Lappi was forced to retire on Friday after crashing his Hyundai into a pine tree during the Laukaa special stage. On Saturday, he managed to resume the competition, but encountered more problems during the Ouninpohja special stage, which concluded the morning loop.
This time, Lappi’s car suffered a tyre failure after he struggled to keep the vehicle fully on the road.
“There was a left turn where you jump over. I started to turn the car, but it didn’t grip. The car just slid and didn’t go sufficiently over the inside. Then we jumped, and when the car landed, it just slid into a ditch.”
“In the next right-hand bend, we were too much on the inside. It bumped into something, probably a stone. It could have been a lot worse. Such an incident doesn’t really boost confidence,” Lappi recounted.
Lappi had no confidence in his car during the Ouninpohja stage, leaving the Finn puzzled.
“The car was really bad there. It felt like we lost all the grip we had on the previous stage. I don’t understand how that’s possible. But that’s what happened.”
Lappi has no stakes for Saturday afternoon when the Västilä, Päijälä, and Ouninpohja special stages are repeated. However, he does have a task to fulfil.
“I suppose we’ll try something since the team wants to test things. And I’m a good guinea pig,” Lappi chuckled.
