Esapekka Lappi Closes in on Rally Sweden’s Leader Takamoto Katsuta, Only 5.3 Seconds Behind – Lappi Expresses Frustration Over Munster’s Track Lines
Esapekka Lappi has narrowed the gap to Rally Sweden’s leader, Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta, to just 5.3 seconds. However, the Finnish driver from Pieksämäki expressed frustration after the stage, attributing part of the challenge to M-Sport Ford’s Gregoire Munster, whom he accuses of disrupting the racing lines.
“I drove smartly. But I think Gregoire doesn’t have the experience to know how to drive on these conditions so the line is fully f***ed for me. He’s been everywhere. I see there is the line but in the end he’s put some snow in it. For sure one of the most challenging snow stages I’ve done.”, Lappi sighed.
“The weather is challenging. There’s a good line to drive, but Munster ruins everything. He spoils the line in every corner. I need to tell him to slow down a bit, so everything doesn’t get completely messed up,” Lappi continued.
Conditions on Bratty’s second run were extreme, with deep but snow-filled ruts. Driving a Rally2 car, Toyota’s Georg Linnamäe set the fastest time on the stage, improving the road for each car, leading WRC2 class crews to dominate the stage’s top positions. Linnamäe outpaced the best Rally1 driver, Lappi, by over five seconds.
Oliver Solberg in his Skoda was the second fastest on the stage, followed by Mikko Heikkilä in the new Toyota Rally2 car. The first car on the road, Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, lagged behind the stage leader by a whopping minute and 15 seconds on Bratty.
“The speed is very slow. I was enjoying the drive but I know the time will be proper s***,” remarked Neuville, who fell to sixth place in the rally.
Evans’ gap to rally leader Katsuta is 32 seconds, with M-Sport Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux in fourth place before Rally2-classified Skoda driver Oliver Solberg.
Neuville is currently sixth in the rally, trailing stage winner Linnamäe. Sami Pajari ranks eighth, ahead of Roope Korhonen and Mikko Heikkilä.
Rally Sweden continues on Friday with three more special stages and concludes on Sunday.
Sweden WRC Rally Standings After SS5/18:
1. Takamoto Katsuta Toyota 35:08.1 2. Esapekka Lappi Hyundai +5.3 3. Elfyn Evans Toyota +32.0 4. Adrien Fourmaux Ford +34.4 5. Oliver Solberg Skoda +59.7 6. Thierry Neuville Hyundai +1:15.5 7. Georg Linnamäe Toyota +1:18.1 8. Sami Pajari Toyota +1:23.0 9. Roope Korhonen Toyota +1:30.7 10. Mikko Heikkilä Toyota +1:38.7 11. Emil Lindholm Hyundai +1:43.8 12. Lauri Joona Skoda +1:50.0 13. Nikolay Gryazin Citroen +1:53.1
Itinerary (CET)
Thursday, February 15th 09:01 Shakedown: Håkmark (5.42 km) 19:05 SS1: Umeå Sprint 1 (5.16 km) Friday, February 16th 08:58 SS2: #42 Brattby 1 (10.76 km) 09:52 SS3: Norrby 1 (12.36 km) 10:55 SS4: Floda 1 (28.25 km) 13:28 Service (30 min) 14:36 SS5: #42 Brattby 2 (10.76 km) 15:30 SS6: Norrby 2 (12.36 km) 16:33 SS7: Floda 2 (28.25 km) 19:05 SS8: Umeå Sprint 2 (5.16 km) Saturday, February 17th 07:45 SS9: Vännäs 1 (15.65 km) 08:35 SS10: Sarsjöliden 1 (14.23 km) 10:08 SS11: Bygdsiljum 1 (28.06 km) 13:00 Service (30 min) 14:15 SS12: Vännäs 2 (15.65 km) 15:05 SS13: Sarsjöliden 2 (14.23 km) 16:38 SS14: Bygdsiljum 2 (28.06 km) 19:05 SS15: Umeå 1 (10.08 km) Sunday, February 18th 07:27 SS16: Västervik 1 (25.50 km) 09:06 Service (15 min) 10:03 SS17: Västervik 2 (25.50 km) 12:15 SS18: Umeå 2 (10.08 km) *Power Stage
