Rally Portugal – Shakedown: Martins Sesks ahead of the big guns

The Latvian driver from M-Sport pulled off the first minor surprise of the Rally Portugal by setting the fastest time on his fourth run, beating four world champions.

Published 15/05/2025 à 11:51

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Rally Portugal – Shakedown: Martins Sesks ahead of the leaders

@DPPI

This is a name that we didn't necessarily expect to see so high on the Shakedown timesheet. Rally from Portugal. Martins Sesks celebrated his return in WRC in the best possible way, by setting the fastest time. The Latvian, who is competing this season on a partial six-race program with M-Sport, got the best out of his Ford Puma on his fourth and final run, where he managed to lower his reference time by almost two seconds to finally beat Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota, +0”6).

Yet Sesks was only sixth before his final run, which proved to be his fastest of all. Besides sixth in Rally Sweden – his first round with M-Sport this season – only Adrien fourmaux embarked on a fourth attempt, which was much less successful for him. The Northerner finished 9th, more than three seconds behind his old car, which he abandoned to join Hyundai at the start of the season.

Before Sesks's late start, Kalle Rovanperä seemed poised to build on his momentum and put his mixed start to the season behind him. After a timid first round, the two-time world champion had proved unstoppable in the Canary Islands, winning 15 of the 18 special stages contested over the weekend, as well as the rally, with considerable ease. On the Portuguese dirt roads, host of the sixth round of the season, the Finn clearly seems as comfortable as he is on the roads of the Spanish archipelago.

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Second, he is ahead of the defending champion Thierry Neuville (Hyundai, +0”9) and his teammate Sébastien Ogier (Toyota, +1”7). These were my first kilometers on dry land with these tires. We also worked on the set-up to be ready for the rally. It won't be easy, but we'll give our best, as always!", assured the Frenchman after his first two runs, during which he continued his learning of the Hankook in unprecedented conditions.

For the rest, the 2019 world champion Ott Tänak (Hyundai, 5th) and championship leader Elfyn Evans (Toyota, 6th) were more discreet, while Portuguese driver Diogo Salvi, competing in his first Rally1 weekend with M-Sport, settled for 16th. In Rally2, Oliver Solberg was fastest, finishing within a tenth of the Skoda of Briton Gus Greensmith.