Sesks and Francis lead ERC Rally Portugal after day two

Latvian rally crew Mārtiņš Sesks and Renārs Francis moved into first place on Saturday, the second day of the final round of the European Rally Championship (ERC) in Portugal. After nine stages the Latvians lead the overall standings by 10.5 seconds, and on Sunday they have a chance to finish the season's last ERC round with a win.

The MRF team crew, driving a Škoda Fabia RS, won four stages on Saturday, including the seventh and the ninth. In several other stages Sesks and Francis finished among the top three, gradually extending their lead over rivals.

The overall standings

The Latvians set the best time on the first stage of Saturday, which gave them the lead of the rally. In the following stages their competitors tried to cut the gap, but Sesks' crew managed to keep first place and increase its advantage.

Second place belongs to Finnish driver Ropi Korhonen, who competes in a Toyota GR Yaris and trails by 10.5 seconds. In third is Frenchman Pablo Sarazēns, who is 24.7 seconds behind the leaders.

What lies ahead on Sunday

The decisive fight for victory takes place on Sunday, when the competitors must complete eight more stages.

This season Sesks and Francis had so far entered only one ERC round, finishing second in May at the Scandinavian Rally in Sweden. The Latvian crew also takes part in the World Rally Championship (WRC), and contests selected ERC rounds to gain experience and keep up their competitive rhythm.