Confirmed
Lappi confirmed for WRC Chile with Hyundai
Finnish driver Esapekka Lappi will compete in the World Rally Championship round in Chile, Hyundai Motorsport confirmed.
Hyundai Motorsport has confirmed that Finnish driver Esapekka Lappi will participate in the World Rally Championship (WRC) round in Chile next month, representing a significant development for the team and the Finn. This confirmation clarifies Lappi's immediate WRC future, especially after his early retirement from Rally Finland at the turn of July and August.
Lappi's WRC Schedule
Lappi, alongside co-driver Enni Mälkönen, will drive Hyundai's third car at the Copec Rally Chile, scheduled to take place from September 10–13. This outing follows their recent participation in Rally Finland, where an unfortunate crash forced their retirement from the competition. Prior to this official confirmation from Hyundai on Tuesday, there had been speculation regarding Lappi’s remaining WRC commitments for the 2026 season.
Third Car Rotations
Throughout the current WRC season, Hyundai's third Rally1 car has been shared among several drivers. Lappi has been part of this rotation, alongside New Zealander Hayden Paddon and Spanish veteran Dani Sordo. Paddon is scheduled to drive the third Hyundai at the upcoming round in Paraguay next week, competing alongside team-mates Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux. Following Chile, Dani Sordo is expected to take the wheel for Rally Sardinia in early October, an event where his experience on slower gravel surfaces is particularly advantageous.
Broader Context and Future Outlook
Lappi's confirmed participation in Chile is noteworthy, especially considering his recent success in the Finnish Rally Championship, where he secured the title in Kitee last weekend. Despite this, the Copec Rally Chile could potentially mark Lappi’s final competitive outing as a Hyundai WRC driver, as his future beyond this event remains unconfirmed by the team. The season-ending Rally Saudi Arabia faces uncertainty due to escalating regional tensions, which could further impact driver schedules and team strategies. Elfyn Evans currently leads the WRC standings with 201 points, followed by Sami Pajari with 171 points, and Takamoto Katsuta with 160 points, with four rounds remaining in the championship. The entry list for the WRC round in Chile is expected to be published later on Tuesday, providing further details on the full competitor lineup., according to RallyJournal
Status And Sources
This story is labelled Confirmed, which means the people involved have said this on the record. The rules behind those labels are in the editorial policy, and the desk that published it is Sanni Koskela.
Written from the following reporting. Each link goes to the newsroom's own page, not to an aggregator:
- RallyJournalrallyjournal.com
