World Rally Championship - 1998 Rally Winners

Calendar

Teams and drivers

Results and standings

Drivers' championship

{| | |valign="top"| |}

Manufacturers' championship

Events

World Rally Championship Category:World Rally Championship seasons

"Turbo" Tommi Antero Mäkinen ( is a now retired Finnish rally driver, born in Puuppola, Finland near Jyväskylä on 26 June 1964. As of 1999 he lived in both Monaco and Jyväskylä, married, with two children. Mäkinen is one of the most successful WRC drivers of all time, ranking second in championships (4), tied with Juha Kankkunen and behind Sébastien Loeb (7), and fifth in wins (24).

He is a four-time World Rally Champion, a series he first won, and then successfully defended, continuously throughout 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999, on all occasions driving the Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. He also aided Mitsubishi to the 1998 world constructors' title as well as winning the 2000 Race of Champions. Mäkinen's navigators include compatriots Seppo Harjanne and Risto Mannisenmäki, the former retiring from alongside Mäkinen having previously served 1985 champion, and fellow 'Flying Finn', Peugeot's Timo Salonen.

Career

Mäkinen won the Group N Finnish Rally Championship driving a Lancia Delta HF 4WD in 1988. Mäkinen's first world rally win came on the 1994 1000 Lakes Rally (now Neste Rally Finland), in a Ford Escort RS Cosworth. Mäkinen proved a late developer by the standards of some in rallying circles, only nabbing his first full-time manufacturer seat in a Group A formula Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution alongside former Group A rally champion Swede Kenneth Eriksson, in 1995 - but success was to prove spontaneous thereafter.

A cultured Safari Rally win in 1996 proved the platform on which to build a dominant championship lead, which he consolidated by taking the title in Australia, away from runner-up, Subaru's Colin McRae - a long-time rival. He proceeded to win every drivers' title for Mitsubishi from 1996 to 1999. The Mitsubishi team, with the Finn and young Briton Richard Burns among its driver personnel, also won its sole manufacturers' championship in 1998, while late that same year, the licensed Tommi Mäkinen Rally video game was also released. In 2000, despite opening his campaign with victory on the January Monte Carlo Rally, Mäkinen finally relinquished his grasp on the title, being beaten in the standings by new title holder and fellow Finn, Marcus Grönholm. That year Mitsubishi produced a 'Tommi Mäkinen edition' of the road version of the Lancer Evolution VI to commemorate his previous title successes. This car had a different front bumper than the regular Evolution VI, while some models also featured a red and white paint job to closely resemble Mäkinen's rally car.

.]] Mäkinen remained with Mitsubishi until the end of the 2001 season, having finished third in that year's standings behind Burns and McRae, by now respectively drivers for Subaru and Ford - but not before the inauspicious introduction of team's first ever World Rally Car on the San Remo Rally. Mäkinen and team-mate Freddy Loix struggled with the car before the Finn's crash on the mountainside roads of the following round in Corsica was responsible for breaking co-driver Mannisenmäki's back and in doing so, virtually end his top-line career. The Finn was forced to fare with substitute co-drivers for the remaining events in Australia and Great Britain, the latter of which he retired from, helping Burns to claim the championship.

A move to the Prodrive-run Subaru World Rally Team for 2002 as replacement for Burns (who had chosen to drive a works Peugeot 206 WRC alongside Gronholm for his title defence) yielded one more, final career victory, on the 2002 Monte Carlo Rally where a technical infringement committed by on-the-road winner, and emerging talent, Sébastien Loeb, allowed Mäkinen to upstage the Frenchman. But his form then took a dive and he was not to add again to his tally of world titles.

He retired from the sport at the end of the 2003 season with third place on that year's Rally Great Britain.

WRC victories

:{|class="wikitable" ! Number ! Event ! Season ! Co-driver ! Car |- | 1 | 44th 1000 Lakes Rally | 1994 | Seppo Harjanne | Ford Escort RS Cosworth |- | 2 | 45th International Swedish Rally | 1996 | Seppo Harjanne | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 |- | 3 | 44th Safari Rally Kenya | 1996 | Seppo Harjanne | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 |- | 4 | 16º Rally Argentina | 1996 | Seppo Harjanne | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 |- | 5 | 46th Neste 1000 Lakes Rally | 1996 | Seppo Harjanne | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 |- | 6 | 9th API Rally Australia | 1996 | Seppo Harjanne | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 |- | 7 | 30º TAP Rallye de Portugal | 1997 | Seppo Harjanne | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4 |- | 8 | 33º Rallye Catalunya-Costa Brava (Rallye de España) | 1997 | Seppo Harjanne | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4 |- | 9 | 17º Rally Argentina | 1997 | Seppo Harjanne | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4 |- | 10 | 47th Neste Rally Finland | 1997 | Risto Mannisenmäki | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4 |- | 11 | 47th International Swedish Rally | 1998 | Risto Mannisenmäki | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4 |- | 12 | 18º Rally Argentina | 1998 | Risto Mannisenmäki | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5 |- | 13 | 48th Neste Rally Finland | 1998 | Risto Mannisenmäki | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5 |- | 14 | 40º Rallye Sanremo - Rallye d'Italia | 1998 | Risto Mannisenmäki | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5 |- | 15 | 11th API Rally Australia | 1998 | Risto Mannisenmäki | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5 |- | 16 | 67ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo | 1999 | Risto Mannisenmäki | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 |- | 17 | 48th International Swedish Rally | 1999 | Risto Mannisenmäki | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 |- | 18 | 29th Rally New Zealand | 1999 | Risto Mannisenmäki | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 |- | 19 | 41º Rallye Sanremo - Rallye d'Italia | 1999 | Risto Mannisenmäki | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 |- | 20 | 68ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo | 2000 | Risto Mannisenmäki | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 |- | 21 | 69ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo | 2001 | Risto Mannisenmäki | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 |- | 22 | 35º TAP Rallye de Portugal | 2001 | Risto Mannisenmäki | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 |- | 23 | 49th Safari Rally Kenya | 2001 | Risto Mannisenmäki | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 |- | 24 | 70ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo | 2002 | Kaj Lindström | Subaru Impreza WRC |}

WRC results

References

External links

Tommi Mäkinen Racing Ltd.

Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:World Rally Champions Category:World Rally Championship drivers Category:Finnish rally drivers

Ari Pieti Uolevi Vatanen () (born April 27, 1952 in Tuupovaara) is a Finnish rally driver turned politician and Member of the European Parliament 1999–2009. Vatanen won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1981 and the Paris Dakar Rally four times.

Biography

Vatanen was born and grew up in rural Tuupovaara in Eastern Finland. His debut year in professional rallying was 1970, and he debuted in the World Rally Championship at the 1974 1000 Lakes Rally. His first international rally was the 1975 Rothmans 747 Rally in Jamaica driving a Datsun 120Y. He placed 12th with co-driver Gerry Phillips. He won the British Rally Championship in 1976 and 1980 with Peter Bryant and David Richards. In 1977, Vatanen became a regular privateer contestant in the WRC with a Ford Escort RS1800. For the 1979 season, he was signed by Rothmans Rally Team. Continuing with an RS1800, he took his debut win at the 1980 Acropolis Rally and became the World Rally Champion in 1981. From 1979 until the end of 1981, Vatanen was co-driven by David Richards, who went on to become chairman of Prodrive, the Banbury based motorsport team and one of the most influential figures in British (and worldwide) motorsport. In the 1982 season, Vatanen did not defend his title and competed in only three world rallies.

In 1984, Vatanen signed to drive the Peugeot 205 T16 for Peugeot's factory team. From the 1984 1000 Lakes Rally to 1985 Swedish Rally, Vatanen won five world rallies in a row. Close to death after a major accident on the 1985 Rally Argentina, Vatanen spent 18 months winning a personal health battle over serious injury and depression. He went on to make a complete recovery and his return to motorsport in 1987 saw him go on to win the Paris-Dakar Rally four times; with Peugeot in 1987, 1989 and 1990, and with Citroën in 1991. He became the centre of controversy when his car was stolen whilst leading the same rally in 1988.

With Peugeot, Vatanen also won the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, after Peugeot stopped participating in the World Rally Championship in 1986, due to the demise of Group B rallying. Peugeot used the lessons learnt from its 205 T16 to create the 405 T16. With at least , large aerofoils, four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering, Vatanen took the car up the hill in record time, his efforts being captured in the award-winning short film Climb Dance.

Vatanen's autobiography Every Second Counts, detailing his life and career up until that point, was published in 1988 (SAF Publishing, ISBN 0-946719-04-7) and instantly became a best seller.

Vatanen continued competing in the World Rally Championship more or less actively until the 1998 season. He drove for Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe in four events in 1989 and in five events in 1990. His best result with the Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 was second at the 1990 1000 Lakes Rally. From 1992 to 1993, he competed for Subaru in 11 events, finishing second three times, including on the debut event of the first Subaru Impreza in Finland. He later returned to the wheel of an Escort, driving now the Ford Escort WRC for Ford's factory team in a few events, most notably finishing on the podium at the 1994 Rally Argentina and at the 1998 Safari Rally. He then briefly returned to a works Subaru for the season-ending Rally of Great Britain, marking his 100th World Rally Championship event.

Although he became much less active in rallying, his hunger for motorsport had not left him completely however, and Vatanen joined Nissan in the Paris-Dakar in 2003, finishing seventh. He also made an appearance at the 2003 Rally Finland with a Bozian Racing-prepared Peugeot 206 WRC, and finished eleventh. In 2004 and 2005, Vatanen drove the Dakar for Nissan as well, and in 2007 he made another attempt with Volkswagen, but retired on the seventh stage.

He currently holds the position of 'Club Patron' to the Ireland's Donegal Motor Club since 2002. He has a long association with the Donegal Motor Club and the Donegal International Rally, competing twice early in his career, 1975 and 1978.

In September 2008, Vatanen took part in the Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally, a round of the Scottish Rally Championship centred in Perth in Scotland. His co-driver was once again David Richards and they competed in the same Rothmans sponsored Ford Escort RS1800 that they drove in 1981. He was one of a number of ex-world champions to take part in the event in memory of McRae, who died in 2007.

Political career

Following his years of working with a French rally team, in 1993 he settled in southern France where he bought a farm and a winery. He soon developed an interest in politics, and in 1999 he was elected to the European Parliament from the list of the conservative Finnish National Coalition party, despite continuing to live in France. The issues he has worked on include car taxation, traffic policies, development aid, and agricultural policy.

In 2004 he was re-elected, this time from the list of the conservative French Union for a Popular Movement. In 2009 European Parliament elections Vatanen was again a National Coalition candidate in Finland, but he did not get elected this time.

In July 2009 Vatanen declared his interest in being a candidate to stand against Max Mosley in the FIA presidential elections in October, should current president Mosley decide to restand for another term. He later confirmed that he will run for the presidency. On 23 October, 2009, Vatanen failed in his bid to be elected as president of the FIA, which was won by Ferrari's ex-racing boss Jean Todt.

WRC victories

:{|class="wikitable" ! Number ! Event ! Season ! Co-driver ! Car |- | 1 | 27th Acropolis Rally | 1980 | David Richards | Ford Escort RS1800 |- | 2 | 28th Acropolis Rally | 1981 | David Richards | Ford Escort RS1800 |- | 3 | 3° Marlboro Rallye do Brasil | 1981 | David Richards | Ford Escort RS1800 |- | 4 | 31st 1000 Lakes Rally | 1981 | David Richards | Ford Escort RS1800 |- | 5 | 31st Marlboro Safari Rally | 1983 | Terry Harryman | Opel Ascona 400 |- | 6 | 34th 1000 Lakes Rally | 1984 | Terry Harryman | Peugeot 205 T16 |- | 7 | 26° Rallye Sanremo | 1984 | Terry Harryman | Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 |- | 8 | 33rd Lombard RAC Rally | 1984 | Terry Harryman | Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 |- | 9 | 53ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo | 1985 | Terry Harryman | Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 |- | 10 | 35th International Swedish Rally | 1985 | Terry Harryman | Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 |}

WRC Results

References

External links

Ari Vatanen's official website

Climb Dance at Google Video

Profile at RallyBase

Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:People from Tuupovaara Category:World Rally Champions Category:World Rally Championship drivers Category:Finnish rally drivers Category:People from Espoo Category:MEPs for South-East France 2004–2009 Category:Off-road racers Category:Finnish athlete-politicians Category:Dakar Rally drivers Category:Union for a Popular Movement MEPs Category:National Coalition Party MEPs Category:MEPs for Finland 1999–2004