Lappi says he feels right at home with new team Hyundai

New Hyundai Motorsport recruit Esapekka Lappi reckons he is ahead of the curve with the new I20 N Rally1 car as the clock counts down to the start of the 2023 FIA World Rally Championship.

Jason Craig_1

10 Jan 2023

The Finn – who switched over from Toyota Gazoo Racing during the off-season following a partial programme in the third points-scoring GR Yaris Rally1 with eight-time champion Sebastien Ogier for 2022 – has had the chance to test the South Korean car in the build up to next week’s opener.

It will be the first time since 2020 Lappi will tackle the Rallye Monte-Carlo where his best performance came that same year; he missed out on a podium finish to his former team-mate, Elfyn Evans.

What has also helped the bedding in process, said Lappi, is the way he and co-driver Janne Ferm have been made to feel part of the Hyundai Motorsport team – the only marque the pair have not represented in the sport’s top flight before now.

They will be joined by Belgian duo Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe, Spain's Dani Sordo and Candido Carrera, and Irishmen Craig Breen and James Fulton.

“The welcome from the team has been very warm,” said Lappi, who has made 72 World Rally starts during which time he has enjoyed 10 podium finishes and one career victory.

“I have done a couple of days testing the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid, and it was a positive surprise to feel so comfortable in it so quickly. I feel we are ahead of where I was expecting us to be at this stage and I’m looking forward to getting started.

“I still need to give myself some time to understand the car and the team even more, but we’re in a good position heading into the first round.”

Getting the opportunity to contest all thirteen events that make up the 2023 calendar will mean having to adopt a different mindset admits Lappi, who will make his Rally1 debut at Safari Rally Kenya and Japan this year.

“A full season means you also need to think about the big picture as well,” he explains. There are rallies where I am very strong, and there are some where I have no experience at all.

“That will present some challenges, but overall I’m excited by the calendar. It will be an interesting year as we are fighting against some very competitive drivers and I think it will tighter than last season as a result. I’m excited to help Hyundai Motorsport to push for titles in 2023,” he added.