Sesks and Francis Begin Acropolis Rally, Eighth WRC Round
Latvian rally driver Mārtiņš Sesks and co-driver Renārs Francis start the eighth round of the World Rally Championship, the Acropolis Rally in Greece, on Thursday. The crew will compete in four more events this season, including Estonia, Finland, Italy, and possibly Saudi Arabia.
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The Latvian crew of Mārtiņš Sesks and Renārs Francis will begin the Acropolis Rally on Thursday evening, the eighth round of the WRC season. The first stage is set for 19:05 Latvian time. Friday and Saturday each feature six stages, while Sunday concludes with four stages.
After Greece, Sesks and Francis are scheduled to participate in four more WRC events. July brings the Rally Estonia (July 16–19) and Rally Finland (July 30 – August 2). October includes Rally Italia (October 1–4), and the season may end with Rally Saudi Arabia (November 11–14).
The start of the season was challenging for the Latvian duo. At Rally Sweden, they faced punctured tires and technical issues, preventing a strong result. In early May, they finished ninth at Rally Portugal.
M-Sport Ford's main lineup this season features two Irish drivers: Josh McErlean, who completed the full 2025 season, and John Armstrong, previously competing in junior WRC and the European Championship.
Last season, Sesks and Francis followed a similar program. At the season finale in Saudi Arabia, they were the fastest crew but could not fight for victory due to technical problems and punctures, ultimately not finishing.
The Latvian crew made their WRC debut in 2024 with three rallies. At the WRC round in Latvia, they finished seventh, losing a podium spot only on the final stage.


