Lappi’s victory began to take shape on Saturday when Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta crashed out, leaving Lappi to merely secure his win.
Lappi’s previous WRC victory dates back to 2017, when he triumphed in Jyväskylä, Finland. Nearly seven years is a tremendously long time to wait for a win.
“The mood is definitely high. There’s also a great sense of relief now that this is over. It’s been a long wait since yesterday morning,” Lappi said.
For much of the rally, Lappi found himself in a position of having to ensure. Such caution can easily sap the joy from driving.
“There weren’t many stages in this rally I could enjoy. Friday morning was the only time we tried to push a bit, and then the conditions turned so harsh. It was more about trundling along, trying to stay in the ruts. There hasn’t been much joy since Katsuta’s crash, as we’ve just been dialling it back,” Lappi lamented.
Lappi was visibly emotional as he leaped over the final jump to the finish in his Hyundai. What exactly was going through his mind?
“I can’t quite remember what was going through my mind. Certainly, the thought that it’s now over and we’ve done what we came here to do. We took points off Elfyn (Evans) and secured full points from yesterday. Our hands are washed, so to speak. There was a feeling of relief, and of course, victory is what everyone comes here for. There’s a lot to it, I can’t quite explain,” Lappi described his feelings.
The feeling of winning never grows old, they say. However, the first win always tastes the sweetest, and Lappi readily admitted as much.
“I’ve sometimes reminisced about how it felt in Jyväskylä. But I must say, this doesn’t feel quite as good as the first. Still, it felt good,” Lappi smiled.
As the Finnish national anthem played, Lappi was clearly moved.
“It always feels good when the national anthem plays because of your own merit. There’s no getting away from that. It encapsulates a lot from over the years and brings to mind the sacrifices made for this sport,” Lappi shared.
Lappi’s victory didn’t come after a fierce battle for seconds. He beat Toyota’s Elfyn Evans by almost half a minute. Lappi felt this took a bit of the shine off the top spot.
“It could have tasted even better if the victory had come after a tight battle. But what can you do if they drive into the ditch! The battles were on, but they ended a bit early for some,” Lappi referred to the crashes of Katsuta, Kalle Rovanperä, and Ott Tänak.
Lappi could well have taken his second career victory last season. In Sardinia, he was in the fight for the win, but then he wasn’t allowed to compete to the end for it.
“This brings some consolation. It doesn’t change my life in any way, whether I have those wins or not, but on the other hand, I’m also a very competitive guy, so the victory always tastes good. Winning is always what we aim for,” Lappi emphasised.
The new points scoring system in the championship was once again a topic of discussion in Sweden. Although Lappi won, he didn’t receive the largest points haul from the rally.
“For a part-time driver, this is a damn good deal! You don’t need to give the win to anyone when it doesn’t have such a big impact,” Lappi laughed, whose role this season is to support Hyundai’s lead drivers Thierry Neuville and Tänak.
