Esapekka Lappi

1.1. Childhood and Amateur Career

Lappi's passion for racing began at the age of six, competing in karting, with aspirations of becoming a Formula One driver. In 2007, he won the Finnish karting championship, marking an early highlight in his junior career. However, financial constraints prevented him from advancing to junior formula racing, leading him to transition to rally. He started seriously competing in rally in 2009, driving a Honda Civic Type R. In 2011, he made his WRC debut at Rally Finland, driving a Citroën C2 R2 with his longtime co-driver, Janne Ferm. A pivotal moment in his early career came at the end of 2011 when he signed with Even Management, a Norwegian sports management company that also supported drivers like Andreas Mikkelsen and Pontus Tidemand.

2.1. Early Professional Career and Finnish Championship (2011-2012)

In 2012, Lappi achieved significant success in his home country, winning the Finnish Rally Championship. He dominated the season, securing victories in all seven rounds of the championship with his co-driver Janne Ferm, driving a Ford Fiesta S2000. That same year, he made spot appearances in international rallies, competing in Rally Finland with the Ford Fiesta S2000 and in Rally Deutschland with a Citroën C2 R2. In October 2012, Lappi signed with Škoda Motorsport, a renowned Czech team. He made an immediate impact, winning his first rally with the team, the 2012 Rally Poland, which was part of the European Rally Championship, driving a Škoda Fabia S2000.

2.2. Škoda Motorsport Era (2013-2016)

From 2013, Lappi began to establish himself on the international stage as a factory driver for Škoda. In 2013, he contested a full season in the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) with Team MRF, driving a Škoda Fabia S2000. He achieved three victories out of six events, finishing as the overall runner-up to his teammate, Gaurav Gill. During this period, Lappi also made spot appearances in both the WRC-2 and ERC with Škoda Motorsport. In the ERC, he competed in three tarmac rallies, winning the final one, Rallye International du Valais in Switzerland, and finished fifth in the overall standings. In WRC-2, he participated in three rallies, securing a victory at the Rally de Portugal, where he also earned his maiden WRC point by finishing tenth overall. Lappi visited Japan during the 2013 season to compete in Rally Hokkaido, part of the APRC.

In 2014, Lappi clinched the European Rally Championship title, with impressive victories in Latvia, Northern Ireland, and Switzerland, solidifying his reputation as a rising talent.
The 2015 season saw Lappi continue with Škoda Motorsport, driving their new challenger, the Škoda Fabia R5, in the WRC-2 Championship. He achieved two wins that year in Poland and Finland, ultimately finishing third overall behind Nasser Al-Attiyah and Yuriy Protasov. In the same year, he also recorded his career-best WRC result at the time, finishing eighth overall in Rally Finland.
Lappi reached a significant milestone in 2016 by winning the World Rally Championship-2 title with the Škoda Fabia R5. Despite a challenging start to the season, he found strong form in the latter half, securing four consecutive victories in Finland, Germany, Wales, and Australia, which propelled him to the championship.

2.3. Toyota Gazoo Racing Debut (2017-2018)

In 2017, Lappi transitioned from Škoda Motorsport after four and a half years to join Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, which was making its return to the WRC after a 19-year absence. He initially served as a test driver before taking on the role of a third driver from Rally Portugal, driving the Toyota Yaris WRC. In just his second event with the team, the 2017 Rally d'Italia, he demonstrated his pace by winning his first-ever WRC stage, along with five more stage wins, ultimately finishing fourth overall.
A defining moment came in his fourth World Rally Car start, at his home event, 2017 Rally Finland. Despite the victory being influenced by a mechanical issue affecting his teammate Jari-Matti Latvala, Lappi secured his maiden WRC victory, a remarkable achievement for a rookie.
He continued with Toyota for the 2018 season, his first full-time WRC campaign. Although he did not achieve a victory that year, he consistently delivered strong performances, securing three third-place podium finishes. He finished fifth in the overall standings, contributing significantly to Toyota's manufacturer title in their second year back in the championship. However, feeling a slight dissatisfaction with the priority given to new parts development compared to his more experienced teammates and harboring concerns about his future career, Lappi decided to leave Toyota. He accepted an offer from Citroën, effectively replacing Kris Meeke.

2.4. Citroën Total World Rally Team (2019)

For the 2019 season, Lappi joined Citroën, partnering the multi-champion Sébastien Ogier. His move marked the return of a Finnish driver to Citroën since Mikko Hirvonen. He quickly found success, securing his first podium with Citroën by finishing second at the second round, Rally Sweden.
However, the season proved challenging thereafter, with Lappi encountering difficulties and several retirements, including crashes in Rally Argentina and Rally Portugal, which led to a temporary slump. In response, Citroën introduced vehicle updates for the latter half of the season. This improvement helped Lappi regain his form, as he achieved a second-place finish at Rally Finland, demonstrating pace comparable to his former teammate, Ott Tänak, who won the event. At the Rally Turkey, Lappi led on the first day, showcasing superior speed to Ogier. He ultimately finished second, contributing to Citroën's first one-two finish in four years, allowing Ogier to take the victory. Despite these podiums, Lappi's overall consistency was lower than in his previous year with Toyota, and he finished tenth in the drivers' standings.
Following the season, Citroën announced its withdrawal from the World Rally Championship for 2020, citing Ogier's departure to Lappi's former team, Toyota. This left Lappi without a seat, though he quickly began negotiations with M-Sport.

2.5. M-Sport Ford World Rally Team (2020)

After Citroën's exit from the WRC, Lappi signed with M-Sport Ford WRT for the entire 2020 season, driving a Ford Fiesta WRC. He was joined by his fellow Finn and long-time acquaintance from their karting days, Teemu Suninen. The season started promisingly, with Lappi finishing fourth at Rally Monte Carlo despite early mechanical issues, and fifth at Rally Sweden. These were considered solid results given the team's resources.
However, the season was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a suspension and reorganization of the calendar, which reduced the season to seven rallies. After the restart, Lappi struggled to find his rhythm for a period. In the final event, the inaugural WRC Rally Monza, he led on the first day due to an astute tire choice. Although he later dropped out of contention for the win due to challenging road conditions, he maintained a steady pace to secure another fourth-place finish, his second of the season. The 2020 season was his first in a World Rally Car without a podium finish, yet he still managed to finish sixth in the overall standings, outranking his teammate Suninen. Despite this, M-Sport decided to bring in young French driver Adrien Fourmaux for 2021, retaining Suninen, which resulted in Lappi losing his regular World Rally Car seat once again.

2.6. Independent Entries and Return to Toyota (2021-2022)

In 2021, Lappi competed in selected rounds of the WRC2 Championship. He drove a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 for Movisport at the Arctic Rally and Rally de Portugal, where he demonstrated competitive pace, sometimes matching that of factory teams. He won two of the three WRC2 rounds he entered and finished fourth in the third, ending the season in twelfth place overall in the WRC points standings. For his home event, Rally Finland, he rented a Toyota Yaris WRC from RTE-Motorsport, finishing an impressive fourth overall.
Lappi's strong performances led to his return to Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT for the 2022 season, the inaugural year of the new hybrid Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 regulations. He shared the third Toyota car with Sébastien Ogier, competing alongside full-time drivers Kalle Rovanperä, Elfyn Evans, and Takamoto Katsuta. Lappi showcased his strength in the Nordic rounds, securing third-place podium finishes at Rally Sweden and Rally Finland. He also proved his capability on tarmac, achieving another third-place podium at the Ypres Rally. His consistent results contributed to Toyota's back-to-back manufacturer title. Despite his contributions, Lappi, desiring a full-time seat, accepted an offer from Hyundai Motorsport after Ott Tänak's departure, making him one of the few drivers in recent history (alongside Sébastien Ogier) to have competed full-time for four different major WRC manufacturers.

2.7. Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team (2023-Present)

At the conclusion of the 2022 season, Lappi signed with Hyundai Motorsport for the 2023 season, marking his first full-time contract since 2020, driven by his desire for more regular driving in the championship. He drove a Hyundai i20 N Rally1 alongside teammates Thierry Neuville, Dani Sordo, and Teemu Suninen, and initially, Craig Breen. Lappi's season started with mixed results, finishing eighth in Monte Carlo and seventh in Sweden, where he got stuck in a snowbank after running in third. He led on the first day of Rally Mexico but retired due to a crash on the second day.
Following the tragic death of his teammate Craig Breen, Lappi secured his first podium with Hyundai, finishing third at the Croatia Rally. He followed this with another third-place finish in Portugal. At Rally Italia Sardegna, he engaged in a fierce battle for the lead with Sébastien Ogier until SS10. Upon learning of Ogier's retirement, Lappi strategically yielded the lead to Neuville, securing second place to contribute to Hyundai's one-two finish. He clinched another third-place podium at Rally Estonia, battling Neuville for second. However, he also suffered retirements in Finland, Chile, and Central Europe due to crashes. He finished fifth in the Acropolis Rally and fourth at Rally Japan, just behind the Toyota drivers who swept the podium. Although expected to be a key driver alongside Neuville, Lappi's season was marked by inconsistency, which somewhat hindered Hyundai's challenge for the manufacturers' championship. He concluded the year in sixth place overall.
Lappi re-signed with Hyundai for the 2024 season, though on a part-time basis, sharing the third car with Ott Tänak, Dani Sordo, and the returning Andreas Mikkelsen. His schedule was focused on snow and fast gravel rallies. In his opening event, Rally Sweden, he engaged in a close fight with Takamoto Katsuta before Katsuta got stuck in a snowbank, allowing Lappi to control his pace and secure his second career WRC victory. This win notably broke the record for the longest gap between WRC victories, marking six years and 204 days since his first win in 2017. Despite this monumental win, his subsequent performances in 2024 were mixed: he finished twelfth in Safari Rally after suffering punctures and transmission issues, and retired from Rally Latvia and Rally Chile. He finished 43rd in Rally Finland, resulting in a twelfth-place overall ranking, the lowest among Hyundai's part-time third drivers despite his win.

3.1. Championship Titles

• 2012 Finnish Rally Championship
• 2014 European Rally Championship (ERC)
• 2016 WRC-2 Championship

3.2. World Rally Championship Victories

Lappi has secured two victories in the World Rally Championship:

4.1. Detailed Rally Results

Lappi's participation and results in the World Rally Championship (WRC) are detailed below.

• Season still in progress.

Lappi's results in the Super 2000 World Rally Championship (SWRC):

Lappi's results in the World Rally Championship-2 (WRC-2):

• Season still in progress.

Lappi's results in the European Rally Championship (ERC):

Lappi's results in the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC):

5.1. Health and Publicly Known Aspects

Esapekka Lappi is gluten intolerant. During his time with Citroën, the team's service park chef specifically prepared gluten-free dishes for him to accommodate his dietary needs. Finnish producer of gluten-free foods, Moilas, is one of his sponsors, reflecting his dietary condition.

5.2. Notable Incidents and Traits

Lappi adopted the fixed number '4' for his car after the system was introduced in 2019. He chose this number as a reference to the letter "A" in his surname (Lappi).
Before starting a rally, Lappi has a distinctive routine of rapidly twirling his wrists.
A memorable incident occurred at the 2020 Rally Mexico. After finishing SS7, fire was observed coming from the rear of his car. While co-driver Janne Ferm exited the vehicle, Lappi, observing that marshals' attempts to extinguish the fire were insufficient, decided to move the car to an uninhabited area. However, the fire intensified as he drove into the forest, leading him to stop the car in the middle of the road and jump out before it became completely engulfed in flames. Fortunately, both Lappi and Ferm escaped unharmed.

5.3. Relationships and Cultural Interests

Lappi's personal interests include a curiosity for other cultures. His first Japanese word he learned was '生きがい_Ikigai^Japanese' (meaning "a reason for being"), a word also favored by fellow Finnish driver Jari-Matti Latvala, though their common interest is coincidental.
As a youth, Lappi attended a Formula One event as a fan and received an autograph on his cap from F1 driver Heikki Kovalainen. More than a decade later, through their shared connection with Toyota, Lappi and Kovalainen met in Japan, where they exchanged and test-drove each other's racing machines. Kovalainen later revealed he had known Lappi since his karting days.
Lappi's departure from Toyota to Citroën in 2018 was amicable. He was depicted holding a Citroën car in an illustration on a Toyota championship celebration T-shirt, and Toyota Vice President Shigeki Tomoyama even gifted him a French dictionary.
His M-Sport Ford and Hyundai teammate, Teemu Suninen, also came from a karting background, and the two Finns were part of the same karting team early in their careers.

6.1. Impact on Rallying

Lappi's career demonstrates a significant ability to adapt to various rally cars and team environments, having driven for all major WRC manufacturers. His consistent podium finishes and championship titles, particularly the WRC-2 Championship, established him as a serious competitor. His contribution to Toyota's manufacturer title in 2018 highlighted his value as a team player. Furthermore, his record-breaking longest gap between WRC victories in 2024 underscores his enduring presence and ability to perform at the highest level after periods of absence from full-time competition. While his driving style is often characterized by controlled aggression, his career has also shown resilience in overcoming challenges, such as his difficult 2019 season with Citroën and the car fire incident in 2020. Lappi's journey through different teams and his continued pursuit of a full-time seat also reflect the dynamic nature of top-tier rally careers.