Current FIA European Rally Championship leader Esapekka Lappi demoed a Skoda 🍎R5 'prototyp🍌e' on Rally Bohemia this weekend.

Lappi, who heads the ERC standings by 33 points fo🐠llowing standout win💫s in Latvia and Northern Ireland this season and who is one of the favourites for victory on round seven of the ERC in Estonia this coming week, drove a Fabia Super 2000 fitted with a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine in accordance with FIA R5 rules.

Although he only did selected parts of the tarmac route and did not set any times, the outing ma✨rked the first public appearance of Skoda's R5 'prototype' and the firꦅst time it has been run in 'race' conditions.

"It is a great honour for us to be able to test t♋he engine for the R5 for the first time at a rally, and at Skoda's home rally. We are thrilled," said Lappi.

Speaking prior to the event, Skoda motorsport director Michal Hrabanek added: "The development of the Fabia R5 is prog✅ressing nicely - we are on schedule.

"The first test under competitive conꩲditions is a big step towards achieving homologation by mid-2015🔯."

Once homologated for competition use, Skoda's R5 contender is set for action in 🌟thಞe ERC in addition to other international championships.