Lappi joins Toyota GAZOO Racing for 2022

Esapekka Lappi will be in a high calibre driver line-up as he joins Ogier, Evans and Rovanpera for the 2022 World Rally Championship with Toyota GAZOO Racing.

October 07, 2021

Lappi was part of the team’s line-up in its inaugural season in 2017, and claimed a memorable maiden victory on home soil at Rally Finland in just his fourth start at the highest level. In 2018 his three podium finishes helped Toyota to win the manufacturers’ championship before he moved on to other challenges. Together with co-driver Janne Ferm, the 30-year-old returned behind the wheel of a Toyota Yaris WRC last week with a privateer entry on Rally Finland, finishing a strong fourth overall, and now rejoins the team on a permanent basis for the WRC’s new era.

Lappi says; “I am very, very happy to be returning to the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing team. It feels like I’m coming home. I have some great memories from the past and it was really nice to work with people from the team again at Rally Finland. As soon as I got back into the Yaris WRC, it felt again like this was my car. Of course, for next year we will have a new car and although I have not driven it yet, it seems like it will be very different with the new regulations. But it will be interesting to be a part of it and I’m very excited about the future.”