WRC
Why Mälkönen can’t stop smiling in WRC
It is virtually impossible to find anyone as happy as Hyundai Motorsport co-driver Enni Mälkönen in the FIA World Rally Championship service park.
The sheer joy Mälkönen experienced calling pace notes for Esapekka Lappi on the incredibly high-speed, snow-covered roads that make most people wince was one of the highlights from Rally Sweden last month.
But the reason behind those beaming smiles is quite simple - Mälkönen is living out her dream.
“It has been amazing [to be back in the WRC] and Sweden was… well, I have run out of words because that was one of my favourite rallies. Doing it with a WRC car was amazing because I love fast roads,” said Mälkönen, who finished Rally Sweden in sixth position last month.
“Actually I didn’t notice I was smiling so much at the time, but after the rally I saw all these videos. To be honest, since I was young it has been my dream to compete at this level, so I’m just so thankful and happy that I finally got that opportunity and maybe that is where the smiles come from.”
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It has been quite a journey for the 35-year-old, who has returned to the WRC's top-flight this year to partner Lappi as one of three crews sharing the third factory Hyundai Rally1 entry. The opportunity represents a second shot at the top level for the 2024 WRC2 co-drivers’ champion after competing in three rallies for Toyota’s Rally1 squad with Sami Pajari in 2024. A run to fourth in Rally Finland remains her best outright WRC result to date.
After her partnership with Pajari concluded at the end of 2024, Mälkönen never lost hope of returning to the WRC’s top tier. She returned to the stages with Lappi and the pair went on to win the 2025 Finnish Rally Championship before a special phone call arrived at the end of last year.
“For me, it [the dream of competing in the WRC] was never over because it is not over until I decide to stop. But when EP called me [about the opportunity with Hyundai] I was surprised,” she said.
The pair have quickly formed a strong partnership, with Mälkönen’s positive energy already credited by Lappi as one of the reasons for his rejuvenated approach this season.
“I might remind him why we are there because I think it was once a big dream for both of us to be there. With all the pressure, hard work and competition it is easy to forget that. For me I keep ‘why am I here?’ in my mind all the time.
“The reason is that we simply love the sport and maybe I’m reminding him why he started rallying,” she said.
As Mälkönen explains, competing in the WRC has been a dream ever since she first fell in love with the sport. Although she grew up in a family where her father competed in small local rallies, it was actually a sport featuring a different kind of horsepower that first ignited her competitive edge.
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Mälkönen had been competing in equestrian show jumping before her horse unfortunately broke a leg. At that point she turned to rallying, making her first start in a local rally in Finland in 2012.
After experiencing the thrill of speed that rallying offers, Mälkönen dedicated herself to rising through the co-driving ranks despite the limited number of female role models in her own country at the time.
That didn’t stop her progressing to become the WRC3 co-drivers’ champion in 2022 and WRC2 co-drivers’ champion in 2024, before claiming the Finnish Rally Championship title in 2025 and earning a route back into the WRC. Today she is the only female competing at the top level of the championship and serves as a role model for the next generation.
“Actually in Finland there were not really any visible women doing co-driving at the time,” said Mälkönen. “I know that in Europe there were many women doing motorsport but in Finland it was not visible for me.
“At the first point it is not easy to dream or see yourself somewhere where there are not many people like you. It is not easy to even dream or start to work and believe in yourself that one day I can have a seat at the top of the WRC.
We simply love the sport and maybe I’m reminding him why he started rallying.
“Of course it feels amazing to be successful but there is also some responsibility knowing that others are looking up to me. It is also pushing me harder to go forward and break barriers and show that women belong at the top of motorsport. If my career can inspire even one girl to follow her passion, then I think it is worth it.”
There are still plenty more smiles and much more to come from Mälkönen’s WRC journey. The next chapter will see the Finn contest her first Safari Rally Kenya next week alongside Lappi.
“This year I think the goal is to support the team as much as possible and do everything we can to help and get the points,” she added.
“It is going to be a challenging adventure for sure but luckily EP has done this rally two times before. We also have great co-drivers in the team who are helping me and giving me some tips, so let’s see what happens. But I’m excited.”
