(14.06.2025) Latvia’s Martins Sesks produced a dominant display on the opening leg of ORLEN OIL 81st Rally Poland, moving into a 21.4-second lead after eight demanding gravel stages in the Masurian Lake District.
Together with co-driver Renars Francis, Sesks (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) claimed five stage wins across Saturday’s itinerary, bouncing back from a minor off on SS3 to stamp his authority on round four of the 2025 FIA European Rally Championship.
The duel with Finland’s Roope Korhonen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) delivered thrilling stage wins exchanges throughout the day. After sharing the honours during the morning loop (2:1 in Sesks’ favour), the afternoon saw the Latvian inch further ahead – despite another small moment on SS7, where he briefly lost the rear end in a high-speed corner.
“It has been a good day overall,” said Sesks at the end of SS8. “We had two small moments, but nothing serious. The car was great, the roads were fast, and I’m happy with the pace. Tomorrow we just need to keep it clean.”
Korhonen and co-driver Anssi Viinikka (FIN/FIN), who opened the weekend as FIA ERC points leaders with 60 points, settled for second at day’s end, still very much in contention ahead of Sunday’s deciding leg. “It’s been a fun day,” Korhonen commented. “We’re pushing, the stages are beautiful and fast – but we must stay sharp. Anything can happen tomorrow.” With his focus on the title race, the Finnish driver remains cautious about taking unnecessary risks.
Third overall are Poland’s Mikołaj Marczyk and Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL/POL, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2), 33.9 seconds off the lead. The 2022 Rally Poland winners pushed hard throughout the day in front of home fans, even closing the gap to Korhonen to just three seconds after SS4. Marczyk, second in the ERC standings on 57 points, is also taking a calculated approach.
“Today was about staying consistent,” Marczyk said after SS7. “We made some changes to the car and the balance improved. It’s always special to compete here – the fans, the atmosphere, everything feels great.”
Podium chase intensifies
Behind the leading trio, a tight battle unfolded among several ERC contenders looking to mount a Sunday charge. Ireland’s Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne (IRL/IRL, Ford Fiesta Rally2) sit fourth overall, 41.4 seconds off the lead. The M-Sport crew delivered a strong and steady performance throughout the leg, recording three third-fastest stage times – on SS4 (Stare Juchy 1), SS5 (Świętajno 2), and SS7 (Stare Juchy 2) – to firmly position themselves within reach of the podium.
Fifth place is held by Sweden’s Isak Reiersen and Stefan Gustavsson (SWE/SWE, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2), who ended the leg 48.1 seconds adrift. On his first Rally Poland appearance, the 21-year-old showed mature, mistake-free driving and solid speed across all stages.
Mads Østberg and Giovanni Bernacchini (NOR/ITA, Citroën C3 Rally2) are sixth (+1:05.1). The former WRC event winner started the day in fifth but slipped one position during the second loop, unable to match the pace of the frontrunners despite maintaining reliable stage rhythm.
Romania’s Simone Tempestini and Sergiu Itu (ROU/ROU, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) are seventh (+1:21.3), followed closely by Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi (ITA/ITA, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, +1:23.9). The Italians ended the day on a high by winning SS8 – Mikołajki Arena 2, securing Mabellini’s 16th career ERC stage victory.
Sweden’s Mille Johansson and Johan Grönvall (SWE/SWE, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) are ninth overall (+1:36.4), with Poland’s Jakub Matulka and Damian Syty (POL/POL, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) rounding out the top ten after a consistent run across all eight stages (+1:48.9).
Polish Championship (RSMP): Marczyk dominates, Grzyb out for good
Within the Polish Rally Championship field (RSMP), Mikołaj Marczyk and Szymon Gospodarczyk (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) put in a commanding performance throughout the opening leg. After winning all three stages in the morning loop and three more in the afternoon, the multiple national champions closed Saturday with a 55:24.0 total time, building a lead of 1:15.0 over their nearest rivals.
That second spot is held by Jakub Matulka and Damian Syty (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, +1:15.0 s), who have shown excellent pace and consistency all day. Third overall are Krzysztof Bubik and Adrian Sadowski (Škoda Fabia R5), sitting +2:03.9 behind the leaders after eight stages.
Jakub Brzeziński and Jakub Gerber (Citroën C3 Rally2) hold fourth place in RSMP (+2:31.8), just ahead of Jarosław Szeja and Marcin Szeja (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, +2:54.0), who won the day-ending SSS8 in the national field.
Earlier in the day, Grzegorz Grzyb and Adam Binięda (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) retired following a slow-speed roll on SS2. Though the car landed on its wheels and continued briefly, the crew ultimately withdrew – and it has since been confirmed they will not restart on Sunday.
Abramowski leads ERC3 and RSMP3 after clean day
Tymoteusz Abramowski and Jakub Wróbel (Ford Fiesta Rally3) delivered one of the standout performances of the day. The Polish crew leads both the ERC3 classification and RSMP’s Class 3, combining consistency and speed to outpace their rivals in the Rally3 category across both championships.
Adrian Rzeźnik and Kamil Kozdroń, early ERC3 leaders, retired after suffering two punctures and carrying only one spare.
Abramowski and Wróbel now hold an 8.6-second advantage over Finland’s Ville Vatanen and Jarno Ottman (Renault Clio Rally3), with France’s Tristan Charpentier and Florian Barral (Ford Fiesta Rally3) third (+26.4 s).
In ERC4 and Junior ERC, Sweden’s Calle Carlberg and Norway’s Jørgen Eriksen (Opel Corsa Rally4) continue to lead the way, having set the pace from the start.
What’s next?
Sunday’s final leg (15 June) includes six more stages – again three repeated: Mikołajki (7.6 km), Pozezdrze (20.0 km), and Gmina Mrągowo (15.2 km). The second pass of Gmina Mrągowo will run as the Power Stage, awarding bonus points in both the ERC and RSMP standings to the five fastest crews.
The rally wraps up with the official podium ceremony in Mikołajki’s Market Square at 17:30.
ORLEN OIL 81st Rally Poland – overall classification after leg 1:
1. Sesks/Francis (LVA/LVA, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) 54:50.1 s
2. Korhonen/Viinikka (FIN/FIN, Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +21.4 s
3. Marczyk/Gospodarczyk (POL/POL, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) 33.9 s
4. Armstrong/Byrne (IRL/IRL, Ford Fiesta Rally2) +41.4 s
5. Reiersen/Gustavsson (SWE/SWE, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +48.1 s
6. Østberg/Bernacchini (NOR/ITA, Citroën C3 Rally2) +1:05.1 s
7. Tempestini/Itu (ROU/ROU, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +1:21.3 s
8. Mabellini/Lenzi (ITA/ITA, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +1:23.9 s
9. Johansson/Grönvall (SWE/SWE, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +1:36.4 s
10. Matulka/Syty (POL/POL, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +1:48.9 s