(15.06.2025) Mārtiņš Sesks and Renārs Francis (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) secured a commanding victory in the ORLEN OIL 81st Rally Poland – repeating their 2023 triumph and setting the pace across the Masurian gravel.
The Latvian duo, representing Team MRF Tyres, dominated the event by winning nine of fourteen stages to finish 1:06.3 seconds clear of Mikołaj Marczyk and Szymon Gospodarczyk (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2). The Polish crew’s consistent drive was rewarded not only with second place in front of the home crowd but also with the lead in the ERC standings after four rounds. They now top the table with 81 points – 16 more than closest rival Mads Østberg.
Third overall went to Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne (Ford Fiesta Rally2), who capped off their best performance of the season with a 1:15.8 s deficit to the winners. It was Armstrong’s second career podium in an FIA ERC round – both achieved in Poland – following his maiden top-three finish at the 2024 Rally Silesia. This was also his first ever podium result on gravel.
The 81st edition of the ORLEN OIL Rally Poland (13–15 June) marked round four of the 2025 FIA European Rally Championship and round three of the Polish Rally Championship (RSMP). It was also the final gravel rally of the ERC season. The second oldest rally in the world celebrated its 54th inclusion in the European championship calendar – more than any other event globally.
The organisers laid out a demanding 793.6 km route, including 189.6 km of competitive distance across 14 gravel stages. Seventy crews lined up at the start, including 63 registered under the FIA ERC. The Polish national championship field included 29 entrants, with 19 eligible to score RSMP points. An impressive 32 R5/Rally2 cars took to the stages in Mikołajki, and 47 of the 70 competitors drove four-wheel drive machinery.
First Leg: Duel at the top
Friday’s action began with the 2.5-kilometre super special stage at Mikołajki Arena – a crowd-favourite venue with side-by-side rallycross-style duels. Mikołaj Marczyk and Szymon Gospodarczyk claimed their fourth ERC-stage victory at this venue by edging Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi by 0.1 seconds. Mārtiņš Sesks and Renārs Francis were third, 0.2 seconds behind.
On Saturday, three gravel stages – Świętajno (18.2 km), Olecko (13.4 km), and Stare Juchy (12.2 km) – were repeated, totalling six demanding competitive runs. Sesks dominated the leg, taking five stage wins and ending the day with a 21.4-second lead over Roope Korhonen and Anssi Viinikka (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2). Marczyk was third at +33.9 seconds, followed by Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne (Ford Fiesta Rally2, +41.4 s), and Isak Reiersen and Stefan Gustavsson (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, +48.1 s).
Second Leg: Korhonen retires, Sesks controls pace
Sunday’s itinerary featured three gravel stages – Mikołajki (7.6 km), Pozezdrze (20.0 km), and Gmina Mrągowo (15.2 km) – each run twice. The second pass of Gmina Mrągowo served as the rally’s Power Stage.
Leg 2 opened with SS9 Mikołajki, won by Isak Reiersen and Stefan Gustavsson (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2). Then came the defining moment of the rally – 4.9 km into SS10 Pozezdrze (20.0 km), Roope Korhonen and Anssi Viinikka (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) rolled out while running second. The incident not only ended their rally but also dashed their chances of defending the ERC lead. Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne were fastest on SS10, and Sesks took control again with a win on SS11 Gmina Mrągowo.
The Latvian extended his lead over Marczyk to over 40 seconds. Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne (Ford Fiesta Rally2) moved into third place and, despite a 10-second penalty for hitting a chicane, held off Isak Reiersen and Stefan Gustavsson (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2). Armstrong finished +1:15.8 behind the leader, while Reiersen was +1:37.9 adrift.
Sesks then swept SS12, SS13, and sealed the win with the best time on SS14 Power Stage – Gmina Mrągowo 2. Simone Tempestini and Sergiu Itu were third fastest on the final test, behind Armstrong and Byrne, with Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi finishing fourth, and Isak Reiersen and Stefan Gustavsson placing fifth.
“As I said, it’s always great to be back in Poland and to be back in red MRF livery” said Sesks at the finish.
“It’s good. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to keep the balance between the risk level and fighting for the Power Stage points. I am really happy to be on second place in Rally Polski,” summed up Marczyk.
Armstrong added: “Great weekend. Shane and the team did a great job. It’s been a bit of a bleak year in terms of results, so really happy for this.”
The final top five were: Mārtiņš Sesks / Renārs Francis (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) – 1:37:56.4; Mikołaj Marczyk / Szymon Gospodarczyk (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +1:06.3; Jon Armstrong / Shane Byrne (Ford Fiesta Rally2) +1:15.8; Isak Reiersen / Stefan Gustavsson (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +1:37.9; and Mads Østberg / Giovanni Bernacchini (Citroën C3 Rally2) +1:54.9.
Second consecutive ERC win for Poles
Tymoteusz Abramowski and Jakub Wróbel (Ford Fiesta Rally3) took a second straight ERC3 win, finishing 17.1 seconds ahead of Ville Vatanen and Jarno Ottman (Renault Clio Rally3). Tristan Charpentier and Florian Barral (Ford Fiesta Rally3) were third, 21.4 seconds off the leaders.
Calle Carlberg and Jørgen Eriksen (Opel Corsa Rally4) dominated Junior ERC with a 2:23.1 s advantage over Ioan Lloyd and Sion Williams (Peugeot 208 Rally4). Third place went to Tuukka Kauppinen and Vili Karttunen (Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 HF), who finished 3:07.5 behind the winners.
Marczyk regains the lead
With four rounds completed, Marczyk and Gospodarczyk lead the ERC standings with 81 points. The Polish crew regained the lead in the standings thanks to their second-place finish on home soil, which earned them 24 points in the overall classification. Mads Østberg holds second position with 65 points. Korhonen, Reiersen and Mabellini are tied at 60 points each, while Armstrong moved up to sixth with 46 points. Johansson has 41 points, followed by Sesks on 35, Gryazin on 34, and Brynildsen on 31.
The ERC now moves into its tarmac-only phase, beginning with the next round – Rally di Roma Capitale, scheduled for 4–6 July.
ORLEN OIL 81st Rally Poland – final standings:
1. Sesks/Francis (LVA/LVA, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) 1:37:56.4
2. Marczyk/Gospodarczyk (POL/POL, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +1:06.3
3. Armstrong/Byrne (IRL/IRL, Ford Fiesta Rally2) +1:15.8
4. Reiersen/Gustavsson (SWE/SWE, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +1:37.9
5. Østberg/Bernacchini (NOR/ITA, Citroën C3 Rally2) +1:54.9
6. Tempestini/Itu (ROU/ROU, Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo) +2:48.2
7. Johansson/Grönvall (SWE/SWE, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +2:53.5
8. Mabellini/Lenzi (ITA/ITA, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +3:01.3
9. Matulka/Syty (POL/POL, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +3:36.1
10. Bubik/Sadowski (POL/POL, Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo) +4:48.4
FIA ERC standings after ORLEN OIL 81st Rally Poland (round 4/8):
1. Marczyk/Gospodarczyk (POL/POL) 81 pkt
2. Mads Ostberg (NOR) 65 pkt
3. Korhonen/Viinikka (FIN/FIN) 60 pkt
4. Reiersen/Gustavsson (SWE/SWE) 60 pkt
5. Mabellini/Lenzi (ITA/ITA) 60 pkt
6. Armstrong/Byrne (IRL/IRL) 46 pkt
7. Johansson/Grönvall (SWE/SWE) 41 pkt
8. Sesks/Francis (LVA/LVA) 35 pkt
9. Gryazin/Aleksandrov (BGR/BGR) 34 pkt
10. Brynildsen/Listerud (NOR/NOR) 31 pkt
