Together with his co-driver Enni Mälkönen, Lappi will contest a full season in the Finnish Rally Championship, and on top of that the pair will also compete with Hyundai in selected WRC rallies.
However, the first challenge of Lappi’s season begins already this weekend, as he starts the defence of his Finnish championship title. The Finnish Rally Championship season gets under way on Saturday in Mikkeli.
Last season, Lappi suffered a painful defeat in the Arctic Lapland Rally to the promising Tuukka Kauppinen, but then a winning streak that began in Savonlinna in March continued all the way to the end of the season. And the Finnish title followed.
Last season, Lappi wanted to act as a benchmark for the younger generation, and he intends to continue in the same role in the coming season as well. His pace was measured, among others, by Kauppinen himself, who will not, however, be on the starting line at the Mikkeli Rally.
When Rallyjournal.com asked Lappi who would be the reigning champion’s number one challenger in the upcoming FRC season, the experienced rally driver was left somewhat at a loss.
“I can’t really say anything about that. To be completely honest, I haven’t even looked at who has entered for Mikkeli,” Lappi said.
“I don’t know who is doing the full season. I’ve understood that Lauri Joona will be doing some events. (Mikko) Heikkilä will do some, and then there might be drivers from Toyota’s junior programme in certain rallies. I don’t know who is doing the full season, so I haven’t really been able to form a picture of it,” Lappi continued.
For Lappi, the Finnish Championship is his main series this year, but even so he wants to focus on simply enjoying it. Of course, every rally is still approached with the aim of winning and trying to leave everyone else behind.
“All of them have to be won. In that sense, it doesn’t change anything who is there,” Lappi stated firmly.
The opening round of the Finnish Rally Championship will be held in Mikkeli on 17 January.
