Team MRF Tyres’ Martins Sesks and co-driver Renars Francis scored a dominant victory at Rally Liepaja, Round 4 of the 2023 European Rally Championship (ERC). Sesks also won the last round in Poland, so this makes him the only driver to win two events so far this season.
- Sesks wins, 41.4 secs ahead of Paddon
- Ostberg third, handing MRF a double podium result
- MRF leads ERC standings by 49 points
Sesks claims dominant Rally Liepaja victory for MRF Tyres
Driving a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 car, Sesks led the rally from start to finish. Championship leader Hayden Paddon also dropped his pace and settled for second place, in a bid to score another strong points haul.
Sesks ended up winning with a lead of 41.4secs on home soil. He’s now closed in to within 30 points of Paddon in the championship. “What an incredible rally! I must thank my team and MRF Tyres for giving me such a fantastic car,” said an elated Sesks. “The tyres were amazing throughout the weekend and really allowed me to push. To win at home once again is amazing. There were so many fans lining the stages! I am looking forward to the next round in Sweden.”
MRF secures double podium finish
Despite struggling with grip, Mads Ostberg and co-driver Patrik Barth took third place for the MRF Tyres Dealer Team in their Citroen C3 Rally2. The Norwegian pair set competitive times throughout the rally to take their second podium of the season.
Two more MRF-fielded cars finished within the top 10, with the Spanish duo of Efren Llarena and Sara Fernandez ninth, ahead of Italians Simone Campedelli and Tania Canto.
At the halfway mark of the 2023 ERC, MRF holds on to its lead at the top of the standings, 49 points ahead of BRC Racing Team. Last year, MRF sealed the ERC title, becoming the first-ever Indian team to win a championship in top-level European rallying.
Dinshaw Magol
