Škoda driver Esapekka Lappi is chasing not only his fifth consecutive victory in Seinäjoki, but also the Finnish title.
Lappi’s FRC season began at the start of the year with second place in Rovaniemi. In the traditional Arctic Lapland Rally, rising star Tuukka Kauppinen still managed to beat the experienced campaigner, but since then Lappi has been in a class of his own.
His winning streak started in March in Savonlinna and continued with further victories in Turku, Kouvola and Lahti.
After such a dominant run, Lappi’s Finnish title only awaits its final seal. He heads to Seinäjoki with a safe 31-point lead over Kauppinen. The last round of the season offers increased points – the rally winner will collect a maximum of 34. In practice, Lappi will secure the title simply by reaching the finish.
“I’m heading into the season finale in good spirits. It’s just a shame that the series ends here. I’ve really enjoyed competing in the Finnish Championship,” said Lappi.
Before returning to the FRC, Lappi competed in the World Rally Championship, where he has claimed two career victories. His first came in the 2017 Rally Finland with Toyota, and the most recent in February 2024 at Rally Sweden with Hyundai.
Lappi has made it clear that he is no longer interested in doing a full WRC season. However, he admits that the future direction of his career remains open.
“After Seinäjoki we’ll think about what to do next. The great enjoyment for this sport has returned. Even working on the car, which is part of how you start out in this sport, has been enjoyable, and there have been plenty of other nice moments this season too,” Lappi explained.
This year the 34-year-old has been by far the most convincing and fastest driver in the Finnish series. He has no intention of playing it safe in Seinäjoki either.
“We’re going there to win. Driving slowly doesn’t serve the purpose for which I entered this series. If I drive cautiously, I can’t enjoy the driving – and also, for example, our car doesn’t work properly then,” Lappi stated firmly.
“Winning and the title are great achievements, but when you turn the coin over, will they really change my future one way or the other? We’re not going there to lose, but whether our normal pace is enough for victory, you never know. In Seinäjoki there’s a good line-up of SM1 drivers fighting for the win,” Lappi added.
