Esapekka Lappi made a surprise return to the World Rally Championship this season. The Finnish driver had retired from full-time WRC competition after the 2024 season and had since focused on the Finnish Rally Championship.
Lappi has repeatedly stated that he no longer has any interest in participating in full WRC campaigns, and has also spoken about how much he enjoys racing in Finland's national championship.
That's why his acceptance of Hyundai's limited-program invitation to drive the team's third Rally1 car in select races this season surprised many.
Lappi's next races will be the Rally Estonia and Rally Finland, but beyond those, his future in the World Rally Championship is completely uncertain.
“"We are very close to the end."”
Is it a real possibility that the Rally Finland will be your last race as a professional driver in the top category of the WRC?
“Yes, that’s right,” Lappi replied to Rallyjournal.com without hesitation.
“Frankly, I thought last time was already the end. Now we’re already playing extra time, so I can say we’re very close to the end; if this isn’t the end, of course,” said Lappi.
Lappi feels he still has unfinished business at the Finland Rally after many frustrating editions in recent years. This time, all he wants is to leave the fast dirt roads of central Finland with a beautiful memory, perhaps his last.
The unforgettable victory in Jyväskylä
The driver already has an unforgettable memory from this race. Lappi achieved his first top-level victory in Jyväskylä in 2017. He then had to wait until the 2024 Rally Sweden for what remains his most recent WRC victory.
The Finland Rally will take place from July 30th to August 2nd.