Factory World Rally Championship driver Esapekka Lappi has announced plans to pause his professional rallying career.
The two-time WRC rally winner and 15-time podium finisher revealed his decision to take a break from rallying during a Skoda Finland press conference ahead of this weekend’s Porvoon Autopalvelu Ralli – the final round of the Finnish Rally Championship, which Lappi is due to contest.
The 35-year-old said that he may contest individual events in the future, but his career as a professional will take an indefinite pause.
“I won’t say never again, because I’ve said that many times. But for the time being, I’m going to stop,” said Lappi. “But for now, I’m taking a break until I say otherwise. At present, the plan is not to continue in the Finnish Rally Championship or any other series.”
Lappi made his WRC debut in 2011, when he contested Rally Finland for the first time in a Citroen C2 R2 Max before going on to make a name for himself by winning the 2016 WRC2 title for Skoda Motorsport, in his second full season in the class.
The Finn stepped up to the WRC’s top tier during the 2017 season with Toyota as the Japanese brand made its comeback to the top class. In that campaign Lappi claimed one of two career WRC wins after taking an emotional win on home soil at Rally Finland.
Esapekka Lappi, Enni Malkonen, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1
Photo by: Hyundai
Lappi finished fifth in the championship in 2018 after taking three podium finishes, before announcing plans to join Citroen, alongside Sebastien Ogier, for 2019. A challenging season with the French marque yielded three second-place finishes.
After a solitary year at M-Sport-Ford during the Covid-19 shortened 2020 campaign, Lappi returned to WRC2 in 2021, before rejoining Toyota for a part-time campaign in 2022.
A return to full-time competition followed with Hyundai in 2023, which was headlined by a victory at Rally Sweden. Lappi moved to a part-time role in 2024 and took up a similar position with the Korean marque this year, that included five outings driving the third i20 N Rally1.
“It’s such an important decision that I’m trembling a little after saying it out loud to you,” said Lappi, who has recently won back-to-back Finish Rally Championship titles in 2025 and 2026 alongside co-driver Enni Malkonen.
“This is still an incredibly dear sport to me and it has given me an enormous amount. On the other hand, it has taken a great deal away from my family, but it has also helped secure our family’s financial future.
“Rallying gives you a rush of adrenaline and endorphins when you’re driving on the limit and succeed. It’s a bit like a drug. Where will I get that now that I’m not driving? I’m not going to buy any drugs – that’s not an option – but I need to come up with something.
Esapekka Lappi, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1
Photo by: Hyundai
“What scares me most is wondering where I’ll get those same feelings from.”
Lappi will not disappear from rallying altogether, as he will continue to mentor teenage driver Lauri Halonen, who is part of Skoda Motorsport Finland’s development programme.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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