Janne Ferm
The rise of WRC star Esapekka Lappi is inextricably linked to Janne Ferm who has been the co-driver at Lappi's side since 2010.
The story so far
The rise of WRC star Esapekka Lappi is inextricably linked to Janne Ferm who has been the co-driver at Lappi's side since 2010.
Together, Ferm and Lappi made the jump from national events in Finland, home of rallying, to the international scene.
Ferm's father was also a co-driver, so it was no surprise that after starting his sporting career on the football pitch, Janne made the switch to rallying.
He got his first taste of competition at Finland's Lånsirannikko Rally in 2005, and co-drove for a handful of different drivers in 2009 before he joined forces with Lappi the following season.
A dominant national campaign in 2012 earned the pair a contract with Škoda and championships followed at both European and WRC2 level.
A switch to Toyota's new WRC squad in 2017 led to a sensational first win at WRC level, on home ground in Finland, and underlined their championship-winning potential.
It was all change in 2019 when Ferm joined Lappi at Citroën Total World Rally Team as team-mates to fellow new signings Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia. Three second-place finishes masked a frustrating year, and the French manufacturer’s WRC departure meant they were on the move again.
The pair led the M-Sport Ford squad in 2020, but left the team at the end of the season after finishing sixth.
A step back to WRC2 in 2021 brought them victories at Arctic Rally Finland and in Portugal before a chance to drive a privately-entered Toyota Yaris World Rally Car at Rally Finland followed. They finished an impressive fourth, earning themselves a part-time position in Toyota’s main team for 2022 where they claimed a hat-trick of podiums.
Ferm remains with Lappi for 2023, albeit in a new team as they embark on a full-time programme at Hyundai.