Rally Finland: Day 3Lappi leads for TOYOTA into final day of Rally Finland

Quotes:
Tommi Mäkinen (Team Principal)

“What happened to Jari-Matti is a big disappointment for everybody. We are sorry for him as he was so quick and he was trying to win in his home territory. We are investigating at the moment exactly what happened, but we know it was an electrical issue. We believe it was only minor but we want to investigate it fully, as we have not seen it before. With two cars on the podium and one in the lead, we still have reasons to smile. Esapekka has done a brilliant job and we hope everything goes well tomorrow.”

Jari-Matti Latvala (Driver car 10)

“The morning was fantastic, from the first stage I had a really good feeling with the car and I really enjoyed the driving. The second time through Ouninpohja started fantastically but then suddenly the car stopped, and there was nothing we could do. It’s devastating but it’s part of motorsport. We are a young team and we know these things will happen, we have to learn from them. We need to find the problem and fix it and then the target tomorrow is to try to do the maximum performance in the Power Stage.”

Juho Hänninen (Driver car 11)

“This morning was very good. It was a clear run. The afternoon was not so easy. I was a little bit too careful in the last stage, which was very narrow at the end, and I could have been a bit more brave. We are still in a good position, but it is very close with the cars around us. I will try to get second place, that’s the goal for tomorrow.”

Esapekka Lappi (Driver car 12)

“It is amazing to be leading at this moment, although I have mixed emotions as I am disappointed for Jari-Matti. He was driving really well. I could not keep up with him without taking big risks, which I did not want to do. When I passed him I slowed down a little bit. I am used to leading with a gap as it happened last year and I know how to manage a lead. I must now concentrate and keep my mind clear. I will sleep well tonight.”

Topics:

The Toyota Celica played an important part in a pivotal moment in Rally Finland’s history. In 1990, Carlos Sainz became the first non-Nordic driver to win in Finland, shattering the illusion that only local specialists could tame the rollercoaster crests, at the wheel of a GT-Four ST165. Sainz would go on to win the title at the end of the season by 45 points. Only five non-Nordic winners have ever triumphed in Finland to this day, with the most recent being Kris Meeke last year.

What’s next?

The rally concludes on Sunday with four stages. The first car will be in service at 08:00 in the morning, before taking on the Lempaa and Oittila stages. These will then be repeated without a service beforehand, just a remote refuel. The second run of Oittila will serve as the Power Stage and begins at 13:18 with the finish in Jyvaskyla at 14:31.