ENNI MÄLKÖNEN’s Rally1 Comeback Proves Champions Don’t Stay Down Long

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March 8, 2026

GRRL! SUMMARY:

ENNI MÄLKÖNEN turned what should have been her career highlight into a launching pad when she got unceremoniously dropped after winning the 2024 WRC2 championship with Sami Pajari. Instead of wallowing, she went home to Finland and absolutely dominated, winning seven of nine Finnish Rally Championship rounds and claiming the national title. That’s how you respond to getting shown the door—by proving they made a mistake.
Her comeback story gets even better: MÄLKÖNEN earned herself a factory Rally1 seat with Hyundai, partnering with Esapekka Lappi for the 2026 season. The pace they showed in Sweden was one of the major talking points, and those finish-line celebration photos told the whole story—pure joy from someone who fought her way back to the top level. The reserved Finn let her results do the talking, embodying that Finnish sisu that carried her through the disappointment.
Now MÄLKÖNEN faces the ultimate test as she and Lappi head to Safari Rally Kenya, where Hyundai is hunting for their first-ever African win. The #4 Hyundai i20 N Rally1 showed serious speed in Sweden, and with the unpredictable nature of Safari Rally, this Finnish duo could be the ones to finally break Toyota’s stranglehold. It’s poetic justice—from championship winner to cast-off to potential Safari Rally victor, all in the span of a year.