Lappi ‘mystified’ by Italy crash

Lappi’s GR Yaris Rally1 shed its left-rear wheel following an impact on Saturday morning’s Tempio Pausania test. 

The Finn started the weekend leading his Hyundai rival Ott Tänak by 0.7 seconds. Unfortunately for Lappi, his Toyota ended the stage on the back of a tow truck.

“I analysed that piece of road,” he said. “There was no rock on the recce and looking at my onboard I couldn’t see it; Elfyn didn’t have anything in his notes – there was no rock for him. 

“Honestly, I couldn’t do anything different. I think it was the cars ahead digging it out, then I hit it and that happened.

“I think it came in a really unlucky place, but that’s what happens in this sport sometimes.”

Despite his retirement from Saturday, Lappi feels he demonstrated strong pace on his debut in a gravel-specification GR Yaris Rally1.

“The speed,” he said, “has been great on this event, as it has been on every surface so far this year, and that means that the car is easy to drive. 

“We just need to put it together. We’ll try to take the positive things from this rally into our next event.” 

Lappi will sit out the next event, where Sébastien Ogier replaces him in the car for Safari Rally Kenya, before a likely return in Estonia.