Pilot Mārtiņš Sesks and driver Renārs Francis, supported by Latvijas Mobilais Telefons, completed the sixth stage of the European Rally Championship (ERC) Rally di Roma Capitale (July 22-24) without any special ambitions for prize-winning places, fulfilling the task of the MRF team to gather competition experience in asphalt rally.
On his way to Rome, Latvian pilot Mārtiņš Sesks admitted that the last time he raced on asphalt was more than 9 months ago, so his driving experience, as well as his understanding of the specific manufacturer’s tires and Rally 2 car regulations, will mainly be formed during the race. With the Škoda Fabia Rally 2 EVO, the crew started the competition for the second time, but the MRF tires were tested for the first time on hot asphalt of more than 40 degrees.
MRF team manager Vivek Ponusami also confirmed before the race: “There are no special settings from the team’s side. For me, it is much more important that the athlete gains confidence in his strength on the track, and not by the order of the team manager”.
The crew completed the first speed stage of the race next to the Colosseum of Rome without significant mistakes and ranked 6th. Even the shocks experienced at the beginning of the race – a flat tire in the qualifying race and later an accident when he slid off the road in the third speed stage of the race – did not diminish the determination of Ceskas/Frančas. The athletes showed fighting spirit and returned to the track without hesitation, however, they lost the opportunity to fight for a good result. On Sunday, the athletes showed the best time in the morning in the 32.30 km long ninth stage Rocca dia Cave-Subaccio 1 and finished in 13th place, but finished the competition in 34th position in the overall standings.
Rally pilot Mārtiņš Sesks: “This was a really difficult rally for us. But we are grateful that we could be here and grateful to everyone who believed in us – especially MRF, Race Seven, Latvijas Mobilais Telefons, as well as other sponsors. After the mistake in the third stage, we focused on the experience we can gain from the Italian roads with the Rally 2 car, so that we can drive faster and feel more confident in the future. We are not yet in the right shape on the asphalt. Let’s focus on opportunities to gain asphalt driving experience, because right now it’s our little “Achilles heel”.
The next stage of the ERC competition, Barum Czech Rally Zlín, will take place from August 27 to 28 in the Czech Republic.
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