Ari Vatanen

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Ari Vatanen
Vatanen in 2009
Born (1952-04-27) 27 April 1952 (age 71)
NationalityFinnish
World Rally Championship record
Active years1974–1985, 1987–1998, 2003
Co-driverFinland Alf Krogell
United Kingdom Geraint Phillips
United Kingdom Peter Bryant
Finland Atso Aho
New Zealand Jim Scott
United Kingdom David Richards
United Kingdom Terry Harryman
Monaco "Tilber"
Sweden Bruno Berglund
Italy Fabrizia Pons
United Kingdom Roger Freeman
United Kingdom Fred Gallagher
Finland Juha Repo
TeamsFord, Opel, Peugeot, Subaru, BMW, Mitsubishi, Citroën
Rallies101
Championships1 (1981)
Rally wins10
Podiums27
Stage wins590
Total points518
First rally1974 1000 Lakes Rally
First win1980 Acropolis Rally
Last win1985 Swedish Rally
Last rally2003 Rally Finland
Member of the European Parliament for Finland
In office
13 June 1999 – 12 June 2004
Member of the European Parliament for Sud-Est (France)
In office
13 June 2004 – 6 June 2009
Personal details
Political party

Ari Pieti Uolevi Vatanen (pronounced [ˈɑri ˈʋɑtɑnen] ; born 27 April 1952) is a Finnish rally driver turned politician and a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1999 to 2009. Vatanen won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1981 and the Paris Dakar Rally four times. In addition, Vatanen won the 1997 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies. Since 2013 Vatanen has been the President of the Estonian Autosport Union.

Racing career[edit]

Vatanen drives a Ford Escort RS1800 at the 1978 1000 Lakes Rally.
The Ford Escort RS1800 in which Vatanen finished 2nd on the 1981 RAC Rally.

His debut year in rallying was 1970, and he debuted in the World Rally Championship at the 1974 1000 Lakes Rally. In that year he won the Nortti Rally in an Opel Ascona, beating Hannu Mikkola in the process, which brought him to wider attention. His first international rally was the 1975 Rothmans 747 Rally in Jamaica driving a Datsun 120Y. He placed 12th with co-driver Gerry Phillips. At the end of that season he was offered his first professional drive, in a Ford Escort RS1800, on the RAC Rally. He crashed out on the second day, but by then he had impressed Ford team manager Stuart Turner sufficiently for him to be offered a seat in the team for the British Rally Championship the following year.

In the 1976 Scottish Rally (part of the British Rally Championship), the Ford works team replaced a broken differential in Ari Vatanen's Mk2 Escort RS 1800 with one they removed from a spectator's Ford Capri. It wasn't a spare carried by the service team. Co-driver Peter Bryant took matters into his own hands by flagging down a passing 3.0-litre Capri and persuading the owner- Ken Brown from Nottingham- to let them take out his rear diff. and put it in the rally car. Ford competition manager Peter Ashcroft simply gave Mr Brown his business card and told him to take his Capri to the nearest Ford dealer and get a new differential or back axle and send the bill to him.[1] Ari Vatanen didn't finish the Scottish Rally, but he duly won the championship, a feat he repeated in 1980, 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. Between 1977 and 1980 he also competed on selected World Championship events, initially for the official Ford team and then, after its withdrawal from the sport at the end of 1979, for the semi-private Rothmans Rally Team. He took his debut win at the 1980 Acropolis Rally and became the World Rally Champion in 1981.

Vatanen and Richards parted ways for the 1982 season, and for the next few years Vatanen was co-driven by Terry Harryman. He did not defend his world title in 1982, competing instead in the British Championship in a Ford Escort, before moving to the Opel team for 1983. The Opel Ascona and Opel Manta were only two-wheel-drive and not fully competitive, but Vatanen still managed to win the Safari Rally.

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. He was tipped to win the 1985 world title, but at mid-season was trailing his teammate Timo Salonen after a series of accidents and mechanical problems. He then had a serious accident on the Rally Argentina, when his car somersaulted at over 120 mph (190 km/h). His seat broke, and he was thrown around inside the car, suffering severe injuries to his legs and torso and life-threatening internal bleeding. He spent 18 months recovering first from his physical injuries, and then from severe 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.[2]

In 1997 he won the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies with a Citroën ZX Rallye-raid alongside navigator Fred Gallagher (co-driver).

Vatanen's Peugeot 405 T16 GR on display.

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 600 bhp (447 kW), 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. Vatanen briefly led the event before being overhauled by eventual winner Juha Kankkunen. Even so, he was dropped by the Subaru team at the end of the 1993 season in favour of Carlos Sainz.

The following year he returned to the wheel of a Ford, driving the Ford Escort RS Cosworth for a semi-private team, and then being co-opted into the Ford factory team where he stood in for the injured Francois Delecour. His most notable result that year was a podium finish on Rally Argentina, the first time he had contested the event since his accident there nine years previously.

The 1995 and 1996 seasons were quiet for Vatanen, whose career as a top-line driver was slowly drawing to a close. At the time there was a surplus of drivers and those late in their careers, such as Vatanen, tended to lose out in favour of younger talents. Nevertheless, he continued to contest a few events then and in subsequent years, his best result being a podium finish at the 1998 Safari Rally.[3] 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.[4]

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.

Despite having no roots in Estonia, in January 2013 Vatanen was named as the candidate of presidency by the board of the Estonian Autosport Union to become first foreign President of the authority. Vatanen said he had always been in good relations with Estonians and he's deeply impressed by the achievements of such a small country. Rumours said that the other candidate will be Estonia's most famous former rally driver Markko Märtin. Without any rival candidate Vatanen was elected President of the Estonian Autosport Union.

Vatanen and Richards at the 2008 Colin McRae Forest Stages.

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.

Personal life[edit]

Vatanen was born and grew up in rural Tuupovaara in Eastern Finland. He is married to Rita and has four children, Kim (b. 1972), Ria (b. 1980), Tua (b. 1982) and Max (b. 1990). They have homes in Finland and France.[5] Kim is the manager of current WRC driver Sébastien Ogier. In 2016 Max followed his fathers footsteps by entering the British Rally Championship driving an M-Sport prepared Ford Fiesta R5.[6]

In 1993, Vatanen settled in southern France, where he bought a farm and a winery.

Vatanen speaks fluent Finnish, English, and French.[7]

Political career[edit]

European Parliament, Strasbourg

In 1999, Vatanen was elected to the European Parliament from the list of the conservative Finnish National Coalition party although he continued to live in France. The issues on which he worked included 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 the 2009 European Parliament elections Vatanen was again a National Coalition candidate in Finland, but he did not get elected this time.[8]

In July 2009, Vatanen declared his interest in being a candidate to stand against Max Mosley in the FIA presidential elections in October if Mosley decide to stand for another term as president.[9] Vatanen later confirmed that he would run for the presidency.[10] On 23 October 2009, Vatanen failed in his bid to be elected as president of the FIA, which was won by his former team boss at Peugeot, subsequently Scuderia Ferrari manager Jean Todt.[11]

Vatanen is a signatory of the Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism.[12]

Career results[edit]

WRC victories[edit]

Number Event Season Co-driver Car
1 Greece Acropolis Rally 1980 David Richards Ford Escort RS1800
2 Greece Acropolis Rally 1981
3 Brazil Rallye do Brasil
4 Finland 1000 Lakes Rally
5 Kenya Safari Rally 1983 Terry Harryman Opel Ascona 400
6 Finland 1000 Lakes Rally 1984 Peugeot 205 Turbo 16
7 Italy Rallye Sanremo
8 United Kingdom RAC Rally
9 Monaco Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo 1985
10 Sweden Swedish Rally

Complete WRC results[edit]

Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 WDC Points
1974 Ari Vatanen Opel Ascona 19 MON
C
SWE
C
POR KEN GRE
C
FIN
Ret
ITA CAN USA GBR FRA N/A N/A
1975 Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS1600 MON SWE KEN GRC MOR POR FIN
Ret
ITA FRA N/A N/A
Ford Escort RS1800 GBR
Ret
1976 Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS1800 MON SWE POR KEN GRC MOR FIN
Ret
ITA FRA GBR
Ret
N/A N/A
1977 Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS1800 MON SWE POR
Ret
KEN
Ret
NZL
2
GRC
Ret
FIN
Ret
CAN
Ret
ITA
Ret
FRA GBR
Ret
NC 0
1978 Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS1800 MON SWE
5
KEN POR
Ret
GRC FIN
Ret
CAN ITA CIV FRA 8th 11
Marlboro GBR
DSQ
1979 Rothmans Rally Team Ford Fiesta 1600 MON
10
5th 50
Ford Escort RS1800 SWE
Ret
POR
Ret
KEN GRC FIN
2
CAN
3
ITA FRA GBR
4
CIV
Ford Motor Company Ltd NZL
3
1980 Publimmo Racing Ford Escort RS1800 MON
Ret
4th 50
Rothmans Rally Team SWE POR
Ret
KEN GRC
1
ARG FIN
2
NZL ITA
2
FRA GBR
Ret
CIV
1981 Rothmans Rally Team Ford Escort RS1800 MON
Ret
SWE
2
POR
Ret
KEN FRA GRC
1
ARG
Ret
BRA
1
FIN
1
ITA
7
CIV
9
GBR
2
1st 96
1982 David Sutton Motorsport Ford Escort RS1800 MON SWE
2
POR KEN FRA GRC NZL BRA 13th 15
MCD / Mobira FIN
Ret
ITA CIV
Rothmans Opel Rally Team Opel Ascona 400 GBR
Ret
1983 Rothmans Opel Rally Team Opel Ascona 400 MON
5
SWE
6
POR KEN
1
FRA 6th 44
Opel Manta 400 GRC
4
NZL ARG FIN
Ret
ITA
Ret
CIV GBR
Ret
1984 Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 MON SWE POR KEN FRA
Ret
GRC
Ret
NZL ARG FIN
1
ITA
1
CIV GBR
1
4th 60
1985 Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 MON
1
SWE
1
POR
Ret
KEN
Ret
FRA
Ret
4th 55
Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2 GRC
Ret
NZL
2
ARG
Ret
FIN ITA CIV GBR
1987 Fuji Heavy Industries Subaru RX Turbo MON SWE POR KEN
10
FRA GRC USA NZL ARG 19th 16
Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Sierra RS Cosworth FIN
2
CIV ITA GBR
1988 Prodrive BMW BMW M3 MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC USA NZL ARG FIN
Ret
CIV ITA 0
Ralliart Europe Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 GBR
Ret
1989 Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 SWE MON
87
POR KEN FRA GRC
Ret
NZL ARG FIN
Ret
AUS ITA CIV GBR
5
40th 8
1990 Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 MON
Ret
POR
Ret
KEN FRA GRC
Ret
NZL ARG FIN
2
AUS ITA CIV GBR
Ret
16th 15
1991 Milk Team Ford Sierra Cosworth RS 4x4 MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN
7
AUS ITA CIV ESP 22nd 12
Subaru Rally Team Europe Subaru Legacy RS GBR
5
1992 Subaru Rally Team Europe Subaru Legacy RS MON SWE
Ret
POR KEN FRA GRC
Ret
NZL
Ret
ARG FIN
4
AUS
Ret
ITA CIV ESP GBR
2
11th 25
1993 555 Subaru World Rally Team Subaru Legacy RS MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC
Ret
ARG NZL
Ret
AUS
2
ITA ESP 7th 38
Subaru Impreza 555 FIN
2
GBR
5
1994 SMS Ford Escort RS Cosworth MON POR KEN FRA GRC
5
FIN
Ret
ITA GBR
5
9th 28
Ford Motor Company Ltd ARG
3
NZL
Ret
1996 Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS Cosworth SWE
Ret
KEN IDN GRC ARG FIN AUS ITA ESP 0
1997 Motorsport Consultancy Ford Escort WRC MON SWE KEN POR ESP FRA ARG GRC NZL FIN IDN ITA AUS GBR
8
0
1998 Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort WRC MON SWE KEN
3
POR
5
ESP FRA ARG GRC NZL FIN
Ret
ITA AUS 11th 6
555 Subaru World Rally Team Subaru Impreza WRC 98 GBR
Ret
2003 Bozian Racing Peugeot 206 WRC MON SWE TUR NZL ARG GRC CYP GER FIN
11
AUS ITA FRA ESP GBR 0

Complete Dakar Rally results[edit]

Year Class Vehicle Result Stages
1987 Car France Peugeot 1st 3
1988 DSQ 4
1989 1st 7
1990 1st 7
1991 France Citroën 1st 5
1992 5th 7
1993 8th 2
1994 did not enter
1995 Car France Citroën DNF 3
1996 4th 7
1997–2002 did not enter
2003 Car Japan Nissan 7th 4
2004 DNF 1
2005 39th 0
2006 did not enter
2007 Car Germany Volkswagen DNF 0

Complete European Touring Car Championship results[edit]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 DC Points
1977 West Germany KWS Freizeit Team Ford Escort RS2000 MNZ SAL MUG PER BRN NUR
Ret
ZAN SIL ZOL JAR EST NC 0
1982 West Germany Eichberg Racing Ford Capri III 3.0S MNZ VAL DON PER MUG BRN SAL NUR
12
SPA SIL ZOL NC 0
Source:[13]

References[edit]

  1. ^ YouTube historical footage of the event)
  2. ^ "1988: The desperate Peugeot search (28/40)". Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  3. ^ "Ari Vatanen". RallyBase. Archived from the original on 3 January 2007. Retrieved 30 January 2007.
  4. ^ "Dakar 2007 Withdrawals". Archived from the original on 17 January 2007.
  5. ^ "Profile: Ari Vatanen". Politico Europe. 4 September 2002. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  6. ^ "Vatanen name to return to the British Rally Championship in 2016". m-sport.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  7. ^ TelenovaMSP (18 June 2013). "Ari Vatanen – The Poet of Rallying". Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2021 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ "True Finns and Greens advance in European Parliament elections as big parties suffer". Helsingin Sanomat. Archived from the original on 22 June 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
  9. ^ "Vatanen 'interested' in FIA presidency". Autosport.com. 7 July 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  10. ^ Noble, Jonathan (10 July 2009). "Vatanen to run for FIA presidency". Autosport.
  11. ^ "Motor racing-Todt elected FIA president". Reuters. 23 October 2009. Archived from the original on 27 October 2009. Retrieved 23 October 2009.
  12. ^ "Prague Declaration: Selected signatories". Institute for Information on the Crimes of Communism. Archived from the original on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  13. ^ de Jong, Frank. "The European Touring Car Championship". History of Touring Car Racing 1952-1993. Retrieved 22 March 2024.

External links[edit]

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Autosport
International Rally Driver Award

1984
Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by World Rally Champion
1981
Succeeded by
Preceded by Dakar Rally
Cars Winner

1987
Succeeded by
Preceded by Dakar Rally
Cars Winner

1989, 1990, 1991
Succeeded by
Records
Preceded by
Walter Röhrl
33 years, 232 days
(1980 season)
Youngest World Rally Champion
29 years, 212 days
(1981 season)
Succeeded by
Juha Kankkunen
27 years, 249 days
(1986 season)