After retiring on Friday, Lappi returned to the competition on Saturday morning. However, the first three stages of the morning proved eventful for the Finnish driver, as he suffered a puncture on each stage.
With little to gain on Saturday, Lappi made a revealing statement during the day service.
“We haven’t decided yet, but in my opinion, we should stop here,” Lappi surprised everyone.
“The car is still almost in one piece. This way, we could save the gearbox for tomorrow,” Lappi reasoned.
Punctures were not Lappi’s only issue. The long Sleeping Warrior stage was fraught with wildlife. Lappi naturally attempted to avoid hitting the animals, but he did not entirely succeed. He hit a zebra.
“That’s always very unfortunate. I really braked a lot when I saw them, and then I saw them passing. But then, there was one left. Unfortunately, we hit that one,” Lappi recounted.
“I guess it’s part of this Safari experience. When we are the first car on the road, we might face these kinds of elements, but it’s not nice to hit such a beautiful animal,” Lappi lamented.
Three more special stages are scheduled for Saturday in the Safari Rally. The competition concludes on Sunday, when points are awarded based on the day’s results and also for the Power Stage.
This is why Lappi is considering skipping Saturday afternoon’s stages, as he has no chance of earning points for the day’s finish.
