA Junior ERC class, which attracted a powerful 16-car entry for the opening spherical of the championship’s tenth season and the primary with Hankook because the official tyre provider.
The ERC’s three-event tour of high-speed gravel occasions continues subsequent month when Tet Rally Liepāja hosts the fourth spherical of the ERC season from June 16-18.
