Esapekka Lappi

Esapekka Lappi is a Finnish rally driver who made a World Rally Championship debut as a factory driver in premier class in 2017 with Toyota Gazoo Racing. In the same year, he scored his maiden WRC victory at 2017 Rally Finland.

Lappi was driving for Toyota in 2018 and then joined Citroen for 2019 WRC season, but stayed with the team just one season before moving to M-Sport Ford in 2020.

Prior to his deal with Toyota, Lappi already had a stellar career, capturing three major championship titles. First, he was the Finnish rally champion in 2012. In 2013, he joined Škoda Motorsport and won the European Rally Championship in 2014. In 2016, Lappi became the world champion, winning the WRC-2 title with Škoda.

Esapekka Lappi

Finnish karting champion before switching to rally

Born in January 1991 in Pieksämäki, Finland, Esapekka Lappi started his racing career in karting competitions in 2003. He reached a peak in 2007, winning the Finnish ICA Karting Championship and taking the third place in Formula A Karting Championship.

In 2007, he switched his interest to rallying, participating in his first rallysprint event in an Opel Astra GSi. He waited to be 18 years old to begin rally career in 2009. In the next two seasons, he expanded his rallying activities to more than ten events every year, driving a Honda Civic Type R. In 2010, Janne Ferm became his navigator in a rally car and they are still together.

Esapekka Lappi in 2012

Finnish rally champion with seven wins in seven events

After spending the season 2011 in the Printsport's Citroen C2 R2 Max and scoring two class wins in the Finnish rally championship, Lappi switched to Ford Fiesta S2000 for 2012.

In 2012, he had 100 percent winning ratio in the #7 Ford Fiesta, triumphing in all seven events of the Finnish rally championship and taking the most coveted national rally title in the world.

WRC debut at 2012 Rally Finland

In 2012, Lappi also made his WRC debut, participating at Rally Finland in Printsport's Ford Fiesta S2000. He finished 25th overall and fifth in SWRC category.

A few weeks later, he participated in one more WRC event, at ADAC Rallye Deutschland, not finishing the rally in a Citroen C2 R2 Max.

Esapekka Lappi joined Škoda Motorsport in 2012

First victory with Škoda Motorsport at 2012 Rally Poland

Near the end of 2012 season, Lappi signed a professional contract with Škoda Motorsport. He had a victorious debut in a Škoda Fabia S2000 at Rally Poland, a penultimate round of the European Rally Championship.

Until the end of the year, he participated in two more events with Škoda, winning the Kolsvarundan in Sweden and finishing seventh at Rallye Sierra Morena in Spain.

Lappi spent four successful seasons with Škoda

Asian-Pacific vice-champion in 2013

In 2013, his first full season with Škoda, Lappi had a wide schedule of rally events all around the world. His main competition was the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in which he scored three wins in a Škoda Fabia S2000, finishing as a runner-up behind another Škoda driver Gaurav Gill.

Lappi participated in three ERC events, finishing second at Rallye Sanremo and winning the Rallye du Valais. In the 2013 World Rally Championship, Lappi recorded three participations in WRC-2 class. He retired at Rallye Monte Carlo, won a class at Rallye Portugal and finished 11th in class at Rally Finland.

Esapekka Lappi (right) and Janne Ferm, the 2014 European rally champions

European rally champion in 2014

In 2014, Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm captured their second championship title together. They scored three victories in the European Rally Championship, dominantly taking a championship trophy. They were winners at Rally Liepaja, Circuit of Ireland and Rallye du Valais.

Outside ERC, Lappi participated in just one Czech national event, the Rallye Česky Krumlov, not finishing the race.

Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm became world champions in 2016

WRC-2 champion in the second attempt

In 2015, Lappi and Škoda switched their focus on the WRC-2 category of the World Rally Championship, running a new Škoda Fabia R5. In seven events, Lappi was a winner at Rally Poland and Rally Finland, adding two more podiums (Portugal, Corsica). At the end of the season, he was third in the points, behind Nasser Al-Attiyah and Yuriy Protasov.

Next year, Lappi stayed in the WRC-2 competition, determined to take the title. And he did it, winning four events (Finland, Germany, UK, Australia) to beat Teemu Suninen and Elfyn Evans in the final standings. He also participated at Rallye Monte-Carlo, which was not a part of the WRC-2 schedule, finishing second in class.

Esapekka Lappi (right) and Janne Ferm at 2017 Rally Finland

Maiden WRC victory with Toyota at Rally Finland

In 2017, Lappi joined Toyota Gazoo Racing in manufacturer's return to World Rally Championship after seventeen years. He was a part of the all-Finnish team, with Jari-Matti Latvala and Juho Hanninen as teammates. Lappi had a part-time schedule, driving the #12 Toyota Yaris WRC in six events and the #11 Toyota at season's finale in Australia. The highlight of the season was his maiden WRC victory at his home event Rally Finland, ahead of Ford's Elfyn Evans and teammate Hanninen.

In 2018, Lappi was a full-time driver of the #9 Toyota Yaris WRC. In thirteen events, he was on a podium three times, finishing fifth in the championship points and contributing to Manufacturers' title for Toyota.

Esapekka Lappi was driving for Toyota Gazoo Racing in 2017 and 2018

One season with Citroen, joining Ford in 2020

For the 2019 WRC season, Lappi made a deal to drive for Citroen factory team as a teammate to six-time world champion Sebastien Ogier. While Ogier was fighting for the title ans scored three wins, Lappi reached three podiums and finished tenth in the points.

Citroen withdrew from the championship at the end of the season, leaving Lappi without a seat in the premier championship. However, he found a new job as the main driver of the M-Sport Ford, alongside another Finn Teemu Suninen.

Photos: Esapekka Lappi, Ilkka Rytkonen, Petri Skog/ewrc-results.com,