Sesks finishes ninth in shakedown stage in Finland
Latvian driver Mārtiņš Sesks set the ninth fastest time in the pre-rally shakedown of Rally Finland, outpacing his teammate and another M-Sport driver.
Mārtiņš Sesks completed the fast and jump-filled Finnish shakedown stage in 2 minutes and 16.5 seconds, placing ninth overall. The Latvian beat his teammate Josh McErlean by 0.6 seconds, while fellow M-Sport driver John Armstrong was 1.3 seconds slower.
Reflecting on the performance, Sesks noted that the experience from last year's Finland rally in these fast cars was invaluable, and this time he feels more confident. He mentioned that he now better understands what to do and, after seeing others take corners flat out, realizes he can do the same. He believes they will be more competitive this time.
A total of 11 WRC cars will take part in Rally Finland. The event kicks off on Thursday evening with a 2.58-kilometer stage starting at 19:05. Friday features nine stages, with the first starting at 8:44, and the rally concludes on Sunday at noon.
Two weeks ago in Estonia, Sesks finished seventh, once again proving he is the fastest Ford M-Sport driver on gravel roads.
In January, it was announced that Sesks will compete in at least seven WRC rounds in the 2026 season: Sweden, Portugal, Greece, Estonia, Finland, Italy (October 1–4), and Saudi Arabia (November 11–14). The season will end with Italy and Saudi Arabia, while after Finland, drivers head to South America for Paraguay and Chile.
