Racing team ERC takes front seat in European return
In the recently concluded European Rally Championship (ERC) event of the 81st Rally Poland, held in June 2025, Latvian driver Mārtiņš Sesks and his co-driver Renārs Francis emerged victorious, driving a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 with a final time of 1:37:56.4[1][2].
Sesks, competing with MRF Tyres and the SRT team, demonstrated a commanding performance, particularly in the early stages. He edged closest rival Roope Korhonen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) before Korhonen's crash ended his rally[1][3].
The top teams were predominantly running Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 cars, which are well-supported by Michelin tyres, the common choice in ERC competitions, although the exact tyre brand for each driver isn't explicitly stated in the search results[1][2][3].
The duel between Sesks and Korhonen was a highlight, with Sesks taking multiple stage wins and maintaining an overall lead until Korhonen’s unfortunate crash[3]. Other drivers like Mikołaj Marczyk, Armstrong, and Isak Reiersen also delivered strong performances.
Marczyk, the home hero, finished in third place, 12.5 seconds behind second-placed Korhonen before his crash. Armstrong, driving a Ford Fiesta Rally2 on Pirelli tyres, climbed to fourth place. Reiersen, driving a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, was in fifth place.
Mads Østberg, operating with a new co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini, found the day challenging due to adjusting to a new partnership. Despite this, he managed to finish the rally in sixth place. Mille Johansson battled setup issues and is in ninth place.
In the ERC3 class, Tymek Abramowski set the pace, completing the day's stages with a slender 8.6 second lead over Ville Vatanen. Title contender Andrea Mabellini had a difficult day, suffering tyre damage in the afternoon stages and had to nurse his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 through the final two stages with a bulging right rear tyre.
Jos Verstappen set the second fastest time on the day's final test and leads the Master ERC class by 29.4 seconds. In Junior ERC, Calle Carlberg topped the class by 28.2 seconds from Jaspar Vaher.
In summary, Sesks and Francis secured a dominant victory driving a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. Key rivals included Mikołaj Marczyk, Armstrong, and Korhonen (who crashed). The Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 was the dominant car, and while the exact tyre brands for each driver aren't confirmed, Michelin is a common choice in ERC competitions.
[1] Rally Poland official website [2] ERC official website [3] Unnamed news source, 2025 [4] Ford and Pirelli have a long-standing partnership, but the exact tyre brand for Armstrong's car was not specified in the search results.
In the summary, it was mentioned that the top teams predominantly used Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 cars, and while the exact tyre brands for each driver weren't confirmed, Michelin is a common choice in ERC competitions. Additionally, the dominance of Sesks and Francis in the European Rally Championship (ERC) event was evident as they competed with a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.
