Esapekka
Lappi
Finland
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Key Facts
Nationality
FIN
Date of birth
17.01.1991
Birthplace
Pieksämäki, Finland
Co-driver
Enni Mälkönen
First WRC rally
2011, Rally Finland
First WRC stage win
2017, Rally d'Italia Sardegna SS5
WRC stage wins
77
First WRC podium
2017, Rally Finland
WRC podiums
15
First WRC win
2017, Rally Finland
WRC wins
2
First WRC Wolf Power Stage win
2017, Rally Italia Sardegna
WRC Wolf Power Stage wins
5
Best overall WRC season result
5th (2018)
WRC support category titles
2016 WRC2
Previous teams
Toyota, Citroën, M-Sport Ford
Website
esapekkalappi.fi/
About Esapekka Lappi
Known for his blistering raw pace and refreshingly honest personality, Lappi arrives back on the world stage as a newly crowned Finnish Rally Champion, ready to support Hyundai’s pursuit of a manufacturers' title.
Lappi’s rise was originally defined by a sensational maiden victory on home soil at Rally Finland in 2017, just four rallies into his top-flight career with Toyota. After stints with Citroën and M-Sport, he spent a period in the WRC2 wilderness before a privateer outing in Finland in 2021 reignited his career.
He returned to the elite level with Toyota in 2022 and moved to Hyundai in 2023, where he proved his worth with four podium finishes. His 2024 season was defined by an emotional and clinical victory at Rally Sweden, ending a nearly seven-year wait for his second WRC win and breaking the record for the longest gap between triumphs in the championship’s history.
When a full-time Rally1 seat wasn’t available for 2025, Lappi took a step back to the Finnish Rally Championship to maintain his competitive edge. Driving a Škoda Fabia Rally2, he produced a masterclass in national rallying, securing five consecutive victories to claim the 2025 FRC title - his second national crown, coming 13 years after his first. This dominant form caught the attention of Hyundai sporting director Andrew Wheatley, who called Lappi back to share the third car with Hayden Paddon and Dani Sordo for 2026.
Esapekka Lappi
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