Esapekka Lappi looks back on her accident in Mexico

It is undoubtedly the Saturday image of this Rally from Mexico, or even on weekends. Leader of this 3^e round of the season with a little more than 5 seconds ahead of Sébastien Ogier, Esapekka Lappi made a violent mistake during SS11, the first of the day.

Sorti trop large, le pilote Hyundai a perdu le contrôle de sa voiture et a heurté un poteau d’électricité qui est ensuite retombé sur l’arrière de sa i20 l’endommageant fortement. Le coup était terrible pour le Finlandais qui était en bonne posture pour signer une 2^e victory in WRC, 6 years after his 1^st en 2017 sous les couleurs de Toyota.

« As we often say, when you drive more carefully and safely, it becomes more difficult. I think that's exactly what happened, he regretted after its abandonment. I didn't attack and I didn't push more than that particularly. There was a long right turn that we cut before entering the left turn where we exited. I felt like I was a little stuck in the corner, and I couldn't get in immediately.

I missed the rope by about 40 centimeters, went out about half a meter wide and hit the embankment. It could have ended there but we spun and hit the post. There was also a fire in the car, which we managed to put out."

A terrible disappointment for Esapekka Lappi who nevertheless preferred to look on the bright side of things and highlight the great top speed of the Korean machines which could be of great use for the rest of the season. In the meantime, the Scandinavian will be another spectator on this last day of the Rally Mexico.

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