ENNI MÄLKÖNEN Co-Drives Lappi to Solid 6th Place Finish at Rally Sweden

February 15, 2026

• ENNI MÄLKÖNEN delivered a steady performance as co-driver to Esapekka Lappi at Rally Sweden, guiding their Hyundai i20 N Rally1 to sixth place overall. While Toyota swept the podium with a historic 1-2-3-4 finish, Mälkönen and Lappi kept their Hyundai in the points, finishing just 1m53.2s behind rally winner Elfyn Evans despite challenging snow conditions.
• The Finnish co-driver helped Lappi secure valuable championship points in what proved to be a difficult weekend for the Hyundai Shell Mobis team. With Toyota completely dominating the Swedish snow stages, Mälkönen’s navigation skills were crucial in keeping Lappi competitive on the fast, technical winter roads that have historically favored Nordic drivers.
• Looking ahead to Safari Rally Kenya in March, Mälkönen and Lappi will face completely different conditions as the WRC moves from Swedish snow to African heat and dust. Their sixth-place finish in Sweden shows the duo can adapt to challenging circumstances, which will serve them well as they tackle one of the championship’s most grueling events.

hyundai, icon direct toyota, junior world rally championship, rally sweden