Wild pictures of Esapekka Lapi’s run out spread – viewers in great danger

The World Cup rally in Chile started dramatically when Esapekka Lappi and Pierre-Louis Loubet scrapped their cars in the first special tests.

Hyundai’s Finnish driver Esapekka Lapin taival ended immediately at the first special stage in the World Rally Championship in Chile. Lapland came out violently in the final stages of the opening stretch.

Lapland and his map reader Janne Ferm are fine, but the car was completely wrecked. Lapland cannot return to the competition on Saturday.

The DirtFish rally website posted what looked like a wild ride on the messaging service X image series events. The pictures show how in great danger the spectators following the rally were in the situation.

Lapland told DirtFish website in the interview, what happened in the crash.

– I think I braked too late, and there were no seams (to avoid spinning out in a corner). The body of the car has suffered quite a bit, so there is no possibility to continue, Lappi estimates.

Lappi denied that his exit was due to the wrong notes.

– During the special test, it felt like I braked too early. I tried to improve, Lappi commented.

‘s expert: “There was too much speed”

Sports expert Henri Haapamäki judged that Lappi entered the left-hand bend at too high a speed.

– The speed was a little too much when we came to that left. Lappi had to take so much from the inside that the front wheel of the car hit a concrete barrier. It started to turn upside down. Unfortunately, the car’s safety bars were damaged, Haapamäki said.

Rally audience safety made headlines again.

– Yes, the spectators were in danger when the car started spinning. There was once again an element of danger, which has been talked about in the rally. There are far too many near misses like this, Haapamäki thought.

Does Chile’s withdrawal threaten Lapland’s future with Hyundai?

– We hope that it will not affect any stable places. But there have been a lot of problems. Rally car racing is a truly merciless sport. When you drive at top speed, everything depends on a hair’s breadth, Haapamäki reminded.

Loubet also scrapped his car

On the opening day of the World Rally Championship in Chile, there was another wild exit. French Pierre-Louis Loubet slipped out on the third special exam.

Loubet and his map reader Nicolas Gilsoul got out of their car under their own power. Loubet was in fourth place before his exit.