Lappi completely failed in Latvia, but now he is eagerly anticipating the upcoming race. Rally Finland is the season’s biggest highlight for Lappi as well.
“This is always the rally you look forward to the most, there’s no getting around it,” Lappi admitted.
“This is the best rally, and it’s the shortest distance from home. That alone gives a good feeling. I think I was out for a run with my son on Monday, as I was home by four o’clock. Since then, I’ve had a good feeling,” Lappi continued.
The route for Rally Finland is particularly exciting this year. It offers, among other things, a so-called long version of the legendary Ouninpohja stage.
“The route is really sweet. Of course, it rained a bit during reconnaissance, and rain is forecasted steadily throughout the weekend, so the insides of the roads are already becoming soft. When you push the tyres in, they start to dig in a lot. I had to note in several pace notes that it ‘digs in’. It’s going to be interesting to see how the situation develops. The shakedown was surprisingly dry,” Lappi pondered.
“It’s very difficult to predict the weather, as it changes so much from day to day,” Lappi continued.
If it rains, it also changes the driving style.
“You have to be more aggressive. You need to spin the wheels more to throw the mud off. The grip variations are really extreme, so it makes this quite challenging,” Lappi said.
Lappi got a positive start to his race weekend on Thursday morning when he beat his compatriot Kalle Rovanperä and was the fastest driver in the shakedown.
“It left a good feeling, and it went through with surprisingly few changes. The conditions in testing were, of course, completely different, as it was 28 degrees Celsius, so it doesn’t quite match this, but the settings were surprisingly good nonetheless. It was just a shakedown, but it certainly doesn’t hurt if you can be fast there,” Lappi said.
A hot topic before the competition has been the so-called virtual chicane, which can be found on the Ouninpohja stage. The setup has not garnered thanks from the drivers. And certainly not from Lappi.
“The idea, in my opinion, is fine. The implementation is rubbish. Not from the organisers this time, but from our safety organisation; it’s completely bollocks. They don’t give us speed information on the display. I have to look down myself to see when the green light comes on, while doing two hundred kilometres an hour and starting to brake. For example, on the shakedown, the speed limit was 60, and we dropped to 46 when the green light comes on so late,” Lappi criticised.
“They could give the information to the driver’s display if they wanted to, but it’s not allowed. And then this is supposed to be safe!” Lappi charged.
Lappi is genuinely concerned for his and his co-driver Janne Ferm’s safety.
“In Ouninpohja, we come so fast to that point, as fast as these cars go, and then I have to start looking at the display. The co-driver can look at it too, of course, but there’s a delay there as well,” Lappi lamented.
Rally Finland kicks off on Thursday evening in the traditional way with the Harju spectator stage. The stage is not among many drivers’ favourites, but it has earned its permanent place in Rally Finland.
“It’s not my favourite, but sometimes it has gone quite well. It usually ends up with you not wanting to make a mistake, and because of that, the braking points aren’t quite on the limit. But so many people come to watch that it has to be part of this rally. Still, it’s great to go driving there, no doubt about that,” Lappi said.
Lappi has had great success in Finland in previous years and also celebrated his first career victory in Finland when he won with Toyota in 2017. Lappi’s strategy for his home rally is very simple.
“Get to the lead and escape,” Lappi laughed.
