Esapekka Lappi wins the Finnish Rally Championship – stunning performance from the Estonian driver

Lappi did not compete in the season opener in Kuopio, but joined the action at the traditional Arctic Rally. At the Arctic Circle, Tuukka Kauppinen beat Lappi, but after that it was nothing but a winning streak for the former WRC driver. Together with his co-driver Enni Mälkönen, Lappi claimed five consecutive victories and took the Finnish Championship title in dominant fashion.

Lappi still made it exciting at the end, but secured the rally by 5.9 seconds ahead of Estonia’s Patrick Enok.

“The car stalled. The same happened on stage eight, when it wouldn’t start again after braking at a junction. It just cut out. It didn’t really affect the overall result much,” Lappi laughed.

Lappi was pushed hard in Seinäjoki by Estonian surprise package Patrick Enok. Enok had already secured the SM2 class title in the previous rally and now stepped up to the top category. His performance was immediately impressive, as he finished just behind Lappi by a narrow margin.

“It’s great to be the benchmark for speed. If someone here beats me convincingly, then they are definitely ready for bigger arenas. That was quite a strong performance from him. He came straight in with a Rally2 car and set that kind of pace. He doesn’t have many sponsors, but hopefully he will for next year,” Lappi said.

“We are really pleased. It was wonderful to get here and drive such an incredible car. A big thank you to Printsport and Eero Räikkönen. It’s amazing that I got this opportunity,” Enok in turn stated.

In the final round of the Finnish Championship, Kauppinen finished third, securing the silver medal. Teemu Asunmaa, who placed fourth, took the bronze. Kauppinen lost 15.8 seconds to the leaders, while Asunmaa was 20.6 seconds adrift.

“I am definitely satisfied. We gave it everything and it was a close battle. Things have been going in the right direction all the time. This rally also showed that progress is coming. It takes hard work,” Kauppinen summed up.

“The season didn’t end the way I wanted, but this is still pretty good. Hopefully, I’ll get to continue competing,” Asunmaa added.

Niclas Grönholm was fifth in Seinäjoki, ahead of Anssi Rytkönen and Sweden’s Jari Liiten.

Last year, Lappi contested selected WRC rounds with Hyundai’s team. This year, no similar opportunity came up, so the driver from Pieksämäki decided to focus on other things. Yet the pull of rallying drew him back, and Lappi chose to enter the Finnish Championship.

The return to the national series immediately brought him the title. It was in this very championship that his breakthrough came in 2012, when he won all seven rounds.

Final results of the Finnish Championship Rally in Seinäjoki: