Timo Salonen
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |
 Finnish |
| Born | October 8, 1951 |
| World Rally Championship record | |
| Active years | 1974 – 1992, 2002 |
| Teams | Fiat, Datsun, Nissan, Peugeot, Mazda, Mitsubishi |
| Rallies | 95 |
| Championships | 1 (1985) |
| Rally wins | 11 |
| Podiums | 24 |
| Stage wins | 256 |
| Total points | 524 |
| First rally | 1974 1000 Lakes Rally |
| First win | 1977 Rally Canada |
| Last win | 1987 Swedish Rally |
| Last rally | 2002 Neste Rally Finland |
Timo Salonen (born October 8, 1951) is a Finnish former rally driver and the 1985 world champion 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]
Career
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.
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. After retiring from rallying, Salonen has worked as a CEO for his car sales company Autotalo Timo Salonen.
WRC victories
Number Event Season Co-driver Car 1 
5ème Critérium Molson du Québec1977 Jaakko Markkula Fiat 131 Abarth 2 
11th Motogard Rally of New Zealand1980 Seppo Harjanne Datsun 160J 3 
13ème Rallye Côte d'Ivoire1981 Datsun Violet GT 4 
19º Rallye de Portugal Vinho do Porto1985 Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 5 
32nd Acropolis RallyPeugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2 6 15th AWA Clarion Rally of New Zealand7 
5º Marlboro Rally Argentina8 35th 1000 Lakes Rally9 36th 1000 Lakes Rally1986 10 
35th Lombard RAC Rally11 
37th International Swedish Rally1987 Mazda 323 4WD
References
- ↑ "Timo Salonen, ensimmäisen luokan ajaja". Suomen Moottoriurheilumuseo (in Finnish). Retrieved 2008-08-26.
- ↑ "Timo Salonen". RallyBase. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
- ↑ "Loeb ties win record with victory in Turkey". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
External links
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ari Vatanen |
Autosport International Rally Driver Award 1985 |
Succeeded by Juha Kankkunen |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by Stig Blomqvist |
World Rally Champion 1985 |
Succeeded by Juha Kankkunen |
| Preceded by Stig Blomqvist |
Race of Champions Rally Master 1994 |
Succeeded by Andrea Aghini |
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