Andreas Mikkelsen says that he is willing to follow Esapekka Lappi's plan for making his come back in World Rally Championship and may take part in four rallies in WRC2 class this year.
Esapekka Lappi stayed out of World Rally Championship at the end of 2020 as his contract with M-Sport Ford expired that year and decided to compete in two rallies in WRC2 class with a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 in 2021. Afterwards his participation in Portugal, he rented the fifth Yaris WRC by Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT and finished in fourth place overall at Rally Finland of 2021. In 2022, the Finn driver secured a part-season programme with Toyota and now will compete in all rounds of this year's championship as he signed a full-time contract with Hyundai Motorsport.
On the other hand, Andreas Mikkelsen became a WRC2 Champion in 2021 with Toksport and renewed his contract with the team for one more season, but since Ott Tanak left Hyundai Motorsport at the end of 2022 it was tipped that the Norwegian would replace him at the Korean squad. Eventually, Lappi was confirmed that he will join the team, therefore Mikkelsen lost his chance to return in World Rally Championship. But the most important is that he lost his place at Toksport as well, because Hyundai Motorsport stopped answering the phone and he did not know how to react in this behavior.
"I want to remind people what I am capable of", Mikkelsen said.
"Last year I think I drove as well as I ever drove in my career, but that one mistake in Greece cost me.
"I want to come and do maybe three or four WRC2 rounds where we know the best guys are going to be there.
"I have to go against them and beat them and that’s what I want to do.
"EP did those two events in Arctic and Portugal and that was really enough to get him back to Rally1.
"I couldn’t do Portugal that year because of COVID, but I want to do what Lappi did".
Source: wrc.com
Photo Credits: Toksport
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