Finnish rally star Esapekka Lappi put his words carefully.
Esapekka Lappi switched to Hyundai for this season. Hyundai Motorsport
Esapekka Lapi’s contract negotiations are finished. Hyundai’s Finnish driver’s plans for next season are still awaiting official announcement.
Lapland, however, does not agree to disclose the content of the agreement in advance.
Lappi, who moved to Hyundai for this season, has kept a low profile about his future plans for a long time. The line continues.
– A very good situation. That’s all I can tell you about it, Lappi laughs on the other end of the phone.
Is it possible to conclude from this that things have been agreed and now we are waiting for the announcement of the agreement?
– Well yeah. Pretty much like this. You are very well on the map, Lapland is spinning.
According to Lappi, the ball regarding the announcement of the contract is currently the responsibility of his future employer. The contract will be confirmed when the team sees the moment as suitable.
How could that happen?
– I can’t say that at all. But it will hardly last until Christmas, Lappi says, referring to last year.
The rally star does not agree to disclose the contents of the contract any further. However, it can be concluded from the comments that the career continues.
– I am really, really satisfied with the contract, Lappi says.
For selected rallies?
Ott Tänak too the return to the Korean team for next season complicated the Finn’s plans. Lappi himself switched to Hyundai for this season, when he was offered the whole season’s driving program.
Next year Lapland may face a return to the old situation. Hyundai is offering Tänak and For Thierry Neuville.
If Hyundai does not equip Lapland with a car for the whole season, the Finns will very likely have another set of selected World Cup rallies available.
Hyundai’s second Finnish driver is ready to share the car with Lapland Teemu Suninen.
Suninen has a contract with Hyundai for next year. However, there is no precise information about its content. Suninen has competed for Hyundai in both the Korean brand’s Rally1 and WRC2 cars.
Lappi has driven Hyundai in the top three four times this season. The best finish of the season for the Finn, who is sixth in the World Championship points, is the second place in the Rally of Sardinia. The previous race in Chile ended with a crash in the first kilometers of the rally.
Lappi’s only World Championship victory so far in his career came in Finland in 2017. At that time, Lappi drove as a factory driver for Toyota.
The Rally World Series continues next weekend with the new Central European Rally.