Paris (AFP)
The Finnish Esapekka Lappi, without a steering wheel since Citroën's withdrawal from the world rally championship, joined his compatriot Teemu Suninen at M-Sport Ford for 2020, the team announced on Thursday.
The 28-year-old driver, 10th in the last world championship accompanied by his co-driver Janne Ferm, will be the n ° 1 driver. "I am delighted with their confidence, which will give us the chance to show our value in 2020," Lappi said in a team press release.
Citroën driver last year, he was blocked by the precipitous withdrawal of the brand from the WRC chevron, decided in reaction to the departure of the six-time French world champion in rallies Sébastien Ogier for Toyota. He replaces Welsh Elfyn Evans, who also left for Toyota in the off-season.
The second driver who will play on a Ford Fiesta will be Teemu Suninen, still guided by Jarmo Lehtinen. The 25-year-old Finn will make his fourth year in the WRC.
"I am looking forward to the development of the new generation of the" flying Finns ". (...) The team may be young, but it has experience and ambitions," said Malcolm Wilson, the general manager M-Sport Ford, who has counted other Finnish doublets in the past, like Mikko Hirvonen with Jari-Matti Latvala between 2008 and 2011.
The British pair Gus Greensmith and Elliott Edmondson will compete in 9 of the 13 events as the third crew.
© 2020 AFP