Drivers competing in Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 cars won six of the seven rounds of this year's FIA European Rally Championship. At the final event of the season in Portugal, Latvian driver Mārtiņš Sesks capped off this record with an outstanding performance.
In a year in which Škoda Motorsport is celebrating 125 years of motorsport, the manufacturer's racing department has enjoyed an exceptionally successful season. This was also confirmed by the final round of the FIA European Rally Championship. In Portugal where as many as five Škoda drivers finished in the points-scoring top ten, with victory going to Mārtiņš Sesks in a Fabia RS Rally2 entered by Team MRF Tyres.
His lead of more than one minute at the finish of the rally might suggest that Sesks had an easy route to victory. However, the opposite was true. Although Sesks took the lead at the very beginning of Saturday's programme and remained at the front throughout the day, his advantage over his rivals barely exceeded ten seconds. On Sunday, moreover, it gradually faded, second by second and tenth by tenth, until Sesks lost the lead on the thirteenth special stage, partly due to problems with the shock absorbers. However, the Latvian driver and his co-driver Renārs Francis refused to give up.
Two special stages later, they managed to take advantage of technical problems affecting their main rival, Roope Korhonen, and moved into the lead. They then managed to protect their position until the finish. "Today was not easy at all for either Roope or us, as we both had some technical problems. In the end, we were luckier, but both yesterday and today we had to push hard in terms of pace. Yesterday, especially at the beginning, we were really going all out. Today, it was more about finding out what we could and could not manage. In the end, we opted for a more cautious approach, and it paid off," Sesks said when assessing his performance at the finish.
Four other drivers competing in Škoda cars also left Portugal with points. Jan Solans finished fourth, followed by Simone Tempestini in fifth place. With a relatively low-profile performance, he secured fourth place overall in the championship. Seventh place went to the home crew of Armindo Araújo and Luís Ramalho, while last year's champion, Miko Marczyk, finished eighth. Thanks to his consistently strong performances, he ultimately secured second place overall in this year's FIA European Rally Championship.
As many as seven drivers competing in Škoda cars finished in the top ten of the final championship standings. Drivers at the wheel of Fabia RS Rally2 cars also secured victories in six of the seven rounds of this year's championship. Škoda Motorsport can therefore look back on this season with great satisfaction. Among other things, the racing department's intensive support for teams, provided in the form of engineering assistance, a spare parts truck and a special Bonus Programme, also proved worthwhile. "It was a very successful season, both for the ERC and for Škoda Motorsport. We had a record number of crews and teams entered, and the results exceeded our expectations," said Lukáš Paták, Škoda Motorsport Customer Programme Coordinator, assessing the season.
A total of 22 teams and 33 drivers took part in the Škoda Motorsport Bonus Programme this year. Of the maximum €280,000 allocated across the seven events, the teams received rewards in the form of spare parts vouchers worth €200,000. In addition, two crews earned a significant discount on a new car thanks to their results. "It really was a great season. We are looking forward to seeing what next year will bring," added Lukáš Paták.
