Esapekka Lappi uploaded the truth about the loophole used by the WC rally teams – coolly acknowledged his slip in the WC rally

In the Kuopio SM rally Esapekka Lappi started at dawn with Hyundai’s Rally1 car and Takamoto Katsuta on the other hand, with Toyota’s similar power game.

Participating in national competitions does not use up the valuable test quota days of World Rally Teams. The stricter testing limit made to reduce costs seems to be at least partially counterproductive when the teams take advantage of the sad “loophole”.

Read also: Kalle Rovanperä tested with a smile on his lips, even though the new line-up of the World Series is confusing – the challengers circumvent the rules in the World Championship Rally

Of the teams, only M-Sport has tested Sweden for the World Rally Championship in Sweden. Indeed Ott Today drove M-Sport to victory in the Otepää winter rally on Saturday and thus also visited some of the test days.

Is this a rotation of test days, when every World Cup team participates before the Swedish World Cup Rally on February 9-12. to national rallies?

– Well, yes, this is certainly partly that. Maybe for me too in a certain way, but for me this is more because I am new to my team and the car is also new to me. Gain experience. For other teams, this is completely avoiding the test days, Lappi admits.

Reduced test kilometers for Rally1 hybrid racers

The rally teams’ own, unrestricted test areas play an even more important role this season, because according to the new rules, WRC factory teams are only allowed to run 21 test days in Europe during the season.

As in the previous season, testing outside of Europe is completely prohibited. If the test responsibility is divided equally in a team of three drivers, seven test days are available for each driver.

Esapekka Lapin Hyundai relies on its test area located in central Finland, Jämsä, but still the Kuopio SM rally served the Finnish drivers excellently with the Swedish World Rally Championship in mind.

– For these hybrids, 150 test kilometers per day is the average reading today, instead of the previous 150-300 test kilometers, when charging and other things take more time. You can no longer drive (test) at such a fast pace, says Lappi.

– The roads in Kuopio are good in the sense that they are frozen and fast. Our idea was to come here to get experience with that car in unknown conditions or situations.

Better to drive to the bench in Kuopio than next week

Lappi emphasizes that it was beneficial for him and the team to drive eight completely new roads in Kuopio.

– When strange, surprising situations are created, then we can see how the car behaves and we can fine-tune the car. This cannot be done on one and the same (Jämsä) test track, reminds Lappi.

The rally audience watched in Kuopio how the Rally1 hybrid drivers of the World Rally Series performed in snowy conditions. Both Esapekka Lappi and Takamoto Katsuta were gassing up at the top of the general competition at the beginning, but at the end of the rally, the duo had no business getting to the top positions.

Lappi, who was tied for the first place in the general competition, shook his car in the snowbank on the last previous fast track. Katsuta, on the other hand, used his Toyota in a snow bank on the fifth special stage and stopped due to a technical problem. In Lapland, the snow work took about ten minutes in total.

– Penkka called, there’s no point in explaining that. I must have braked too late, there’s no denying that. Better here than next week. We came looking for boundaries and at least we found the boundary where to go.

Kudos to the professional spectators

Lappi took the bench experience with a relaxed attitude and emphasized that the event is not a dream.

– We still managed to continue and drive the last bit. It’s nice that there were professional spectators by the side of the road, and the guys were digging together (car from the bank with a shovel). I didn’t do anything other than lift the car. Of course, the cloth was missing there (from the spectators), that’s a small minus, Lappi said with a smile.

A little more serious, Lappi admitted that there were “small challenges” with the Hyundai throughout the afternoon, and it didn’t “behave” as it should.

Will we also see Hyundai’s test equipment in other SC rallies?

– Good question. I haven’t even looked at the calendar yet to see how they fit into it (the program). This Kuopio happened really cleverly, as a test week was planned for this week and the tools were already here ready. That’s why it was easy to justify to the team that we are coming here, Lappi states.

In Monte Carlo, disappointment shone on the rally man’s face after the eighth place. What position is Lappi satisfied with in the Swedish World Rally Championship?

– I don’t say anything to that.

Jari Huttunen won in Kuopio

Kuopio used gas to win the SM rally Jari Huttunen. Huttunen and Juha Salon after eight special stages, the leading battle between Huttuse turned to Huttuse by 2.1 seconds. Teemu Asunmaa was third, 13 seconds behind Huttus.

Asunmaa, who drove to victory in the opening rally in Rovaniemi, continues to lead the series. He has finished second in Salo and fourth in Kuopio Lauri Joona third. Huttunen came fourth.

Kuopio also saw the expected debut when the former F1 driver Heikki Kovalainen and media personality Janni Hussi ultimately finished ninth in the SM1 class and 14th in the general competition, the difference to the top was 4.20.

Composite broadcast of the Kuopio SM rally on TV2 on Sunday at 19:35.

Esapekka Lapp was interviewed by Henri Haapamäki.