The 2024 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) season has produced some mixed results for the M-Sport Ford team, though it has secured several podium finishes along the way and remains in the points hunt. In fact, M-Sport Ford secured its third straight podium finish and a successful debut for the non-hybrid Puma Rally1 at Rally Poland in early July, but that streak came to an end at Rally Latvia a few weeks later amid mechanical issues. Now, the M-Sport Ford rally team is looking ahead to Rally Chile this weekend.
There is reason for hope heading into Chile, as Mārtiņš Sesks and Renārs Francis are set to make their third appearance in the Ford Puma Rally1 after a solid start over the past couple of races – though what looked to be a sure-fire first place result in Latvia was spoiled by mechanical issues. However, in Poland, the duo snagged one second-fastest and multiple top-five times throughout the event, landing in fifth overall despite running the brand new non-hybrid version of the Puma Rally1 in that race for the first time.
“We are very grateful for the opportunity to drive a Rally1 car again, just two months after our previous rally,” Sesks said. “It’s been an incredible adventure so far, and the experience of driving keeps getting better. Competing in Chile in a Rally1 car is truly amazing, so I’d like to give a big thank you to M-Sport and the WRC Promoter for their support and cooperation. Of course, it will be quite a challenge, especially starting with a non-hybrid Rally1 car in a rally like this, on slower gravel and at high altitude, which is tough on both the car and the driver. It will be demanding, but we love challenges. Once again, we’ll be the underdogs, driving a rally we don’t know with a non-hybrid car. But I believe we are ready, and everyone is motivated to give our best performance, taking on another great adventure this year with M-Sport. We’re looking forward to it.”
“Mārtiņš made a strong impression in his previous two events with us, so it’s a pleasure to welcome him back to the team in Chile,” added M-Sport Ford Team Principal Richard Millener. “This will undoubtedly be a challenging event, completely different from the previous ones. With no prior experience on this tricky rally, it’s no easy task, but it’s a great opportunity for him to showcase his versatility and further establish himself as a future talent. We hope this experience will bolster his ambition to become a regular name in the Rally1 class.”
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