After four special stages, Lappi is in second place, 15.5 seconds behind the rally leader, Toyota’s Kalle Rovanperä. The driver from Pieksämäki logged all his stage times in the top three on Friday morning.
“Not too rough. Exactly what I expected. I have to say maybe performance wise, we are better than I was expecting. So that’s always a very positive,” Lappi said.
“I’m very comfortable. I was actually very surprised about the times. So if needed, I can push more. For sure the risk is higher, but it doesn’t really feel we are pushing. It feels we are just coming through the stages and waiting what´s coming.”
Many drivers, including Lappi, complained about the car’s balance during the morning loop. In Kenya, car settings are always a compromise.
“When driving really fast and getting to fifth gear, the car doesn’t work anymore. The shock absorbers can’t dampen enough. There are a lot of surprises, and it hits pretty hard. There are surprises in even the strangest places. It’s no longer fun,” Lappi summed up.
“However, the car works well in slow sections. We managed to solve the pushing problem after the first stage. This is a good place to continue from, but we have to be cautious.”
Especially in bumps and jumps, problems became apparent.
“The last stage, I was a bit afraid. When we enter with the fifth gear, then it’s not fun anymore. I normally like the high speed places, but at the moment I cannot. There is so many surprises,” Lappi stated.
“Like we saw just before the finish, I was caught out with a small bump and I had some other similar cases, even on the straight line. I cannot really enjoy. But other than that, it’s been good morning.”
The Safari Rally continues after the service break on Friday with three special stages. The rally ends on Sunday.
