Esapekka Lappi is the latest star name to add a preparation rally to his schedule ahead of the FIA World Rally Championship’s restart event in Estonia in September. The M-Sport Ford driver will tackle Finland’s Jämsän Äijät Ralli (8 August) in a Fiesta World Rally Car run by ex-M-Sport factory driver Janne Tuohino’s JanPro Racing squad. It will be Lappi’s first outing since the last pre-lockdown WRC round in Mexico in March and the fast gravel stages will be ideal preparation for the championship’s return at Rally Estonia (4 – 6 September) on similar high-speed dirt roads. While Neste Rally Finland’s fast forest roads will remain silent next month, WRC stars will ensure there is plenty of virtual … Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Takamoto Katsuta will tackle the Kokkola-ralli, also in Finland, on Saturday (1 August) in a Yaris, while Hyundai Motorsport will field world champion Ott Tänak and Thierry Neuville in i20 World Rally Cars at Italy’s asphalt Rally di Alba the following day.

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