Just as Teemu Suninen did last time out at Rally Italia Sardegna, Lappi proved that the EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRCs, which are fitted with NGK spark plugs and NTK Lambda sensors, still has the pace to fight for the top results – leading the rally through the early stages and challenging for the win on the final, action-packed event of the year.
The Finn was battling at the sharp end before luck played its hand and a series of small mistakes saw him fall from the fight at the front.
Unable to make the most of his superior tyre choice through the snow-covered mountain stages, and taking the wrong compound for Sunday morning’s opener, the podium positions slipped out of his grasp; but the Finn should remain proud of his performance this weekend.
Esapekka Lappi said: “This was a good weekend for us and we can be pleased with our performance. It was good to be back on Tarmac, and good to see that we can be competitive in these tricky conditions.
"Things didn’t always go our way and we were quite unlucky at times, but I was very happy with my driving and we proved that we can be up there fighting at the top.
“A big thanks to everyone who has supported us throughout the year, and to the FIA, WRC Promotor and event organisers for ensuring we could finish the season and continue rallying in these difficult times.”
Mark Hallam, Marketing Manager, NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd, said: “It was a great way for the team to finish the season and bodes well for another successful WRC campaign next year.”
Notes to Editors
About NGK SPARK PLUG:
Worldwide: NGK SPARK PLUG is one of the leading automotive and technical ceramics suppliers, with its corporate headquarters in Nagoya, Japan and sales organisations and production facilities all over the world. The automotive side of the company specialises in the fields of ignition and sensor technology, supplying Original Equipment customers across the globe. For the Aftermarket, its product portfolio comprises spark plugs, glow plugs, ignition coils and leads under the NGK Ignition Parts brand. Under the brand NTK Vehicle Electronics the company offers oxygen sensors (including NOx sensors), exhaust gas temperature sensors (EGTS), mass air flow (MAF) and manifold absolute/boost pressure (MAP) sensors as well as engine speed and position sensors. With around 16,000 employees, the company’s automotive and technical ceramics activities generate a total annual turnover of around 3.5 billion Euros worldwide. NGK SPARK PLUG’s EMEA sales (including its EU, UK, France and Eurasia subsidiaries) represent 26.1% of this global turnover. NGK SPARK PLUG operates on all continents and has 41 group companies, 24 production plants and four Technical Centres.
Aftermarket EMEA: NGK SPARK PLUG has seen significant growth across the Aftermarket since expanding beyond motorcycle parts into the automotive sector in the 1970s. With an outstanding commitment to quality, technology and research & development the company has become the world’s number one in spark plugs and oxygen sensors, and a leading provider of glow plugs, ignition coils and leads as well as further sensor technology. Organisationally NGK SPARK PLUG’s regional headquarters in Ratingen, Germany serves the Aftermarket across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In the EMEA region the company has ten group companies and more than 1,000 employees, as well as two production plants in France and South Africa and a Technical Centre in Germany.
For further information contact:
Andy Hurst
Hurst Media Services
Tel: +44 (0)1354 657253; Mobile: 0773 694 7803
Email: andycsowh.sxsmrstonecross@bik7/ftntegqrnet.com+cow
January 2021
Ignition specialist NGK is making it even more rewarding for UK workshops to fit its glow plugs to service their customers’ diesel-powered vehicles this winter.
Read more2018
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Read more2018
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Read more2018
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Read moreJanuary 2021
Ignition specialist NGK is making it even more rewarding for UK workshops to fit its glow plugs to service their customers’ diesel-powered vehicles this winter.
Read more2018
Please add a description to the page: Feature
Read more2018
Please add a description to the page: Blog
Read more2018
Please add a description to the page: Press Office
Read moreDecember 2020
NGK-sponsored motorcycle ace Chrissy Rouse will defend his Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship title in 2021, signing with the GR Motosport team to race on the all-new Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
Read moreDecember 2020
M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm brought their NGK-equipped Ford Fiesta WRC home in fourth place at this weekend’s ACI Rally Monza – equalling their best result of the season.
Read moreNovember 2020
Today (November 30) represents the last chance for UK workshops to take advantage of a great new incentive to fit the company’s glow plugs to deal with increased winter demand.
Read moreNovember 2020
Ignition specialist NGK is a major supporter of motorsport, both four-wheel and two-wheel, and one sport where it is especially influential is Speedway where riders compete on motorbikes with no brakes.
Read moreNovember 2020
NGK’s range of premium NTK camshaft and crankshaft sensors (also known as engine speed & position sensors) have proved to be a popular addition to the company’s portfolio since being launched last year.
Read moreNovember 2020
NGK-sponsored racing driver Max Coates finished the 2020 MINI CHALLENGE UK season by taking a maiden pole position and securing strong top five race results.
Read moreNovember 2020
Ignition and sensors specialist NGK reports it will continue to be ‘business as usual’ throughout the new lockdown that started in England today (November 5) and is due to continue until December 2.
Read moreOctober 2020
Ignition and sensor specialist NGK has refreshed its online Part Finder facility, making it even more user-friendly for its customers.
Read moreOctober 2020
Members of NGK’s BoxClever independent garage scheme are being urged to take advantage of the company’s current NTK sensors’ incentive which finishes at the end of this month (October).
Read moreOctober 2020
Russian Speedway star Emil Sayfutdinov – who is sponsored by NGK – has helped his homeland win the 2020 FIM Monster League of Nations trophy.
Read moreOctober 2020
NGK-sponsored motorcycle star Chrissy Rouse is the new 2020 Pirelli National Superstock 1000 champion following the last round of the season at Brands Hatch.
Read moreOctober 2020
It has been a memorable few days for NGK-sponsored transgender racing driver Charlie Martin as she achieved a fourth place finish in her first-ever 24-hour race at the World-famous Nürburgring circuit in Germany just days after signing up to a new race team for 2021.
Read moreOctober 2020
Fund-raising NGK employee Stuart Bayne is once again competing in the Virgin Money London Marathon to raise money for charity although this time he will be running outside of the capital.
Read moreSeptember 2020
Young M-Sport Ford World Rally Team members Gus Greensmith and Elliott Edmondson secured a career-best result at this weekend’s Rally Turkey, the young Brits bringing their NGK-equipped EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRC home in a creditable fifth place overall.
Read moreSeptember 2020
Motorcycle star Chrissy Rouse – who is sponsored by NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd – has raced to the top of the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship after notching a win and second place at Oulton Park.
Read moreDecember 2020
NGK-sponsored motorcycle ace Chrissy Rouse will defend his Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship title in 2021, signing with the GR Motosport team to race on the all-new Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
Read moreDecember 2020
M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm brought their NGK-equipped Ford Fiesta WRC home in fourth place at this weekend’s ACI Rally Monza – equalling their best result of the season.
Read moreNovember 2020
Today (November 30) represents the last chance for UK workshops to take advantage of a great new incentive to fit the company’s glow plugs to deal with increased winter demand.
Read moreNovember 2020
Ignition specialist NGK is a major supporter of motorsport, both four-wheel and two-wheel, and one sport where it is especially influential is Speedway where riders compete on motorbikes with no brakes.
Read moreNovember 2020
NGK’s range of premium NTK camshaft and crankshaft sensors (also known as engine speed & position sensors) have proved to be a popular addition to the company’s portfolio since being launched last year.
Read moreNovember 2020
NGK-sponsored racing driver Max Coates finished the 2020 MINI CHALLENGE UK season by taking a maiden pole position and securing strong top five race results.
Read moreNovember 2020
Ignition and sensors specialist NGK reports it will continue to be ‘business as usual’ throughout the new lockdown that started in England today (November 5) and is due to continue until December 2.
Read moreOctober 2020
Ignition and sensor specialist NGK has refreshed its online Part Finder facility, making it even more user-friendly for its customers.
Read moreOctober 2020
Members of NGK’s BoxClever independent garage scheme are being urged to take advantage of the company’s current NTK sensors’ incentive which finishes at the end of this month (October).
Read moreOctober 2020
Russian Speedway star Emil Sayfutdinov – who is sponsored by NGK – has helped his homeland win the 2020 FIM Monster League of Nations trophy.
Read moreOctober 2018
NGK gave customers the drive of their lives when they took part in a special rally day hosted by the Cumbria-based M-Sport.
Read moreOctober 2018
The NGK-sponsored M-Sport Ford World Rally Team has thanked star duo Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia who will be moving to pastures new in 2019.
Read moreOctober 2018
It may not have been The Ryder Cup, but competition was fierce when NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd held its 27th Northern Ireland annual golf day.
Read moreOctober 2018
Peter Hayden is relishing his return to the UK automotive aftermarket with NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd.
Read moreOctober 2018
NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd has made a special presentation to a man who has helped sell hundreds of thousands of the company’s market-leading spark plugs.
Read moreOctober 2018
NGK Spark Plug Co. of Japan is to acquire the oxygen-related products business of Chart Industries, Inc., a leading global manufacturer of highly engineered equipment.
Read moreOctober 2018
NGK has helped Repton-based engine manufacturer Gibson Technology achieve a significant milestone with its LMP2 engines.
Read moreOctober 2018
American Greg Hancock goes into the last round of the 2018 World Speedway championship with a strong chance of winning a medal.
Read moreOctober 2018
Racer Charlie Martin has starred at the first-ever Watergate Bay Speed Hillclimb motorsport event – competing in her NGK-liveried Mini Cooper.
Read moreOctober 2018
Kyle Bickley won the No Limits Stars of Tomorrow powered by NGK Spark Plugs meeting with Joe Lawlor and Leon Flint finishing second and third respectively to make it a 1-2-3 for NGK-sponsored riders.
Read moreOctober 2018
World-leading ignition and sensor manufacturer NGK chose Automechanika Frankfurt for the European launch of its new premium NTK camshaft and crankshaft sensors.
Read moreAugust 2018
NGK teamed up with leading independent car parts distributor EU Linco for a major spark plugs promotion.
Read moreAugust 2018
Two determined NGK employees have braved the summer heatwave to complete a gruelling near 425-mile cycling marathon to raise funds for charity.
Read moreAugust 2018
NGK Spark Plugs has released a new catalogue which features full details of the range and applications of 87 MAF sensors and 69 MAP sensors – which were launched last September – are featured in the 2018/2019 publication.
Read moreAugust 2018
NGK-sponsored triple world champion Nicki Pedersen takes top step of the podium ahead of NGK stablemate Slovenian star Matej Zagar for his first SGP win since October, 2015.
Read moreOctober 2018
NGK gave customers the drive of their lives when they took part in a special rally day hosted by the Cumbria-based M-Sport.
Read moreOctober 2018
The NGK-sponsored M-Sport Ford World Rally Team has thanked star duo Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia who will be moving to pastures new in 2019.
Read moreOctober 2018
It may not have been The Ryder Cup, but competition was fierce when NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd held its 27th Northern Ireland annual golf day.
Read moreOctober 2018
Peter Hayden is relishing his return to the UK automotive aftermarket with NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd.
Read moreOctober 2018
NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd has made a special presentation to a man who has helped sell hundreds of thousands of the company’s market-leading spark plugs.
Read moreOctober 2018
NGK Spark Plug Co. of Japan is to acquire the oxygen-related products business of Chart Industries, Inc., a leading global manufacturer of highly engineered equipment.
Read moreOctober 2018
NGK has helped Repton-based engine manufacturer Gibson Technology achieve a significant milestone with its LMP2 engines.
Read moreOctober 2018
American Greg Hancock goes into the last round of the 2018 World Speedway championship with a strong chance of winning a medal.
Read moreOctober 2018
Racer Charlie Martin has starred at the first-ever Watergate Bay Speed Hillclimb motorsport event – competing in her NGK-liveried Mini Cooper.
Read moreOctober 2018
Kyle Bickley won the No Limits Stars of Tomorrow powered by NGK Spark Plugs meeting with Joe Lawlor and Leon Flint finishing second and third respectively to make it a 1-2-3 for NGK-sponsored riders.
Read more