Esapekka Lappi moved from Toyota to Hyundai.
Toyota’s Kalle Rovanperä returned to everyday life in December, when the young man stopped by to test the GR Yaris Rally1 car in Central Finland.
Next, it was the turn of a short Christmas vacation, until the beginning of January the preparation for the new season starts. The first World Cup rally of the year will be gassed in Monte Carlo already around the middle of January.
Next year, Rovanperä will have the championship to defend. The power relations have lived on since the season ended, because Ott Tänak switched from Hyundai to M-Sport Ford steering wheel and Esapekka Lappi in turn defected from Toyota to Hyundai in Tänak’s place.
Rovanperä believes that Lappi will even rise to challenge for the championship in the coming season. Pieksämäkeläinen gets to drive a full season with Hyundai’s fleet.
– Esapekka already drove really well this year. For sure, if Hyundai fits the bill, EP will be in the championship fight for the whole season. I don’t doubt it for a second, Rovanperä told Iltalehte.
For a long time now, every WRC team has had a top-ranked driver. Rovanperä and Elfyn Evans are Toyota’s trump cards, while Thierry Neuville and Lappi are struggling with Hyundai. Neuvi is the clear number one driver, as is Tänak, who moved to Ford.
– It will be interesting to see what kind of speed Ott Ford can reach. I don’t think it’s a problem for him, Rovanperä said.
– Ford already showed speed this year when (Sebastien) Loeb was there driving. There will definitely be a tough battle, and the differences between the cars will decrease a bit.
Kalle Rovanperä trusts Esapekka Lap’s potential. Vesa Pöppönen/AOP