Fri 29 Sep 2023

Brutal roll spells early end for Lappi’s Chile ambitions

Hyundai Motorsport driver Esapekka Lappi’s opening day at Rally Chile Bio Bió lasted just 19.6km, with the Finn hooking his i20 N Rally1 too far into a rut on a left-hander which sent the car rolling violently within touching distance of the finish. Both Lappi and co-driver Janne Ferm emerged from the car unscathed.

The crash immediately brought back memories from the WRC’s last trip to Chile in 2019 when Lappi’s now team-mate Thierry Neuville experienced an equally brutal crash.

Interviewed onsite by Rally.TV, Lappi confirmed it is his weekend over.

"I guess I braked late and there was no chance to make the corner. The roll cage is quite damaged so no chance [to continue]."