Rally | Rally star Esapekka Lappi is not longing for Monaco’s tax haven – she speaks warmly of her family

No the money but the quality of life.

This is emphasized by the rally star who lives in Pieksämäki with his family Esapekka Lappi.

Lappi praises the support of his family and spouse and praises his support network at his home in Etelä-Savo.

“If there wasn’t a working relationship and a self-sacrificing spouse, this thing wouldn’t work at all. A big thank you to my husband, because he takes care of the family’s everyday life while I get to work on the sport I love,” Lappi, 32, says.

In Lapland and his Pine tree-his spouse has 7- and 4-year-old daughters and a soon-to-be-two-year-old son.

His profession because of this, the grandparents who live nearby also help in running the everyday life of a Lapland family that travels a lot.

“They also deserve a big thank you.”

Esapekka and Pinja both grew up in Pieksämäki. They have been together for 11 years.

“We were pretty much neighbors already in childhood, but we didn’t really know each other then,” says Lappi.

The couple has not yet had time to get married.

“There has been talk of a wedding and marriage for some time, but we haven’t finished it yet. We’ll see when that happens. Let it brew some more.”

“The wedding has been such a long-term dream for me,” says Lappi.

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Our life would probably not be so happy in a country where the support network of family or friends would not be around.

Family live in a brand new detached house in Pieksämäki. According to Lap, the family has not even considered moving elsewhere. For example, moving to Monaco, known as a tax haven, has not appealed.

“Well, money doesn’t bring happiness. Our life would probably not be so happy in a country where the support network of family or friends would not be around. Money is not the most important thing, but the quality of life.”

Due to the Kenya rally around Midsummer, Lapland will miss her son’s second birthday.

“The coin always has its flip side, and in our profession this is one of them. We travel a lot and unfortunately we sometimes miss important days for the children. It just has to be accepted. Of course, the son’s birthday must also be celebrated before I leave.”

When he has free time, Lappi tries to do mountain biking.

He believes that he stays on the safe side in his hobby.

“Of course, you can fall and roll yourself on a bike. According to my rally contract, you shouldn’t do extreme things because of the risk of injury, but there’s really no category for that kind of basic mountain biking.”

Lapland would also like to fish, but there is very little time left for that.

“It’s a once-a-couple thing in the summer, but with a rowing boat it’s a problem with the kids, if nothing else.”

If Lappi could decide, his dream day in his free time would go like this:

“First a good night’s sleep. Then hustling with the kids, a mountain bike run, good food, good weather. That’s it.”

Lapland has been rallying as a professional for years. His breakthrough came in 2012, when he took the rally SM series championship after winning all the races.

This was followed by a contract with Skoda, European Championship gold in 2014 and the World Series WRC2 class championship in 2016. In the main class of the World Series, he has won one race and taken a total of 13 podium places.

As a child and teenager, Lappi drove karting at the international top level and won, among other things, the Finnish championship. He competed in karting, among other things, the current F1 driver Nyck de Vries against.

The current Hyundai driver Lappi has become known as a kind of modern era Timo Salosenawho cultivates slanderous slurs and uploads straight talk in the midst of fierce competition.

Since With age and experience, Lappi has calmed down a bit in his speech.

“Sometimes I’d like to say it more directly, but I just can’t. You can get positive feedback from the audience for speaking directly, but not from the employer. That’s why it’s pointless to shoot whatever hurts.”

“Of course I try to make statements as directly as possible,” Lappi laughs.

Lappi experienced the darkest side of the rally in the spring, when his Irish friend and teammate Craig Breen died at the age of 33 in an accident during tests in Croatia.

“When something like that happens, people get to show their feelings and experience it in their own way. It touched me a lot. “

“I’m quite a sensitive person, even if it doesn’t always seem like it. In the rally bubble, I can concentrate quite well on what I’m doing – and if, for example, my family is present at the rally, I can’t give them much of myself because I’m so focused on my work. But outside of the rally, I’m quite sensitive. “

Lapland the beginning of the season was sluggish for Hyundai. After Breen’s accident, some rally experts even doubted whether Lapland would be able to continue rallying at the top level.

“If a human life is lost, it’s a really big deal, but I still don’t feel that it affected my driving. Of course, it puts things into perspective and makes you think, what if for yourself or something like this.”

“But there has always been a risk in racing, and it hasn’t changed at all. Of course, it touches in a different way when the matter comes so close (a friend and teammate dies). For a moment you think there is no point in this, but I wasn’t about to end my career or anything like that.”

After Breen’s accident, Lappi has achieved three consecutive podium places.

To fight for victory Lappi believes that he will have time at least in the World Rally Championship in Finland and in the World Rally Championship in Estonia and perhaps in the World Rally Championship in Chile.

“I haven’t liked the car yet on asphalt, but the speed has been good on gravel and snow.”

The number one star in Finland and the rally world is the defending world champion, a 22-year-old Toyota driver Kalle Rovanperä.

Lappi says that Rovanperä’s position at the sharpest top of the sport doesn’t bother him – on the contrary.

“It hasn’t bothered me at all. Besides, the hype about Kalle has been well-deserved, because he has met all the expectations that were placed on him.”

“I don’t have any feelings of being bitter or jealous of anyone. On the contrary – I’m happy if someone succeeds.”

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If there was such a bombshell that Kalle would transfer to Hyundai, then of course it would change my setup.

Rovanperen the contract with Toyota ends this season.

In this situation, it is self-evident that Rovanperä, with its background forces, competes for its market value. A change of stables can therefore possibly come into question.

Information has already been leaked to the public, according to which Rovanperä would also discuss the contract with Hyundai.

How does this affect Lapland’s position?

According to Lappin’s own words, he doesn’t have a contract for next season yet.

“If there was such a bombshell that Kalle would transfer to Hyundai, of course it would change my situation. But I can’t do anything about it. So I can’t even raise my stress levels.”

“We ride those races the way we ride them and we hope it speaks for us. Let’s see where things lead or if they lead to anything at all. It’s pointless to stress them, you won’t get an agreement by force.”

“And my life won’t end if I don’t get to drive a rally. I know that I will have a very good and happy life without rallying.”