The NGK-sponsored M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm have secured fifth place at this weekend’s Rally Sweden – the second event in the FIA World Rally Championship.
Racing their EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRC, fitted with NGK spark plugs and NTK Lambda sensors, the Finns got better and better with every kilometre and took that confidence forward into the final stage.
Locked in a final-day battle for the fifth place with Thierry Neuville, it was Lappi who came out on top – securing the position and also taking an extra championship point for the fifth fastest time through the power stage.
Teammate Teemu Suninen brought his Fiesta WRC home in eighth place. The young Finn had led this event last year, but a high-speed spin dented his confidence and he was tasked with opening the road on Saturday.
Not in a battle and with little to fight for, Suninen and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen focused on getting through the stages with as much knowledge and experience as possible and will be keen for a comeback when the championship returns to Rally Mexico next month.
Esapekka Lappi said: “I need to be pleased with our performance this weekend. We’re not exactly where I wanted to be as I wanted to fight for the podium, but we’re not far away. We’re missing that last little bit, but it’s getting closer. We’ve made a good step forward – especially yesterday when the pace was really good – and that gives us some confidence going forward to Mexico. Everything is going well at the moment, so let’s see what we can do next.”
Mark Hallam, Marketing Manager, NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd, said: “Esapekka and Teemu have continued their good start to the season and I’m sure it won’t be too long before they both start to push for podium finishes as the season progresses.”For more details about NGK and its products and services please visit www.ngkntk.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.