Esapekka Lappi, the Finnish rally driver known for his speed and resilience, has shockingly announced his retirement from professional racing. The announcement was made at a press conference on Monday, marking the end of a long journey for a champion who has competed across various international rally disciplines.
Lappi, now 35, confirmed that he will not continue his driving career. He has just one event remaining on his schedule, the Porvoo round of the Finnish Rally Championship this coming weekend. However, he may contest individual events in the future, but his career as a professional is now over.
This season, Lappi competed in the Finnish Rally Championship and also drove part-time for Hyundai in the WRC. He contested five WRC rallies, with a best finish of fourth at Safari Rally Kenya. His crowning achievement in the national series was winning the Finnish Rally Championship title, which he secured before the final round.
Lappi's rally career began in 2007, when he competed in rally sprints with an Opel Astra. He claimed his first Finnish championship title in 2012 after winning all seven rounds that season. He made his WRC debut in 2011, contesting Rally Finland in a Citroen C2 R2 Max. His international career truly took off as a Skoda factory driver, and after winning the WRC2 title, he secured a seat with Toyota for its return to the top class in 2017.
That same year, Lappi celebrated his maiden WRC victory in front of his home crowd in Finland. In total, he has made 95 WRC starts. He claimed his second WRC victory with Hyundai in Sweden in 2024 and has finished on the podium 15 times. In addition to Toyota and Hyundai, Lappi has also represented Citroen and M-Sport Ford in the WRC's top class.
Lappi also won the ERC title in 2014 and the WRC2 championship in 2016. He has won the Finnish Rally Championship's top-class title three times. With such a legacy, his departure leaves an unforgettable mark on rally fans.
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