Esapekka Lapi Wins Porvoon Autopalvelu Rally to Close Professional Career

Late Crash by Patrik Enok Shifts Lead to Lapi

Patrik Enok had maintained the lead from the start of the rally in his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. However, an accident in the penultimate stage ended Enok’s bid for the win and handed the advantage to Lapi. The crash not only cost Enok the event victory but also impacted the final standings of the Finnish championship, leaving the Estonian driver with a bronze medal for the season.

Speaking in a live broadcast on FlyingFinn.tv, Lapi expressed sympathy for Enok, noting that the driver had performed exceptionally well before the accident. Lapi admitted that following Enok’s crash, his primary focus shifted to simply staying on the road, mentioning that his car was currently for sale.

Niklas Gronholm Secures First Podium of the Season

Niklas Gronholm finished the rally in second place, 25.9 seconds behind Lapi. This result marked Gronholm’s first podium finish of the current season. While Gronholm acknowledged that the result was reached through the misfortune of others—specifically the crash of Enok and a mistake by Lauri Jona—he noted that his team was the fastest in the final stage.

Gronholm described the season as a struggle, stating that there had been many rallies where it felt as though nothing was working, making this second-place finish a positive way to end the season.

Final Standings and Championship Implications

The results of the Porvoon Autopalvelu rally finalized the podium for the Finnish championship. Esapekka Lapi, who had already secured the championship title prior to this event, finished the season at the top. Lauri Jona claimed the silver medal after losing second place in the final stage of the rally, while Patrik Enok finished the championship in third place.