Ari Vatanen

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Lore & Background

Vatanen's breakthrough moment came early: in the 1976 Scottish Rally, the Ford works team replaced a broken differential in his Mk2 Escort RS1800 with one removed from a spectator's Ford Capri — a change caught on film. He did not finish that rally, but he won the British Championship that year. After driving for Ford and then the semi-private Rothmans Rally Team, Vatanen took his debut WRC win at the 1980 Acropolis Rally and clinched the 1981 world title. In 1984, Vatanen signed with Peugeot to drive the 205 T16. From the 1984 1000 Lakes Rally to the 1985 Swedish Rally, he won five world rallies in a row. He was tipped to win the 1985 title but trailed teammate Timo Salonen after accidents and mechanical problems. Then came a serious accident on the Rally Argentina: his car somersaulted at over 120 mph (190 km/h), his seat broke, and he suffered severe injuries to his legs and torso with life-threatening internal bleeding. He spent 18 months recovering from physical injuries and severe depression before making a complete return to motorsport in 1987. After Group B was banned, Peugeot used lessons from the 205 T16 to create the 405 T16 for Pikes Peak. With at least 600 bhp (447 kW), four-wheel drive, and four-wheel steering, Vatanen set a record time up the hill, captured in the award-winning short film Climb Dance.

In Their Own Story

The 1985 Rally Argentina was supposed to be another chapter in Vatanen's charge toward a second world title. Instead, it became the moment that nearly ended his career. His Peugeot 205 T16 somersaulted at over 120 mph (190 km/h). The seat broke. He was thrown around inside the car, suffering severe injuries to his legs and torso and life-threatening internal bleeding. The recovery took 18 months — first the physical healing, then a battle against severe depression. But Vatanen made a complete recovery. He returned to motorsport in 1987 and went on to win the Paris-Dakar Rally four times: with Peugeot in 1987, 1989, and 1990, and with Citroën in 1991. In 1988, his car was stolen while he was leading the same rally, sparking controversy. Nine years after his Argentina crash, Vatanen returned to the event driving a Ford Escort RS Cosworth and scored a podium finish — the first time he had contested the rally since the accident.

Reader's Guide

The World Rally Championship is a series of events run on closed public roads, from the snow of Monte Carlo to the dust of the Safari Rally. Each rally is a test of endurance and precision over multiple stages, with cars running at one-minute intervals. The 1981 season saw Vatanen claim the drivers' title driving for the Ford team. The Group B era that followed (1982–1986) produced some of the most powerful and dangerous cars in rally history, including the Peugeot 205 T16 that Vatanen drove to five consecutive wins from the 1984 1000 Lakes Rally to the 1985 Swedish Rally. After Group B was banned following fatal accidents, Peugeot turned to cross-country rallying. Vatanen won the Paris-Dakar Rally four times and the 1997 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies with a Citroën ZX Rallye-raid alongside navigator Fred Gallagher. He also competed in the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, setting a record in the Peugeot 405 T16. Vatanen continued in the WRC until 1998, scoring a podium at the 1998 Safari Rally and marking his 100th WRC event at the season-ending Rally of Great Britain in a works Subaru.

Did You Know?

• In the 1976 Scottish Rally, Ford mechanics replaced a broken differential in Vatanen's car with one removed from a spectator's Ford Capri — the change was caught on film.
• Vatanen won five consecutive world rallies from the 1984 1000 Lakes Rally to the 1985 Swedish Rally.
• His 1985 Rally Argentina crash happened at over 120 mph (190 km/h); his seat broke and he suffered life-threatening internal bleeding.
• Vatanen's car was stolen while he was leading the 1988 Paris-Dakar Rally.
• He scored a podium on the 1998 Safari Rally, his first time contesting the event since his accident there nine years earlier.