Martins Sesks will make his rally-raid debut this weekend at Baja Poland 2026. The M-Sport Ford driver will compete in the T3 class aboard a Viking Challenger built by Sports Racing Technologies (SRT) at the FIA European Baja Cup event, running from August 27-30.
The decision comes amid Sesks' part-time WRC campaign. After competing in Greece, Estonia, and Finland, the Latvian has skipped Rally Paraguay and Chile. He will return to the Puma Rally1 at Rally Italy Sardinia on October 1-4.
For Sesks, Baja Poland is more than just a warm-up. It is a real test to understand the rally-raid philosophy, which differs greatly from traditional rallying. "This will be a completely new experience for me and a great challenge. I'm really looking forward to making my debut," he said.
Navigation and Strategy: Sesks' Biggest Test
Sesks admits the most striking difference lies in navigation. In traditional rallying, he and co-driver Renars Francis rely on detailed pace notes. In rally-raid, the route remains unknown until the start, using a roadbook, so a navigation mistake can be costly.
"Here, the co-driver acts as a navigator who must recognize the terrain and give precise instructions. One navigation mistake can result in a huge loss of time," Sesks explained. He also highlighted that special stages can last several hours, demanding careful energy and risk management.
SRT boss Girts Kruzmanis emphasized that the Viking Challenger was designed from day one to win rally-raid events, with the ultimate goal of victory at the Dakar Rally. "There is something particularly special about seeing a Latvian driver behind the wheel of a car developed and built in Latvia," he said.
This debut also serves as a development opportunity for SRT. Sesks is expected to provide valuable feedback to accelerate the evolution of the Viking Challenger towards the biggest stage in rally-raid.
Baca Juga
Martins Sesks debut di Baja Poland 2026 bersama SRT dengan Viking Challenger kelas T3. Uji nyali sebelum kembali ke WRC di Sardinia.
Sami Pajari siap lanjutkan tren kemenangan di Reli Paraguay 2025. Pembalap Toyota itu kini kedua di klasemen WRC, 30 poin di belakang Elfyn Evans.
Hayden Paddon tak mau terbebani jelang debut gravel Rally1 di Reli Paraguay. Ia bidik hasil maksimal dengan status nothing to lose bersama Hyundai.
Lanjutkan dengan Google
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