Timo Salonen

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Timo Salonen
Timo Salonen.jpg
Salonen in 2017.
Personal information
NationalityFinland Finnish
Born (1951-10-08) October 8, 1951 (age 70)
Helsinki, Finland
World Rally Championship record
Active years1974 – 1992, 2002
Co-driverFinland
Finland Seppo Harjanne
South Africa
Finland
TeamsFiat, Datsun, Nissan, Peugeot, Mazda, Mitsubishi
Rallies95
Championships1 (1985)
Rally wins11
Podiums24
Stage wins256
Total points524
First rally1974 1000 Lakes Rally
First win1977 Rally Canada
Last win1987 Swedish Rally
Last rally2002 Neste Rally Finland

Timo Salonen (born October 8, 1951) is a Finnish former rally driver who won the 1985 World Rally Championship season for Peugeot. It was commented of him that he stood out from other drivers, because he was overweight, wore thick glasses and smoked heavily, but still remained one of the fastest and most competitive drivers in the sport. He was also known for his relaxed attitude and for his habit of steering his rally car with one hand only. These factors led to the nickname Löysä ("Slack").[1] With his 7 rally wins he remained the most successful driver of Group B era (1983–1986) of WRC.

Career[]

Salonen's Peugeot 205 T16 E2 at the 1986 Monte Carlo Rally

Salonen achieved his first podium place in the World Rally Championship by driving his Fiat 131 Abarth to second place at the 1977 1000 Lakes Rally. He went on to win the next rally, the 1977 Critérium du Québec, which was only his fifth WRC event and his first outside his home country.[2]

Salonen's factory team career at World Championship level began with Nissan, mainly on long-distance events. In 1984, however, he achieved a string of top-ten finishes, resulting in Jean Todt inviting him to drive for Peugeot in the 1985 season. He began that year playing a supporting role to Ari Vatanen but quickly proved capable of being in a leading role, especially after Vatanen's near-fatal accident in Argentina. Salonen set a record by winning four world rallies in a row – unmatched and unbroken until Sébastien Loeb's six wins in a row in 2005[3] – and went on to win the World Championship with a record 52-point margin ahead of second-placed Stig Blomqvist. Salonen then remained at Peugeot for the 1986 season, and finished third in the drivers' championship, behind his new team-mate Juha Kankkunen and Lancia driver Markku Alén.

He has remained the most successful driver of Group B with his seven wins and one world champion title.

In the turbulent world of post-Group B rallying, Salonen starred for Mazda, taking a popular win on the 1987 Swedish Rally. His last WRC event in action was the 1992 Rally Portugal in a Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 until he made a one-time comeback at the 2002 Neste Rally Finland. He managed his Peugeot 206 WRC to 14th place overall.

Salonen was mainly co-driven by Seppo Harjanne, who would later go on to achieve even more success with Tommi Mäkinen (the pairing of Tommi Mäkinen and Seppo Harjanne achieved 2 championship titles from 1996 to 1997 by 1 point until Harjanne was replaced by Risto Mannisenmäki from 1998 to 2001). After retiring from rallying, Salonen has worked as the CEO for his car sales company Autotalo Timo Salonen in Finland.

Complete WRC results[]

Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 WRC Points
1974 Timo Salonen Mazda 1300
C
C 		POR KEN
C
22 		- -
1975 Timo Salonen Datsun 160J MON
6 		- -
1976 Timo Salonen Datsun 160J SWE
6 		- -
1977 Timo Salonen Fiat 131 Abarth
2
1
Ret 		- -
1978 Alitalia Fiat Fiat 131 Abarth
Ret
2
Ret 		- -
1979 N.I. Theocharakis Datsun 160J
2 		4th 50
Team Datsun Europe
DSQ
5
2
Ret
3
1980 Team Datsun Europe Datsun 160J
7
Ret
2
6
1
Ret
Ret
Ret 		7th 45
1981 Team Datsun Europe Datsun Violet GT
Ret
4
Ret
Ret
Ret
4
12
1
Ret 		6th 40
1982 Team Nissan Europe Nissan Violet GT
Ret
Ret
Ret
4
4
Ret 		11th 20
1983 Team Nissan Europe Nissan 240 RS
14
Ret
Ret
Ret
2
8
Ret 		13th 18
1984 Team Nissan Europe Nissan 240 RS
10
7
6
4
6 		10th 27
1985 Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 Turbo 16
3
3
1
7
Ret 		1st 143
Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2
1
1
1
1
2
Ret
1986 Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2
2
Ret
Ret
Ret
Ret
5
1
1 		3rd 63
1987 Mazda Rally Team Europe Mazda 323 4WD
Ret
1
Ret
Ret 		14th 20
1988 Mazda Rally Team Europe Mazda 323 4WD
5
Ret
Ret
4
2 		5th 33
1989 Mazda Rally Team Europe Mazda 323 4WD
22
Ret
2
6 		12th 21
1990 Mazda Rally Team Europe Mazda 323 4WD
8
Ret
Ret
6
Ret 		25th 9
1991 Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe Mitsubishi Galant VR-4
8
Ret
Ret
DSQ
5
4 		13th 21
1992 Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe Mitsubishi Galant VR-4
6
5 		20th 14
2002 Timo Salonen Peugeot 206 WRC MON SWE FRA CYP ARG GRE KEN FIN
14 		GER ITA NZL AUS GBR - 0

WRC victories[]

Number Event Season Co-driver Car
1 Canada 5ème Critérium Molson du Québec 1977 Fiat 131 Abarth
2 New Zealand 11th Motogard Rally of New Zealand 1980 Seppo Harjanne Datsun 160J
3 Ivory Coast 13ème Rallye Côte d'Ivoire 1981 Datsun Violet GT
4 Portugal 19º Rallye de Portugal Vinho do Porto 1985 Peugeot 205 Turbo 16
5 Greece 32nd Acropolis Rally Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2
6 New Zealand 15th AWA Clarion Rally of New Zealand
7 Argentina 5º Marlboro Rally Argentina
8 Finland 35th 1000 Lakes Rally
9 Finland 36th 1000 Lakes Rally 1986
10 United Kingdom 35th Lombard RAC Rally
11 Sweden 37th International Swedish Rally 1987 Mazda 323 4WD

References[]

  1. ^ "Timo Salonen, ensimmäisen luokan ajaja". Suomen Moottoriurheilumuseo (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 2008-02-12. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  2. ^ "Timo Salonen". RallyBase. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  3. ^ "Loeb ties win record with victory in Turkey". Motorsport.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2008-08-26.

External links[]

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Autosport
International Rally Driver Award
1985 		Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by World Rally Champion
1985 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Race of Champions
Rally Master
1994 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from ""