(Reuters) – Hyundai part-time driver Esapekka Lappi will head into the final day of Rally Sweden on Sunday with a lead of over a minute and is on course for his first win since 2017.
The 33-year-old Finnish driver’s chances were improved when Takamoto Katsuta of Toyota, his closest competitor overnight, crashed into a snowbank and got stuck on Saturday’s second stage after narrowing the gap to under a second.
Under the new scoring system for 2024, Lappi will secure 18 points if he navigates the snowbanks and other dangers and completes the remaining three stages on Sunday.
He took a cautious approach on Saturday afternoon, conserving his tire studs and finishing one minute 06.3 seconds ahead of M-Sport Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux, with Toyota’s Elfyn Evans coming in third.
“We were trying to manage the lead and not take any risks in an effort to preserve the tires for the final stages,” said Lappi, whose only victory to date was in Finland.
“There are still three stages to go, and two long stages in particular where anything can happen. I am happy we are in this situation but it isn’t over yet.”
Hyundai’s championship leader Thierry Neuville, who won the opener in Monte Carlo last month, was in fourth place and two minutes 22 seconds behind the leader on a day with five different winners in seven stages.
There are still twelve points up for grabs on Sunday, five of which will be awarded in the closing Power Stage.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Ed Osmond)
