Esapekka Lappi has announced an indefinite break from professional rallying while leaving open the possibility of individual events in future. According to Motorsport.com’s report published on 21 September, the 35-year-old Hyundai WRC driver made the announcement at a Skoda Finland press conference. At that time, he still planned to contest that week’s Finnish Rally Championship finale, Porvoon Autopalvelu Ralli.
Series programmes paused; individual appearances remain possible
Lappi said the break would continue until he announced otherwise, with no current plans to continue in the Finnish Rally Championship or another series. He gave no date for resuming professional competition but did not want to rule out competing again completely. The distinction is that choosing a rally in future would not amount to a commitment to another full season.
He admitted the decision was so significant that he was still shaking as he said it publicly. Rallying had given him much and helped secure his family’s financial future, but had also consumed substantial family time. He still valued driving at the limit and the thrill of success and worried that he would struggle to find the same feeling after stopping. Those comments show that the break did not come from losing affection for the sport.
Two WRC wins and a recent move towards selected rounds
Lappi first entered WRC at Rally Finland in 2011, won the WRC2 title with Skoda in 2016, then moved to the top class with Toyota and took his first win in Finland the following year. Hyundai’s official biography and FIA event records confirm that his second WRC victory came at Rally Sweden in 2024 with Janne Ferm as co-driver. The 21 September report put his WRC record at two wins and 15 podiums.
Hyundai’s 2026 line-up announcement specified that Lappi, Dani Sordo and Hayden Paddon would rotate in the third i20 N Rally1, with Enni Malkonen co-driving for Lappi. In that announcement, he said the Finnish championship had helped maintain his driving rhythm and that, on returning to WRC, he would set objectives with the team round by round, aiming for points and supporting his team-mates. He was therefore already on a selected-round programme before this decision.
Motorsport.com also reported that Lappi would continue mentoring Lauri Halonen in Skoda Finland’s development programme. He will remain involved in a young driver’s progress, bringing experience gained at Toyota, Citroen, M-Sport Ford and Hyundai into that work.
INKA SPORTS analysis: why pause after already reducing appearances?
Viewed against Lappi’s recent programmes, the change goes beyond reducing a few WRC rounds. He was already sharing the third car this year, yet included the Finnish championship and other series in his pause. Alongside his comments about family time, the key choice concerns the overall rhythm of professional competition. Occasional future driving or mentoring preserves space for enjoyment and passing on experience without constituting a commitment to a fixed schedule.
Summary
The core decision is to pause sustained professional competition while leaving room for individual events and developing young drivers. His two WRC victories and years of factory-team experience retain their value, but his future involvement will depend on new, specific arrangements. At the time of the announcement, what was certain was the break itself and his willingness to retain a connection with the sport.
