Mārtiņš Sesks and co-driver Renārs Francis opened the final round of the 2026 European Rally Championship with a fourth-place finish on Friday evening during the opening stage of the Rally Six Cities North of Portugal, trailing stage winner Simone Tempestini by 1.6 seconds across the 2.92-kilometer test, rekurzeme.lv reported.

Opening Stage Battle in Northern Portugal

Driving their MRF-backed Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, the Liepāja-based crew navigated the short initial test in northern Portugal to place fourth among 45 competing crews in the international class. Romania’s Simone Tempestini set the benchmark time in the opening superspecial, edging the Latvian tandem by less than two seconds.

Nikolay Gryazin, competing under a neutral status, slotted into second place in a Lancia Corse HF entry just 1.2 seconds off the pace, while France’s Pablo Sarrazin claimed third for Espoir FFSA, sitting 1.4 seconds behind Tempestini. Sesks and Francis slotted directly into fourth, establishing an early foothold in an event that features 64 total crews spanning national and European championships.

Shakedown Dominance and Deep Ruts

The strong start followed a commanding run through Friday morning’s free practice and qualifying sessions, where Sesks initially showed rapid pace before seizing the top spot. Sportacentrs.com reported that after Kris Meeke led the opening practice run in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, Sesks responded by topping the second training session ahead of Roope Korhonen and Gryazin.

During the qualifying run—marked by deeply eroded ruts in the road surface—Sesks dominated the timing screens. Korhonen finished 0.7 seconds back in second, while Sarrazin took third despite reporting minor technical difficulties with his Lancia.

Mabellini and Marczyk Fight for Second Place

The 2026 FIA European Rally Championship finale brings a massive international field to Portuguese tarmac and gravel, featuring 31 Rally2 machines and 44 crews fighting specifically for ERC points. Go4speed.lv reported that while Teemu Suninen secured the overall ERC drivers’ title last month at the Rali Ceredigion, the fight for second place remains wide open between Andrea Mabellini and defending 2025 champion Miko Marczyk, who are separated by just six points.

Sesks and Francis enter the Portuguese finale as part of a selective 2026 international schedule designed to mix outings in the World Rally Championship with targeted European appearances to maintain rhythm across changing surfaces. The entry list for the Rally Six Cities North of Portugal also includes WRC2 race winners Leo Rossel, Jan Solans, and multi-time American rally champion Brandon Semenuk.

What Lies Ahead in the ERC Finale

Competitors face a demanding schedule across Saturday and Sunday, with 17 total stages covering 181.1 competitive kilometers.