Lappi was beaten by young rising star Tuukka Kauppinen in the season opener in Rovaniemi, but now he has a new-generation Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, which he has been able to test for a few days. The two-time WRC rally winner heads to Savonlinna with renewed confidence.
“We’ve had two test days, and the new Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 feels good. On the second test day, we built different rear dampers and made quite a lot of other changes to the car. Now it feels pretty good! I was already able to push hard with it,” Lappi says.
“The new Skoda gives a great driving sensation, and I feel comfortable with the whole car. I was able to set it up to suit me, which required quite big changes. But now it feels like I can do anything with the car, anytime. And yet, the driving feels really safe.”
Lappi continues his Finnish Rally Championship campaign with Enni Mälkönen, who was previously the co-driver for Sami Pajari last season. Their partnership is improving with every rally.
“It’s easier to head into Savonlinna, as we’ve already done one rally together with Enni. A new car and new challenges, but our goal is still to perform well and compete with the top drivers,” Lappi says.
“I’ve never competed in a rally in Savonlinna before. Hopefully, we can be faster there than we were last time in Rovaniemi – and I believe that will be the case.”
The Savonlinna Finnish Rally Championship round features a total of seven special stages, all run on Saturday.
