This season, Lappi will contest selected WRC events together with co-driver Enni Mälkönen as a driver for Hyundai’s WRC team. The Finnish driver will get up to speed for the first time at next week’s Rally Sweden.
Lappi has fond memories of Umeå. He claimed the second – and so far last – WRC victory of his career at the Swedish winter rally in 2024.
Last year, Lappi competed in the Finnish Rally Championship in a Škoda Rally2 car, where he proved virtually untouchable. Now, however, he faces a leap back to the very top of the sport, where the level of competition is unquestionably higher.
Rally Sweden should suit Lappi very well. Even so, he is not setting any specific result targets for the event.
“I honestly don’t know what can be expected from us. If the starting position offers some benefit at the beginning of the rally, then of course we’ll try to make the most of it. But it will certainly take a few stages to get into the rhythm,” Lappi weighed up in an interview with RallyJournal.com.
Lappi last competed in the WRC – and in Hyundai’s Rally1 car – in autumn 2024 at Rally Chile. Since then, Hyundai’s machinery has undergone significant changes, and the car no longer features the hybrid unit that still provided an additional boost in 2024.
Lappi has completed two test outings in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 car. His most recent test took place last weekend in Kemijärvi, immediately after the Arctic Lapland Rally.
“Hopefully we can find the rhythm during the rally. I can’t really say how much time we’ll lose while getting used to things. It’s quite difficult to set any targets – other than simply hoping to reach the finish,” Lappi said.
Read more: Esapekka Lappi makes a swift switch to Hyundai’s Rally1 car – and didn’t expect this
If Lappi manages to get up to speed quickly, he has the potential to fight right at the front in Sweden. The question, however, is whether Hyundai will allow him to do so.
Hyundai’s main focus is on its full-season drivers, Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux. The team’s part-time drivers – Lappi, Hayden Paddon and Dani Sordo – are tasked with supporting the lead drivers and securing manufacturers’ points. Often, the primary role of a third driver is to bring the car home safely.
It therefore remains to be seen whether Hyundai will instruct Lappi to avoid risks and adopt a conservative approach on the fast roads around Umeå.
“The team will certainly define, even on a day-by-day basis, what we should be doing and at which point,” Lappi said.
“It will definitely be challenging, but we’ve prepared for the rally as well as possible. The two winter rallies in the Finnish championship have certainly helped a bit, even though the machinery was different,” added Lappi, who is again competing in the Finnish championship this season in a Škoda Rally2 car.
Rally Sweden is scheduled for 12–15 February.
