Timo Salonen (born October 8, 1951) is a Finnish racing driver, a 1985 world rally champion at the wheel of a Peugeot. It is noteworthy because it was overweight compared to other race drivers and wore glasses with thick lenses. He was also known for his calm and habit of piloting his car with one hand. These factors led to the nickname Fin. LΓΆysΓ€ ( loose , sloppy ).
Timo Salonen | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | October 8, 1951 (67 years old) |
| Place of Birth | Finland |
| Citizenship |  Finland |
| World Rally Championship | |
| Years in the rally | 1974-1992 |
| Teams | Fiat , Datsun , Nissan , Peugeot , Mazda , Mitsubishi |
| Stages | 95 |
| Championship titles | 1 - 1985 |
| Wins | eleven |
| Catwalks | 24 |
| Won Dopov | 256 |
| Points | 524 |
| First rally | 1974 Rally "Thousand Lakes" |
| First victory | 1977  Rally Canada |
Career
Salonen reached the first podium on the Fiat 131 Abarth, taking second place in 1977 at the 1000 Lakes Rally. He won his first victory in the same 1977 at the Rally of Canada. The fifth stage in his career and the first outside Finland. After the first victory, Salonen joined the Nissan team for which he began to periodically play at the stages of the World Cup. In 1984, he periodically finished in the top ten, as a result of which Jean Todt invited him to the Peugeot team to participate in the 1985 championship. Timo was assigned the second role in the team after Ari Vatanen , but Salonen quickly showed his leadership skills and after a terrible accident, Vatanen in Argentina became the first number in the team. In the same 1985, Salonen set a record by winning four stages of the World Cup in a row (an unbeatable record until 2005, when Sebastian Loeb won six victories in a row). Salonen won the 1985 championship with a margin of 52 points from the second, Stig Blomkvist . Salonen remained at Peugeot for the 1986 season. According to its results, he took third place in the championship. Ahead of him were: his young team mate Juha Kankkunen and Markku Allen . After two triumphant seasons, he moved to the Mazda team where his success declined. The last stage of the World Cup for Salonen was the 1992 Rally of Portugal driving a Mitsubishi Galant VR-4. In 2002, he took part in the Rally of Finland. At the wheel of the Peugeot 206 WRC, he took 14th place in the final protocol of the stage. After completing his racing career, Salonen worked as the CEO of his Autotalo Timo Salonen car company.
The list of victories at the stages of the World Rally Championship
| # | Rally | Season | Navigator | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| one | Rally Canada | 1977 | Jaakko Markkula | Fiat 131 abarth |
| 2 | Rally New Zealand | 1980 | Seppo Haryanne | Datsun 160J |
| 3 | Ivory Coast Rally | 1981 | Seppo Haryanne | Datsun violet |
| four | Rally Portugal | 1985 | Seppo Haryanne | Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 |
| five | Rally Acropolis | 1985 | Seppo Haryanne | Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 |
| 6 | Rally New Zealand | 1985 | Seppo Haryanne | Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 |
| 7 | Rally Argentina | 1985 | Seppo Haryanne | Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 |
| eight | Rally "Thousand Lakes" | 1985 | Seppo Haryanne | Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 Evolution 2 |
| 9 | Rally "Thousand Lakes" | 1986 | Seppo Haryanne | Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 Evolution 2 |
| ten | Rally UK | 1986 | Seppo Haryanne | Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 Evolution 2 |
| eleven | Rally Sweden | 1987 | Seppo Haryanne | Mazda 323 4WD |