Confirmed
Lappi confirms Hyundai WRC departure
Esapekka Lappi has officially concluded his WRC tenure with the Hyundai team after Rally Chile, expressing gratitude.
Finnish driver Esapekka Lappi has confirmed his departure from the Hyundai World Rally Championship (WRC) team following the recent Rally Chile event, concluding his stint as a part-time participant sharing driving duties in the team's third car with Hayden Paddon and Dani Sordo.
RallyJournal reported that Lappi, who finished sixth in Chile, acknowledged the rally did not unfold as hoped, particularly due to the absence of a pre-event test and subsequent struggles with car setup throughout the event, which significantly hampered his pace.
Acknowledging Team and Performance
Lappi conveyed his gratitude to the Hyundai team via an Instagram story, stating, “I’m really thankful for what the team has done. It was our last rally, so I’m really thankful to everyone involved.” Despite the challenges, he managed to bring the car to the finish without incident, which he noted as a positive outcome.
However, the Finnish driver also expressed regret regarding his performance, adding, “Unfortunately, I couldn’t deliver what I hoped for and what the team was hoping for. So I’m really sorry for that.” This sentiment highlights the high expectations within competitive motorsport and the personal accountability drivers feel.
Season Overview and Future Prospects
During the 2026 WRC season, Lappi contested five rounds in a Hyundai Rally1 car, with his strongest finish being a fourth place at the Safari Rally Kenya. This performance contrasts with the current WRC standings, where Elfyn Evans leads with 201 points, followed by Kalle Rovanperä with 171 points and Takamoto Katsuta with 160 points, illustrating the intense competition at the top tier.
Beyond the WRC, Lappi has also achieved success in his home country, clinching the Finnish Rally Championship title approximately a month ago and is scheduled to compete in the season-ending round in Porvoo next week. As of now, his plans for continuation in rallying beyond the current season remain unconfirmed.
Impact on Hyundai
Lappi's departure frees up a seat in Hyundai's third car, potentially opening opportunities for other drivers or a restructuring of their part-time driver lineup for the upcoming 2027 WRC season. The team will undoubtedly be assessing their options as they look to build on their current performance and challenge for championships in the future, particularly given the strong competition from teams like Toyota and M-Sport Ford.
His departure, while expected by some within the paddock according to RallyJournal, marks the end of a chapter for the Finnish driver with the Korean manufacturer, leaving fans and pundits speculating about his next career move in the highly competitive world of international rallying.
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
