Juha Kankkunen

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Juha Kankkunen
1000 Lakes Rally
First win1985 Safari Rally
Last win1999 Rally Finland
Last rally2010 Rally Finland

Juha Matti Pellervo Kankkunen (Finnish pronunciation:

drivers' world championship titles, which were both once records in the series. Both Sébastien Loeb and Sébastien Ogier
have since collected more world titles, but no driver was able to repeat Kankkunen's feat of becoming a world champion with three different manufacturers until Ogier matched this achievement in 2020.

Kankkunen was signed by

Peugeot for 1986, and Kankkunen was soon crowned the series' then youngest-ever champion. As Peugeot withdrew from the championship following the ban of Group B, Kankkunen moved to Lancia
and became the first driver to successfully defend his title. After a two-year stint back at Toyota, he returned to Lancia and won a record third title in 1991.

In 1993, Kankkunen re-joined Toyota and won his fourth title. Following Toyota's disqualification and 12-month ban in 1995, Kankkunen did not return to active participation in the series until joining Ford halfway through the 1997 season replacing an underperforming Armin Schwarz. After moving to Subaru for 1999, he took his first win in over five years. Before retiring after the 2002 season, he competed part-time for Hyundai.

Kankkunen's achievements outside the WRC include winning the

Bentley Continental Supersports.[2][3]

Career

Kankkunen grew up on his family's farm in

Ford Escort RS2000.[6] Kankkunen was coached by Timo Mäkinen, a friend of his father's, and was able to compete often and gain experience with financial help from Timo Jouhki, future manager for many Finnish rally drivers such as Tommi Mäkinen and Mikko Hirvonen.[7]

1983–85: Toyota

Due to good results for Toyota Finland in local events, Kankkunen was signed by the

1985, he started his season with a surprise victory at the Safari Rally, becoming the first driver to win the event on the first attempt.[5] He went on to compete in four more rallies and take his second win at WRC's second endurance event, the Rallye Côte d'Ivoire, where he finished with the same amount of penalty minutes (4 hours and 46 minutes) as his teammate Waldegård but took the win by a tiebreaker.[8]

1986: Peugeot

Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2
at the Race Retro 2008.

Kankkunen's performances with the Celica earned him his chance to come to the fore with the defending manufacturers' and drivers' champions

Swedish Rally, the Acropolis Rally and the Rally New Zealand and finishing on the podium in three more events. The season ended in controversy, when first Group B cars were banned for the next season after Henri Toivonen's fatal accident at the Tour de Corse, which outraged Peugeot team principal Jean Todt,[9] and later the French Peugeot team were excluded at the Rallye Sanremo in Italy, resulting in a triple win for home country's Lancia. Despite the 205 T16s passing the pre-rally scrutiny, the stewards had decreed on re-examination that the cars' underbody fins were in fact illegal side skirts. Going into the season-ending Olympus Rally in the United States, Lancia's Markku Alén led Kankkunen by one point. Although Alén beat Kankkunen to the win, he was the world champion only for eleven days, until Peugeot's appeal went through.[10] The FIA
deemed the team's Sanremo exclusion illegal and annulled the results of the event, making Kankkunen the youngest champion in the history of the series.

1987: Lancia

Following the FIA's decision to ban Group B, Peugeot withdrew from the WRC and Kankkunen moved to drive the

1988 season
.

1988–89: Toyota

Kankkunen chose to move back to

Toyota Team Europe. Although he finished fifth in his first event with the Toyota Supra Turbo at the Safari Rally, his title defense quickly proved unsuccessful. Toyota debuted the new Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165 at the Tour de Corse
, but the car was suffering from reliability issues. Kankkunen retired due to engine problems in three consecutive rallies and did not add to his points tally, finishing only 37th in the drivers' standings.

However, outside the World Rally Championship, he achieved much success. Returning to the wheel of a Peugeot 205 T16, he won the

Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, finishing runner-up to again-teammate Vatanen, and at the first-ever Race of Champions, beating the 1985 world rally champion and former Peugeot teammate Timo Salonen in the final to become the first "Champion of Champions".[13]

The

1989 season saw an improved Toyota. Kankkunen gave the GT-Four its first victory in the Rally Australia and finished third at the Tour de Corse and at the RAC. His results placed him third in the drivers' championship, behind Lancia drivers Biasion and Alex Fiorio
. Toyota took career-best second place in the manufacturers' standings.

1990–92: Lancia

Lancia Delta HF Integrale driven non-competitively during the 2008 Rallye Deutschland
.

By the time Kankkunen took the long-awaited win for Toyota, he had already signed a deal to reacquaint himself with Lancia for the

1990 season. Halfway through the season, Kankkunen found himself only fourth in the championship and Toyota in the lead with their new star driver Carlos Sainz. Although Kankkunen later repeated his win in Australia and collected his fifth podium of the season in Sanremo, Sainz went on to take a dominant title. Kankkunen placed third in the drivers' world championship, between his teammates Didier Auriol
and the defending world champion Biasion. Lancia edged out Toyota to take a record fourth manufacturers' title in a row.

In the

1973 inauguration. His 150 points during the season is still the record for most points in a single season. This was also the first time that two drivers took five wins during a WRC season. In the Race of Champions, Kankkunen became the second two-time winner after beating Auriol in the final.[14]

In

Rally Portugal. The title fight again went down to the wire. Before the final rally, Sainz led Kankkunen by two points and Auriol, who had taken a record six wins during the season, by three points. Sainz's victory in the RAC ahead of Ari Vatanen
and Kankkunen, combined with Auriol's retirement, confirmed the title in favour of the Spaniard.

1993–96: Toyota

Kankkunen's winning 1993 RAC Rally Toyota Celica GT-Four ST185.

After Lancia withdrew from the WRC after the 1992 season, Kankkunen rejoined Toyota to drive the

Finnish Sportsman of the Year, after the 1982 F1 world champion Keke Rosberg.[16]

In

Portugal. In the Safari Rally, he crashed out from the lead after hitting a pothole made by rain at 180 km/h (112 mph).[17] At the season's half-way point, Kankkunen and Subaru's Sainz tied the lead in the championship, but a few poor results soon dropped him out of the title fight; in Argentina and Sanremo, he suffered from mechanical problems and in Finland, he won the opening stage but lost 20 minutes on stage two after rolling his car. He climbed back into the points by finishing ninth.[18]
Finishing behind Auriol and Sainz in the overall standings, Kankkunen had to watch a teammate take the title for the only time in his career.

In

Indonesia
and second in Finland.

1997–98: Ford

Kankkunen with his 1997–2002 co-driver Juha Repo.

Halfway through the

RAC Rally
, now ahead of the Spaniard who had by then lost the title to Mäkinen.

Kankkunen stayed with Ford for the

1999 season, Ford signed the Subaru World Rally Team star Colin McRae
and Kankkunen moved to replace him at Subaru.

1999–2000: Subaru

Kankkunen's first year with the Subaru World Rally Team and the

2000 season was a disappointment. His best result was second in the Safari Rally
behind Burns. With only two other podium finishes to his name, Kankkunen placed eighth in the drivers' standings.

Later career

Kankkunen with an Accent WRC at the 2001 Rally Finland.

Subaru and Kankkunen did not reach a deal for

2002 season, Hyundai initially offered Kankkunen a full 14-event programme, which did not interest him, and the deal was modified to include only the nine gravel rallies.[26] Despite a new evolution of the Accent WRC, Hyundai were unable to challenge the top teams: Peugeot, Ford and Subaru. Kankkunen's fifth place in the Rally New Zealand was the team's best result of the season. However, Kankkunen and the team's full-time drivers Freddy Loix and Armin Schwarz
did narrowly give Hyundai its career-best fourth place in the manufacturers' world championship. Kankkunen retired from the WRC after the season.

Following his retirement, Kankkunen announced his intention to enter politics, echoing the career path of rallying compatriot

luxury real estate in Ruka, Finland.[29]

Kankkunen on the Laajavuori stage of the 2010 Rally Finland.

In early 2007, Kankkunen set a new world speed record on ice in his privately owned

Bentley Continental Supersports convertible. Bentley will release a limited edition of the Supersports to celebrate the achievement. The 100 models will be the most powerful road cars Bentley has ever produced.[31]

It was announced on 23 July 2010 that Kankkunen would take part in the

Stobart M-Sport Ford Rally Team.[32]
At just over 51 years old, Kankkunen finished an impressive 8th, beating many WRC regulars.

Personal life

Kankkunen currently lives in Monaco but also spends time on his family farm in Laukaa, which includes a large country house and hundreds of hectares of land.[33] He has a large car collection, which includes six Ferraris such as the F40 and the 288 GTO, as well as all the four rally cars with which he won the world championship.[34] Kankkunen and his wife Pirjo filed for divorce in 2008.[35] They have two sons named Tino and Niko.[36] Juha's father Pekka (1934–2013) and his brother Timo were also former rally drivers.[37][38][39][40][41]

WRC victories

Number Event Season Co-driver Car
1 Kenya Safari Rally
1985
 Fred Gallagher Toyota Celica TCT
2 Ivory Coast Rallye Côte d'Ivoire
1985
 Fred Gallagher Toyota Celica TCT
3
Swedish Rally
1986
 Juha Piironen
Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2
4 Greece Acropolis Rally
1986
 Juha Piironen Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2
5 New Zealand Rally New Zealand
1986
 Juha Piironen Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2
6 United States Olympus Rally
1987
 Juha Piironen
Lancia Delta HF 4WD
7
RAC Rally
1987
 Juha Piironen Lancia Delta HF 4WD
8 Australia Rally Australia
1989
 Juha Piironen Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165
9 Australia Rally Australia
1990
 Juha Piironen
Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
10 Kenya Safari Rally
1991
 Juha Piironen Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
11 Greece Acropolis Rally
1991
 Juha Piironen Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
12 Finland Rally Finland
1991
 Juha Piironen Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
13 Australia Rally Australia
1991
 Juha Piironen Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
14
RAC Rally
1991
 Juha Piironen Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
15 Portugal Rally de Portugal
1992
 Juha Piironen
Lancia Delta HF Integrale
16 Kenya Safari Rally
1993
 Juha Piironen
Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
17 Argentina Rally Argentina
1993
 Nicky Grist Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
18 Finland 1000 Lakes Rally
1993
 Denis Giraudet Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
19 Australia Rally Australia
1993
 Nicky Grist Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
20
RAC Rally
1993
 Nicky Grist Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
21
Rallye de Portugal
1994
 Nicky Grist Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
22 Argentina Rally Argentina
1999
 Juha Repo Subaru Impreza WRC 99
23 Finland Rally Finland
1999
 Juha Repo Subaru Impreza WRC 99

Complete WRC results

Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 WDC Points
1979
 Juha Kankkunen
Ford Escort RS2000
 MON SWE POR KEN GRC NZL FIN
14 		CAN ITA FRA GBR CIV – 0
1982
 Juha Kankkunen Opel Manta GT/E MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC NZL BRA FIN
Ret 		ITA CIV – 0
Intereconomics GBR
Ret
1983
Toyota Team Europe
 Toyota Celica TCT MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN
6 		ITA 19th 10
Premoto Toyota CIV
Ret
Toyota Team Great Britain GBR
7
1984
Toyota Team Europe
 Toyota Celica TCT MON SWE POR
Ret 		KEN FRA GRC ARG FIN
5 		ITA CIV 24th 8
Toyota New Zealand NZL
Ret
Toyota Team Great Britain GBR
Ret
1985
 Westland Motors Toyota Celica TCT MON SWE POR KEN
1 		FRA GRC 5th 48
Toyota New Zealand NZL
Ret 		ARG
Toyota Team Europe
 FIN
Ret 		ITA GBR
5
Premoto Toyota CIV
1
1986
Peugeot Talbot Sport
Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2
 MON
5 		SWE
1 		POR
Ret 		KEN
5 		FRA GRC
1 		NZL
1 		ARG
Ret 		FIN
2 		CIV ITA
Ret 		GBR
3 		USA
2 		1st 118
1987
 Martini Lancia
Lancia Delta HF 4WD
 MON
2 		SWE
3 		POR
4 		KEN FRA GRC
2 		USA
1 		NZL ARG FIN
5 		CIV ITA GBR
1 		1st 100
1988
Toyota Team Europe
 Toyota Supra Turbo MON SWE POR KEN
5 		37th 8
Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165 FRA
Ret 		GRC
Ret 		USA NZL ARG FIN
Ret 		CIV ITA
Ret 		GBR
Ret
1989
Toyota Team Europe
 Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165 SWE MON
5 		POR
Ret 		KEN FRA
3 		GRC
Ret 		NZL ARG FIN
Ret 		AUS
1 		ITA
5 		CIV GBR
3 		3rd 60
1990
 Martini Lancia
Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
 MON
Ret 		POR
3 		KEN
2 		FRA GRC
2 		NZL ARG
Ret 		FIN
5 		AUS
1 		ITA
2 		CIV GBR
Ret 		3rd 85
1991
 Martini Lancia
Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
 MON
5 		SWE POR
4 		KEN
1 		FRA GRC
1 		NZL
2 		ARG
4 		FIN
1 		AUS
1 		ITA
Ret 		CIV ESP
2 		GBR
1 		1st 150
1992
 Martini Racing
Lancia Delta HF Integrale
 MON
3 		SWE POR
1 		KEN
2 		FRA GRC
2 		NZL ARG FIN
2 		AUS
2 		ITA
2 		CIV ESP
2 		GBR
3 		2nd 134
1993
Toyota Castrol Team
 Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD MON
5 		SWE
2 		POR KEN
1 		FRA GRC
Ret 		ARG
1
NZL

5 		FIN
1 		AUS
1 		ITA ESP
3 		GBR
1 		1st 135
1994
Toyota Castrol Team
 Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD MON
2 		POR
1 		KEN
Ret 		FRA
4 		GRC
3 		ARG
Ret 		NZL
2 		FIN
9 		3rd 93
Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205 ITA
7 		GBR
2
1995
Toyota Castrol Team
 Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205 MON
3 		SWE
4 		POR
2 		FRA
10 		NZL
3 		AUS
3 		ESP
Ret 		GBR DSQ 62
1996
 Toyota Castrol Team Sweden
Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205
 SWE
4 		KEN 7th 37
Toyota Team Australia IDN
3 		GRC ARG
Team Toyota Castrol Finland FIN
2 		AUS ITA ESP
1997
 Ford Motor Co Ford Escort WRC MON SWE KEN POR ESP FRA ARG
Ret 		GRC
2
NZL

3 		FIN
2 		IDN
2 		ITA
6 		AUS
Ret 		GBR
2 		4th 29
1998
 Ford Motor Co Ford Escort WRC MON
2 		SWE
3 		KEN
2 		POR
7 		ESP
Ret 		FRA
9 		ARG
3 		GRC
3
NZL

4 		FIN
3 		ITA
Ret 		AUS
5 		GBR
2 		4th 39
1999
 Subaru World Rally Team Subaru Impreza WRC99 MON
2 		SWE
6 		KEN
Ret 		POR
Ret 		ESP
6 		FRA ARG
1 		GRC
Ret
NZL

2 		FIN
1 		CHN
4 		ITA
6 		AUS
Ret 		GBR
2 		4th 44
2000
 Subaru World Rally Team Subaru Impreza WRC99 MON
3 		SWE
6 		KEN
2 		8th 20
Subaru Impreza WRC2000
POR

Ret
ESP

Ret 		ARG
4 		GRC
3 		NZL
Ret 		FIN
8 		CYP
7 		FRA
ITA
 AUS
Ret 		GBR
5
2001
 Hyundai Castrol WRT Hyundai Accent WRC2 MON SWE
POR
 ESP ARG CYP GRC KEN FIN
Ret 		NZL ITA FRA AUS GBR – 0
2002
 Hyundai Castrol WRT Hyundai Accent WRC2 MON SWE
8 		FRA ESP 14th 2
Hyundai Accent WRC3 CYP
Ret 		ARG
7 		GRC
Ret 		KEN
8 		FIN
Ret 		GER ITA NZL
5 		AUS
Ret 		GBR
9
2010
Stobart M-Sport Ford Rally Team
 Ford Focus RS WRC 08 SWE
MEX
 JOR TUR NZL POR BUL FIN
8 		GER JPN
FRA
 ESP
GBR
 16th 4

References

  1. ^ Kankkunen also won 5 special stages in annulled Sanremo 1986 (source: Auto Hebdo).
  2. ^ "Kankkunen sets world speed record on ice". BBC TopGear. Archived from the original on 2014-10-13. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  3. ^ "Ice speed record falls again". BBC TopGear. Archived from the original on 2014-11-29. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  4. ^ "Mestareita ja perillisiä – Juha Kankkunen". MTV3 (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 9 October 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  5. ^ a b "Juha Kankkunen". Suomen Moottoriurheilumuseo (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 12 February 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  6. ^ "Juha Kankkunen". RallyBase. Archived from the original on 14 August 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  7. ^ "Juha Kankkunen". World Rally Archive. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  8. ^ "Ivory Coast 1985 – Final results". World Rally Archive. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  9. ^ "Who is... Jean Todt?". Grandprix.com. Archived from the original on 11 February 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  10. ISBN 0-7603-1954-5
    .
  11. ^ "Rallye Monte Carlo 1987". World Rally Archive. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  12. ^ "Peugeot Sport – History: 1988". Peugeot Sport. Archived from the original on 30 May 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  13. ^ "History – 1988 overview". Race of Champions. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  14. ^ "History – 1991 overview". Race of Champions. Archived from the original on July 14, 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  15. ^ Allsop, Derick (25 November 1993). "Kankkunen the victorious ice master". The Independent. London. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
  16. ^ "Moottoriurheilijoilla vaikeaa Vuoden Urheilija -valinnoissa". MTV3 (in Finnish). Retrieved 28 April 2009.
  17. ^ "Safari Rally 1994". World Rallying. Archived from the original on 20 October 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  18. ^ "1000 Lakes Rally 1994". World Rallying. Archived from the original on 20 October 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  19. ^ "Rallye Catalunya – Costa Brava 1995". World Rallying. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
  20. ^ "Toyota team pick up a one-year ban". The Independent. London. 4 November 1995. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  21. ^ "Kankkunen lets Sainz through to win". The Independent. London. 11 June 1997. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  22. ^ "Loeb dominates Rally of Finland". Helsingin Sanomat. Archived from the original on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  23. ^ Bracken, Tony (27 May 1999). "Burns pipped by Kankkunen". The Independent. London. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
  24. ^ "Rally Argentina 1999". World Rallying. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
  25. ^ "Rally Finland 2001". World Rallying. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
  26. ^ "Kankkuselle yhdeksän MM-rallin rupeama". MTV3 (in Finnish). Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  27. ^ "Celebrity candidates did not succeed in Euro-elections". Helsingin Sanomat. Archived from the original on 7 June 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  28. ^ "Tyhjää siipien alla". Suomen Kuvalehti (in Finnish). 24 August 2007. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
  29. ^ "Kurrin ja Kankkusen upeat luksushuvilat nousivat Rukalle". MTV3 (in Finnish). Retrieved 28 April 2009.
  30. ^ "Bentley Continental GT becomes world's fastest car on ice". Monsters and Critics. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
  31. ^ "Kankkunen sets new world speed record on ice". Racer. Archived from the original on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
  32. ^ "Kankkunen joins Stobart for Sixtieth Rally Finland". Rally Buzz. 23 July 2010. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  33. ^ "Juha Kankkunen's calendar is full again". Helsingin Sanomat. Archived from the original on 12 April 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
  34. Iltasanomat
    (in Finnish). 28 January 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  35. ^ "Lehti: Juha ja Pirjo Kankkunen eroavat". MTV3 (in Finnish). Retrieved 28 April 2009.
  36. ^ "Lehti: Kankkuset eroamassa - Viihde - Iltalehti.fi". www.iltalehti.fi. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  37. ^ "Pekka Kankkunen". geni_family_tree.
  38. ^ "Pekka Kankkunen - rally profile eWRC-results.com". eWRC-results.com.
  39. ^ "Bensarahojen riittämättömyys nuoren Kankkusen murheenkryyni – "Imaisin tankista pari litraa" | UrheiluUutiset Motorsport".
  40. ^ "Timo Kankkunen - rally profile eWRC-results.com". eWRC-results.com.
  41. ^ "Timo Kankkunen Statistics and Results | Motorsport Stats".

External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Autosport
International Rally Driver Award
1986–1987 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Autosport
International Rally Driver Award
1993 		Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by World Rally Champion
1986–1987 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
1988
 Succeeded by
Preceded by
Inaugural event
 Race of Champions
Champion of Champions
1988 		Succeeded by
Preceded by World Rally Champion
1991 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Race of Champions
Champion of Champions
1991 		Succeeded by
Preceded by World Rally Champion
1993 		Succeeded by
Records
Preceded by
1981 season
)
1986 season
) 		Succeeded by
1995 season
)
Preceded by
???
??? starts
 Most rally starts
153 starts,
(1979, 1982–2002, 2010) 		Succeeded by
Carlos Sainz
196 starts,
154th at the 2002 Tour de Corse
Preceded by
RAC Rally
 Succeeded by
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