Esapekka Lappi concluded his racing career with a dramatic victory at the Finnish Rally Championship in Porvoo on Sunday. The Finn, who had already secured the national title, remained competitive until the final stage.
Lappi took the lead on the penultimate stage when Estonia's Patrick Enok, who had led from the start, went off. Enok was forced to relinquish victory due to technical issues. "It is such a shame what happened to Patrick. He drove extremely well. The wiper motor eventually burnt out completely, and then what happened, happened. I couldn't see much any more. I was just thinking, don't go off now. The car is for sale. Thank you to everyone who has helped over the years. I don't know what I should say," an emotional Lappi said on the FlyingFinn.tv broadcast.
This win was Lappi's fifth of the season, marking a sweet end to his career. He finished 26.4 seconds ahead of Niclas Gronholm, who had to settle for second. Gronholm himself claimed his first podium of the season after a race full of twists and turns.
"After all the shit, it was a pretty decent way to finish. Of course, it could always have gone better. The way this result came about is a little unfortunate. Two drivers had bad luck, but at least we were rallying on the final stage. There have been many rallies where it has felt like nothing was working, but this time we were at least driving," Gronholm said.
Enok's off also affected the battle for second in the final standings. Lauri Joona had to settle for silver behind Lappi, while Enok took bronze. Joona lost second place in the Porvoo rally on the final stage as Gronholm set the fastest time and moved ahead by half a second. "I said in an interview somewhere that the beauty of rallying is that there are ups and downs. This time we experienced them both at once. A huge thank you to everyone for the season. In the end, we put together a great season. Things are starting to look up now," said Joona, who suffered a puncture during the rally.
Estonia's Joosep Nogene finished fourth, 39 seconds behind the winner. Benjamin Korhola, warming up for Rally Sardinia, was fifth. Rio Ogata, a member of Toyota's development programme, secured the SM2 title by beating compatriot Kanta Yanaguida by just over five seconds in the season finale. The pair finished sixth and seventh overall. Pekka Keski-Korsu was third in the class. Anssi Rytkonen, who suffered a puncture late in the rally, eventually finished eighth.
Lappi's victory in Porvoo was the perfect ending to the career of a driver who has competed in various international rally events. Despite having already clinched the national title, his competitive spirit never faded. He proved that quality and determination remain key weapons until the last race.
With this result, Lappi leaves the rally stage with his head held high. Finnish rally fans paid their last respects to one of the best drivers the country has ever produced. Meanwhile, for Gronholm and Joona, the Porvoo result is valuable momentum for a more challenging season ahead.
Baca Juga
Teemu Suninen akan bergabung sebagai test driver Project Rally One pada Oktober. Tim Belgia itu menjadikannya kandidat utama kursi WRC 2027.
Elfyn Evans menghadapi tantangan sapuan gravel di Rally Italia Sardinia. Tom Fowler sebut tekanan terbesar ada pada Evans untuk raih gelar WRC.
Esapekka Lappi akan pensiun setelah rally Porvoo. Pembalap Finlandia itu mengaku telah menikmati kariernya dan siap menutup musim dengan gaya.
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