Lancia turn to Martins Sesks, Teemu Suninen to help develop rally car

Martins Sesks and Teemu Suninen joined Lancia for a development test in Finland to help the Italian brand optimise its new Ypsilon Rally2 car for upcoming gravel rallies. 

Lancia headed to Finland’s fast gravel roads this week to prepare for the World Rally Championship’s visit to the nation, which will host round 10 of the championship (30 July- 2 August. That rally will also mark the first WRC fast gravel event for the new Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, with five cars set to tackle the rally.

The Italian brand has already tasted victory this year on asphalt with factory drivers Yohan Rossel and Nikolay Gryazin enjoying wins in Croatia, Canary Islands and Japan respectively, but it is yet to snare a podium on gravel. 

To help optimise the car ahead of Rally Finland, factory Lancia drivers Rossel and Grayzin were joined by Sesks and Suninen for this week’s test. Both drivers are renowned for their skills on fast gravel rallies.

“We ran Martins Sesks and Teemu Suninen, because they bring valuable experience on surfaces they know particularly well,” read a statement issued to Motorsport.com from Lancia Corse.  

Yohan Rossel, Arnaud Dunand, Lancia Corse HF Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale

Photo by: McKlein Photography / LAT Images via Getty Images

“To optimise the car’s settings, it is essential to multiply approaches and rely on varied feedback. Of course, Yohan Rossel and Nikolay Gryazin also took part in these test sessions to contribute to the development of the car.”

Sesks, who has been contesting a part-time WRC Rally1 campaign with M-Sport-Ford, joined the test on Monday. The Latvian is set to be back in WRC action next week at Rally Estonia before piloting a M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 at Rally Finland.

It is understood Suninen took over the wheel on Tuesday, fresh from finishing second at Rally di Roma last week. The Finn is contesting the full European Rally Championship, which he currently leads, alongside a programme in WRC2.