Ferm announced after last year’s Rally Chile that he would no longer continue as Esapekka Lappi’s co-driver. Their partnership spanned an impressive 15 seasons.
Now, Ferm is returning to the co-driver’s seat in just over a week – this time in the Finnish Rally Championship. He will team up with multiple Finnish champion Teemu Asunmaa for the Kuopio SM-Rally.
“There’s a change on the co-driver front, as Ville Mannisenmäki moves on to other responsibilities. However, there’s no lack of experience in the cabin, as Janne Ferm will join for the first two events of the season, Kuopio and Tunturi,” Asunmaa shared on Instagram.
Ferm won the Finnish Rally Championship with Lappi in 2012 but hasn’t been a regular in national rally competitions since then. In 2021, Lappi and Ferm competed in the Lahti SM-Rally with a Toyota Yaris N5, securing victory in the SM2 class.
In 2023, they participated in the Kuopio SM-Rally as part of testing with Hyundai’s Rally1 car to prepare for Rally Sweden. However, the duo slid into a snowbank on the penultimate stage, losing around ten minutes.
At 44, Ferm has never previously competed alongside Teemu Asunmaa. This season, Asunmaa will again drive a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, with RTE-Motorsport providing team support. The team has ties to Esapekka Lappi.
Asunmaa and Ferm are the top favourites to win the Kuopio SM-Rally. Their challengers include Benjamin Korhola, Niclas Grönholm, and promising young talent Tuukka Kauppinen.
The Kuopio SM-Rally takes place on 18 January.
