Extreme temperatures and altitude are putting the motors of the World Rally Championship in Mexico to the test. It is not Esapekka Lappi who will say the opposite. While he was installed in fifth place in the event, the Finn started off in the seventh stage with a fire on the back of the car. The fire only spread over the seconds. When the brakes were released, the crew made the wise decision to stop at the edge of the runway.
The two men were able to get out of the cabin and took shelter, unharmed. The fire, the origin of which was not identified by the former Citroën driver, who had moreover not noticed any engine anomaly during the previous lap, continued to spread in the Ford Fiesta. "I threw myself out of the cockpit as quickly as possible!" Reacted Lappi who had seen flames at the start of the lap but had not been worried. In a few minutes, the car was devoured by the fire which could not be brought under control in the middle of the Mexican countryside.
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