Ferret: Having covered all the planned 700 kilometers, this will already be our victory (VIDEO)

“M-Sport Ford” boss Malcolm Wilson and Mārtiņš Sesks. Photo: Ivo Peršević / Robyworks

“This crazy idea to put us in a Rally1 class car came from Raimonds Strokš,” he says Martin Sesks. “I remember that together with Raimonds we went to my father Uldis, who is very close to all our sports processes. We presented this idea to him, but at that moment he looked at us very skeptically. But our ability to find the right channels, as well as our ERC results last year, allowed us to be more interesting in the eyes of others. All this also coincided with the fact that the WRC organizer was also thinking about the development of young drivers in order to give opportunities to young talents.”

“The first meeting with the team and the M-Sport Ford car factory has taken place, we have traveled a little (about 70 km) and the first stress and anxiety is gone. Yes, at the first moment, when driving out of the garage, my legs were stiff, but I think that in the next training sessions, the understanding will be greater. In these first small tests, the main thing was to get to know all the controls, control systems, so that in the future, when we sit in this car again, we feel at home.”

Cesk explained the difference between a non-hybrid and a hybrid car, and revealed how the hybrid system actually works in the Rally1 car. “Driving without a hybrid (not in terms of results) will be easier, because we will always have these 380-400 HP available from the internal combustion engine. When we move to the hybrid drive, there will be moments when the hybrid shuts down. I myself will know when it happens because it adjusts with the gas pedal. And in this case, we can have 400 hp and after a while already 500 hp. It can definitely complicate things for Renard, because sometimes not seeing when I’ve used this hybrid, the acceleration can be both faster and slower for us.” When asked how the hybrid works, Mārtiņš continues. ”This hybrid has automatic regeneration, which we adjust before the stage. When the car is charging, which happens through braking, I get a light on the display telling me that I have the power of this hybrid available. The gas pedal has two stops – the first is for 70% internal combustion engine and after you press the pedal all the way, the next 30% follows, which is hybrid energy, which also gives us that extra 100 hp. We talked with the engineer that such places where this hybrid power could be used should be marked in the transcript so that the helmsman and I would be prepared, but first we would go through all this through training to understand how to use this hybrid energy better and more correctly. It is clear that there is no need to use this extra energy when driving out of a corner when the wheels are already spinning. Consequently, it will be necessary to find places where the best use of this additional power can be made.”

Mārtiņš added that the primary task of the Polish WRC will be to integrate into the team and get along with the machine, as the technological differences are very large. The crew will be given little time to learn. On the other hand, the crew of “Tet Rally Latvia” will be like an exam, where they will drive the same car as all other drivers of the Rally1 class. The crew is sure that many will follow and look at their results.

Raimonds Strokšs added that Sesks could have driven about 700 kilometers by the time of Tet Rally Latvia. “If everything goes as it should happen, it is planned to drive around 200 kilometers in the tests before the Polish WRC, then 300 kilometers will follow in the Polish rally, after which another 200 kilometers long tests before the Tet Rally Latvia. Together, they could be around 700 kilometers, which is a lot and quite important,” he says Raimonds Strokhs. “Talking with the WRC organizer and M-Sport Ford, the most important thing for us in these two stages is to cover all the kilometers. By showing this stability, this will already be our victory. It should be noted that Rally1 drivers have covered several thousand kilometers, so we will have little time to be competitive right away. At this level, the last tenths of a second are the most difficult to find, and in these 700 kilometers we will hardly be able to find them right away, but it will be relatively easier to drive up to a certain level,” adds 2023 ERC vice-champion Sesks.

Meanwhile Renard Francis noted that there are several things about this Rally1 car that are much different than the Rally2 car. “The difference with the Rally2 car is huge. Personally, I was most impressed by the handling of the Rally1 machine. It looked like you could drive with two fingers and steer wherever you wanted, because the handling of the car was very easy. That’s why I think that Mārtiņš will have to put himself in the frame, because he will have to be able to control himself that the car drives so easily. Then I would definitely note the braking, which was also impressive. I would rank that car’s acceleration in last place between those three things. The sitting position was also higher and I really liked it.” Also, the athlete added that this car allows a lot, sometimes even so much that it is difficult to use at certain times.