SKODA DRIVER LAPPI IS EUROPEAN CHAMPION

ŠKODA has secured the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) title* for the third time in a row. Despite Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (FIN/FIN) being unable to finish the season finale on Corsica, the works drivers are the champions of the drivers’ and co-drivers’ standings. Sepp Wiegand/Frank Christian (D/D) also have reason to celebrate; coming second in the overall standings they clinched ŠKODA’s one-two victory in the continental championship.

“It’s the biggest success of my career. My thanks go to the entire ŠKODA Motorsport team and my co-driver Janne – they all did a fantastic job,” said Lappi. As European Champion, the 23-year-old follows in the footsteps of his ŠKODA brand colleagues Jan Kopecký (CZ/2013) and Juho Hänninen (FIN/2012), who won the title in the successful Fabia Super 2000 model in the two previous years. Lappi earned the victory with his three wins at the ERC rallies in Latvia, Northern Ireland and Switzerland.

The Finn was unable to complete the tradition-steeped “Tour de Corse” after he came off the track on the final special stage of the first day. The successful duo escaped without injury. At the point at which they retired, Lappi was in a promising third place. “We were doing well at this rally, but then I misjudged a bend. I feel bad for the team,” said Lappi.

The major problem at the classic rally was that the drivers who started first flung mud from the edge of the track onto the asphalt. The drivers who started later –

Lappi was fourth to take to the track – had to battle with this. This was made worse by the fact that the track was slippery and wet at times, despite the sun shining. Unpredictable conditions with consequences for Esapekka Lappi. The Finn won’t start the second day of the “Tour de Corse”.

Nevertheless, ŠKODA’s one-two victory in the ERC is certain: With 162 points Lappi won the title ahead of his brand colleague Wiegand (128), who got four podium spots in the course of the season. As well as this victory, ŠKODA has also already secured the title hat-trick in the manufacturers’ and drivers’ standings in the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC)* ahead of the season finale at the weekend in China, ŠKODA’s most important market. ŠKODA works driver Jan Kopecký is the new champion, ahead of his team-mate Gaurav Gill (IND), who won the championship last year. Last year’s European Champion Kopecký is the first rally driver to have won the ERC and then the APRC in two consecutive years.

The high-tech four-wheel drive from Mladá Boleslav has also won the championship title in four national rally championships. Belgium’s rally old hand “Fast” Freddy Loix, who won the FIA European Rally Championship race in his home country in the Fabia Super 2000 in June, won the Belgian championship title. Before that, Pedro Meireles (P), supported by ŠKODA Portugal, won the championship in Portugal. Old hand Raimund Baumschlager (A) also won his twelfth rally championship title overall in Austria in the Fabia Super 2000. On top of that, Poles Grzegorz Grzyb/Robert Hundla won the championship in Slovakia.