Pentti Airikkala
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Finnish |
| Born | 4 September 1945 Helsinki, Finland |
| Died | 30 September 2009 (aged 64) Bray, Berkshire, United Kingdom |
| World Rally Championship record | |
| Active years | 1973–90, 2003 |
| Co-driver |  Ronan McNamee  |
| Teams | Privateer, Vauxhall, Rothmans Ford, Mitsubishi Ralliart, Martini Lancia, Nissan, Q8 Team Ford |
| Rallies | 37 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Rally wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 6 |
| Stage wins | 147 |
| Total points | 102 |
| First rally | 1973 1000 Lakes Rally |
| First win | 1989 Lombard RAC Rally |
| Last rally | 2003 Wales Rally GB |
Pentti Airikkala (4 September 1945 – 30 September 2009) was one of the "Flying Finns" who dominated world rallying in the past four decades.[1] His career was more sporadic than many of his contemporaries, and he competed in only three World Rally Championship (WRC) events regularly; the two Scandinavian rallies (the 1000 Lakes and the Swedish Rally) and the RAC Rally in the United Kingdom.
Airikkala was born in Helsinki, Finland.[2] Most of his top flight competitive experience was behind the wheel of various rear wheel drive Vauxhall/Opels like the Chevette HS and Magnum coupé, but his greatest success came in the twilight of his career, when he won the 1989 RAC Rally in a Group A Mitsubishi Galant VR-4.[3][4] He is still the third oldest driver to win a WRC event.
Altogether he competed in 36 WRC events between 1973 and 1990, and a 37th in 2003, scoring 102 points and achieving a best of 9th overall in the 1981 Drivers' Championship.[5] He also contested the British Rally Championship in the 1970s/80s, becoming British Rally Champion in 1979. Since retiring from full-time international competition he operated a highly successful rally driving school in Oxfordshire teaching left-foot braking, where his roster of pupils included subsequent World Champions Colin McRae and Richard Burns.[6]
Death[]
Airikkala died at Bray, Berkshire, UK, aged 64. He had been battling illness in recent years and was admitted to hospital shortly before his death after suffering liver problems and a fall.[7]
WRC victories[]
| # | Event | Season | Co-driver | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 38th Lombard RAC Rally
|
1989 | Ronan McNamee | Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 |
Complete WRC results[]
| Year | Team/Entrant | Car | WRC Round | WDC | Points | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | |||||
| 1973 | Opel Finland | Opel Kadett | MON | SWE | POR | KEN | MAR | GRE | PLD | FIN RET |
AUT | ITA | USA | GBR | N/A | N/A | ||||||||
| 1974 | Dealer Team Vauxhall | Vauxhall Magnum Coupé | POR | KEN | 16 |
N/A | N/A | |||||||||||||||||
| Center Hotels/ Clarke & Simpson |
Ford Escort RS1600 | RET |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1975 | Dealer Team Vauxhall | Vauxhall Magnum Coupé | MON | RET |
20 |
N/A | N/A | |||||||||||||||||
| 1976 | Privateer | Ford Escort RS1600 | 2 |
N/A | N/A | |||||||||||||||||||
| Team Avon Tyres | RET | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1977 | Toyota Team Europe | Toyota Celica | RET |
ITA | – | 0* | ||||||||||||||||||
| Dealer Team Vauxhall | Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HSR | RET |
AUS | 16 |
||||||||||||||||||||
| 1978 | Dealer Team Vauxhall | Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HSR | RET |
2 |
3 |
ITA | AUS | RET |
10th | 10* | ||||||||||||||
| 1979 | Dealer Team Vauxhall | Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HSR | 3 |
RET |
RET |
7 |
15th | 16 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1980 | Dealer Team Vauxhall | Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HSR | 6 |
RET |
RET |
36th | 6 | |||||||||||||||||
| Masport | Ford Escort RS2000 | RET |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1981 | Rothman's Rally Team | Ford Escort RS1800 | 3 |
5 |
4 |
9th | 30 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1982 | Team Ralliart | Mitsubishi Lancer Turbo | 3 |
RET |
15th | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1983 | Martini Racing | Lancia Rallye 037 | 5 |
21st | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1984 | Team Nissan Europe | Nissan 240RS | RET |
– | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1985 | British Telecom Mobile Phone | Vauxhall Astra GTE | RET |
– | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1986 | British Telecom Mobile Phone | Vauxhall Astra GTE | 16 |
– | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1987 | GM Dealersport | Opel Kadett GSi | RET |
– | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1988 | Safety Devices | Lancia Delta Integrale | 4 |
30th | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1989 | Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe | Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 | 1 |
14th | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1990 | Q8 Team Ford | Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4 | RET |
11 |
RET |
– | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Fairfield Motorsport | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI | MON | NZL | RET |
– | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
References[]
- ^ Pentti Airikkala, 'Flying Finns' website
- ^ Jump up to: a b Hope-Frost, Henry; Davenport, John (2004). The Complete Book of the World Rally Championship. Saint Paul, Minnesota: MotorBooks International. p. 62. ISBN 0-7603-1954-5.
- ^ 38th Lombard RAC Rally, Final classification, Rallybase.nl website
- ^ "My only WRC win -- Pentti Airikkala". Motor Sport Magazine. February 2005. p. 19. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
- ^ 1981 World Rally Championship for Drivers, Final classification, Rallybase.nl
- ^ Pentti's Champion Pupils Archived 2006-05-04 at the Wayback Machine, leftfootbraking.com
- ^ "Rally star Airikkala dies". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. 2009-01-10. Retrieved 2009-01-10.
External links[]
- 1945 births
- 2009 deaths
- Deaths from liver disease
- Finnish expatriates in the United Kingdom
- World Rally Championship drivers
- Finnish rally drivers
- People from Bray, Berkshire
- Sportspeople from Helsinki