31.1.2026 - Mikko Eskelinen suffered a bitter off in Arctic Lapland Rally
Flying Finn Ford Fiesta RS WRC driver Mikko Eskelinen, 53, celebrated his 20th Arctic Lapland Rally in season 2026 edition of this traditional event. In freezing -33c conditions he wasn't able to reach to the speed he had hoped for and then in 7th stage of the rally he made a Small mistake which led into hour-long snow Works to get the car back into the stage. Therefore the result was anything but what Eskelinen and his co-driver Arto Kapanen had hoped for.
- We set off to drive the rally with high hopes, but we still didn't have enough courage to drive at the desired level. In addition, when we suffered a puncture on the fourth special stage and the intercoms failed on the next two, our confidence in driving was conspicuous by its absence, Eskelinen says.
- During the night break, we changed the car settings and the driving felt better until, at the end of the opening special stage of the second day of the competition, in a right-hand bend, first the rear hit a bank and then the front of the car was also sucked in, so that the snow hugged our car on both sides. First, Arto and I worked on snow removal alone until a few spectators arrived and finally, after an hour of struggling, we were able to get back on the track. Still, we reached the maximum time allowed for the special stage and that's how our competition ended, Eskelinen continues.
A big thank you to Dynamo Team for the car's maintenance, to our partners for their support and to the rally spectators for their encouragement, and above all to Mikko Heikkilä, who finished fifth in the overall competition, for his coaching.
Toyota Gazoo Racing's star driver Elfyn Evans won the 61st Tunturi Rally overall competition. The highest series points in the Rally Championship were won by the reigning two-time Finnish champion Esapekka Lappi.
Final results 61th Arctic Lapland Rally, overall top-3:
1. Elfyn Evans & Scott Martin, Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 , 1.45.31
2. Esapekka Lappi & Enni Mälkönen, Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, +3.56,3s
3. Tuukka Kauppinen & Topi Luhtinen, Toyota Yaris Rally2, +4.21,5s
4. Lauri Joona & Antti Linnaketo, Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, +4.28,8s
5. Mikko Heikkilä & Kristian Temonen, Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, +4.32,7s
--- retired. Mikko Eskelinen & Arto Kapanen, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, offroad ss7
