Factory WRC driver Esapekka Lappi announces pause to professional career

Factory World Rally Championship driver Esapekka Lappi has announced an indefinite pause to his professional rallying career. The 35-year-old revealed his decision during a Skoda Finland press conference ahead of the Porvoon Autopalvelu Ralli, the final round of the Finnish Rally Championship. Lappi stated that while he may enter individual events in the future, his current plan is not to continue in the Finnish Rally Championship or any other series.

Lappi made his WRC debut in 2011 and secured the WRC2 title in 2016 with Skoda Motorsport. He stepped up to the WRC's top class with Toyota in 2017, taking an emotional home victory at Rally Finland. Over his career, the Finnish driver has earned two WRC victories and 15 podium finishes across stints with Toyota, Citroen, M-Sport-Ford, and Hyundai, where he won Rally Sweden in 2023. He also recently claimed back-to-back Finnish Rally Championship titles alongside co-driver Enni Malkonen.

Reflecting on his decision, Lappi admitted that while rallying helped secure his family's financial future and provided an irreplaceable rush of adrenaline, it also demanded a lot away from his family. He expressed that his biggest concern is wondering where he will get those same feelings now that he is stepping away from professional driving.

Lappi will not disappear from the sport entirely, as he plans to mentor teenage driver Lauri Halonen, who is part of Skoda Motorsport Finland's development programme.