Emotions are never far from the surface with Esapekka Lappi.
Typically delivered with a dose of dry wit, the Finn is a straight-talker. So when he says he doesn’t know if Rally Chile was his last event ever in a Rally1 car or not, we absolutely have to believe him.
With shades of Daniel Ricciardo recently in Formula 1, it would be sad if that were the case given a) how popular Lappi is and b) how frustrating his final performance was.
And unlike Ricciardo, Lappi was afforded no final glory run – instead a retirement prior to the powerstage so that the team can save taking penalties for component changes ahead of CER.
“The weekend was not going the way I wanted in the beginning. I didn’t plan to be that slow,” Lappi reflected to DirtFish.
“I was not also expecting us to be on the victory fight, but still a bit faster. There was some moments, some light in the end of the tunnel and then, yeah, today [Sunday] our task was to try to attack between the Toyotas, to try to mix up the points a bit.
“But we failed to do that and we were basically useless on this moment when the team decided to stop us because in the end there is big benefits for the future if you retire before the powerstage.”
So what of Lappi’s future?
We know two things for certain: he won’t be doing a full season again, and he won’t be competing with Janne Ferm anymore, who announced his retirement at the end of Rally Chile.
“I will not reconsider [doing a full season],” Lappi confirmed ahead of the rally.
“Let’s say I can maybe be flexible with the amount of rallies that I could do, but not full season. It’s too much traveling for this moment of my life, personal life. And yeah, it’s just not an option anymore.”
There’s little appetite in dropping back to WRC2 either should Rally1 options run out, like he did in 2021.
“For the moment it feels far away,” Lappi said. “[But] never say never. I’ve said many things that I will not do in my life and then I’ve done it later on, many years later on.
“So that’s why I don’t say completely no, but it seems not a really enjoyable idea at the moment.”
Lappi’s future in the World Rally Championship is therefore entirely dependent on what Hyundai decides to do with its third car.
Hyundai has yet to decide who partners Neuville and Tänak in 2025
If it elects to rotate drivers again, then Lappi is an obvious candidate for the higher-speed, Baltic events at the very least. But should Hyundai employ a full-time driver alongside Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak for 2025 – and it is known to have approached Adrien Fourmaux – then there will be no room at the inn for Lappi unless an occasional fourth car can be financed.
But the two-time world rally winner is relaxed either way.
If he can stay in a Rally1 car; brilliant. And Lappi did confirm he has been “having discussion”. But if this is it, no sweat either.
“It might be possible that the career is ending over here,” he said.
“Clearly I’m not as talented as Kalle, or you know, I fully understand it. But still, I do believe I’m getting better and better, even [though] I’m getting older. But still, I do believe [in] myself.
Lappi feels he can still do a job in the WRC, but he's equally committed to being the best dad he can be
“Yeah… it makes me for sure kind of sad if it happens, but then on the other hand the second part of me is not really sad, so there is pros and cons you know.”
What are the pros?
“I would be a better father,” Lappi said.
“That would be the better career, you know. And the most important one.”
Whatever happens next for Lappi, his family will always come first. And that’s why if Chile does prove to be the end, he will be absolutely at peace with his situation.
