Esapekka Lappi added to his hefty advantage with a clean run through Rally Sweden’s second leg on Saturday as he closed in on his first FIA World Rally Championship victory in six years.
By completing leg two in front, the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid driver provisionally scored 18 WRC points, which will be added to his season tally providing he reaches the rally finish on Sunday afternoon under new rules for 2024.
Starting Saturday’s action leading the ice and snow event by 3.2s following Friday’s drama-packed first leg, Lappi came under early pressure when Takamoto Katsuta slashed his advantage to 0.9s with a determined charge through the day-opening run through Vannas. But Lappi was left in the clear when Katsuta plunged his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid into a snowbank 3.4km from the start of SS10 while pressing his Finnish rival for top spot.
Despite his comfortable margin, which stood at 1m31.6s after SS10, Lappi admitted that finding the balance between attacking and holding his lead was far from easy. Like his fellow drivers, Lappi also had to make preserving his tire studs on increasingly damaged roads a key focus. But the one-time WRC event winner completed Saturday’s running without incident and will take a lead of 1m06.3s into Sunday’s deciding three-stage leg.
“I’ve been trying to save the tires the whole afternoon and still be smart in terms of the pace,” Lappi said of his Saturday efforts. “I’m not so used to it so it’s not the easiest job in the world. But it’s all under control.”
While Lappi heads into Sunday with his sights fixed on victory, Katsuta will be hoping to avoid leaving Sweden empty handed. The Japanese driver’s target are the seven points up for grabs for topping leg three’s classification, plus the five points on offer for the Wolf Power Stage fastest time.
Of his Saturday morning exit, a dejected Katsuta said: “We did an OK time on the first one to gain the time and a much closer gap between me and EP . I wanted to continue pushing, maybe even more to gain more time but obviously I was trying very hard, and one corner I carried a bit too much speed and snapped the rear and hit the snowbank. We were stuck and couldn’t get out.”
On a day that produced five stage winners from the seven scheduled stages and also marked M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson’s 68th birthday, the team’s Adrien Fourmaux excelled aboard his Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid.
After demoting WRC2 leader Oliver Solberg in the battle for third on SS9, Fourmaux moved into second when Katsuta stopped on the next stage. The Frenchman further underlined his potential by landing his fourth WRC career stage win on SS11 to cement second place in the overall order, which he maintained through the afternoon to land 15 interim points. That was despite a scare in the closing portion of SS15 when he charged a snowbank after being distracted by his teammate Gregoire Munster’s stricken Puma.
“I’ve seen the video and I thought it was the corner before,” Fourmaux said. “When I realized they were there it was too late. What a good day — a rollercoaster, up and down, but I’m happy, P2.”