Just a few days remain until the official start of the FIA European Rally Championship 2024 and MRF Tyres Europe, the Indian tire manufacturer and winner of the European title in 2022, is gearing up for another intense season in the top continental series by confirming the official drivers who will represent the brand’s colors.
After the great second place of 2023 season Mārtiņš Sesks and Francis Renārs (LV) will continue with MRF Tyres Europe for the third season. The big news for the Latvian crew is the car, as Mārtiņš and Francis will debut the MRF tires with the brand-new Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 managed by Sports Racing Technologies, the team with which Sesks also raced last season.
Mārtiņš Sesks: “I can’t wait to start this season. The second place in 2023 is an important starting point. Almost everything will be new for us, we’ll have to get to understand the car as quickly as possible, but we can rely on the performance and experience of MRF Tyres. We will give it our all”.
Efrén Llarena and Sara Fernandez (ESP) are preparing to start their third season with the colors of MRF Tyres Europe after finishing fourth last year and the success at their debut in 2022. In his seventh season in the FIA ERC, Llarena is one of the most experienced drivers and will start with a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.
Efrén Llarena: “I am proud to be able to defend the colors of MRF Tyres Europe again this year. In the last two seasons we have achieved many satisfactions together, and we are determined to do our best for this new chapter. The level of the FIA ERC is rising year by year, becoming an increasingly exciting competition capable of attracting great interest, so we will give it our all right from the start”.
Following a truly remarkable 2023 season, Andrea Mabellini, alongside Virginia Lenzi, will be the third official driver for MRF Tyres Europe this season. Starting with the Škoda Fabia Rally2 managed by the Italian Delta Rally with which he concluded last season by winning the ACI Rally Monza, Mabellini aims high in his second full season in the FIA ERC with a Rally2 car.
Andrea Mabellini: “I can only be proud to represent MRF Tyres Europe also for this season after an intense 2023. The brand has done so much for European rallying in recent years and has a cutting-edge tire package with which we have worked intensively throughout the last year. I can’t wait to start, we are charged and determined to achieve great satisfactions together”.
Italian driver Giacomo Costenaro, co-drived by Justin Bardini, will strengthen MRF Tyres’ presence as part of the customer racing. Costenaro, driving a Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo managed by Delta Rally, will compete in a selected series of events starting from the Rally Hungary, the first round of the FIA ERC scheduled in Veszprém next weekend.
Vivek Ponnusamy, CEO of MRF Tyres Europe: “We’re ready for this new chapter in the FIA European Rally Championship with an absolutely valuable lineup. Martins, Efrén, and Andrea have already achieved important satisfactions and we decided to continue with them to give continuity to a project that has a dual purpose: the sporting result and the development of our tires. We have all it takes to aim high and we will do so from the first race in Hungary”.
FIA European Rally Championship 2024 | Calendar
12-14 April V. Rally Hungary Gravel
2-4 May Rally Islas Canarias Tarmac
13-15 June Royal Rally of Scandinavia, Sweden Gravel
5-7 July Rally Estonia Gravel
26-28 July Rally di Roma Capitale, Italy Tarmac
16-18 August Barum Czech Rally Zlín Tarmac
30 Aug-1 Sep Rali Ceredigion, United Kingdom Tarmac
11-13 October Rally Silesia, Poland Tarmac