Ari Vatanen
| Ari Vatanen | |
|---|---|
 Ari Vatanen | |
| World Rally Championship record | |
| Nationality |  Finnish |
| Active years | 1974 - 1998, 2003 |
| Teams | Ford, Opel, Peugeot, Subaru, BMW, Mitsubishi |
| Rallies | 101 |
| Championships | 1 (1981) |
| Rally wins | 10 |
| Podiums | 27 |
| Stage wins | 527 |
| Total points | 518 |
| First rally | 1974 1000 Lakes Rally |
| First win | 1980 Acropolis Rally |
| Last win | 1985 Swedish Rally |
| Last rally | 2003 Rally Finland |
Ari Pieti Uolevi Vatanen
Contents[hide] |
[edit] 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. 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 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. 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.[1] 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.[2]
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.
[edit] 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.[3]
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.[4] He later confirmed that he will run for the presidency.[5] 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.[6]
[edit] WRC victories
-
Number Event Season Co-driver Car 1 27th Acropolis Rally
1980 David Richards Ford Escort RS1800 2 1981 David Richards Ford Escort RS1800 3 3° Marlboro Rallye do Brasil
1981 David Richards Ford Escort RS1800 4 1981 David Richards Ford Escort RS1800 5 31st Marlboro Safari Rally
1983 Terry Harryman Opel Ascona 400 6 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
[edit] WRC Results
[edit] References
- ^ "Ari Vatanen". RallyBase. http://www.rallybase.nl/index.php?type=profile&driverid=2464. Retrieved 2007-01-30.
- ^ "Dakar 2007 Withdrawals". http://www.dakar.com/2007/DAK/LIVE/us/800/classement/ABA.html.
- ^ "True Finns and Greens advance in European Parliament elections as big parties suffer". Helsingin Sanomat. http://www.hs.fi/english/article/True+Finns+and+Greens+advance+in+European+Parliament+elections+as+big+parties+suffer/1135246579175. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- ^ http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/76752 Vatanen 'interested' in FIA presidency
- ^ http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/76819
- ^ "Motor racing-Todt elected FIA president". Reuters. 2009-10-23. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKLN24733320091023. Retrieved 2009-10-23.
[edit] External links
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Stig Blomqvist | Autosport International Rally Driver Award 1984 | Succeeded by Timo Salonen |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by Walter Röhrl | World Rally Champion 1981 | Succeeded by Walter Röhrl |
| Preceded by René Metge | Dakar Rally Winner 1987 | Succeeded by Juha Kankkunen |
| Preceded by Juha Kankkunen | Dakar Rally Winner 1989 -1991 | Succeeded by Hubert Auriol |
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