Juha Kankkunen

Juha Kankkunen
Juha Kankkunen
Born	Juha Matti Pellervo Kankkunen; April 2, 1959 (age 67); Laukaa, Central Finland, Finland
Occupation	Rally driver
Years active	1983–2002
Known for	Four-time World Rally Champion (1986, 1987, 1991, 1993), winner of 23 WRC events, Dakar Rally winner (1988), Race of Champions winner (1988, 1991)

Juha Matti Pellervo Kankkunen (born 2 April 1959) is a retired Finnish rally driver whose professional tenure in the World Rally Championship (WRC) factory teams extended from 1983 until 2002. Throughout his career, he claimed victory in 23 world rallies and earned four drivers' world championship titles, both achievements that were once records within the WRC. Although Sébastien Loeb and Sébastien Ogier have since surpassed his number of titles, Kankkunen maintained a distinctive status until Ogier equaled his feat of winning championships with three separate manufacturers in 2020.

Kankkunen's WRC journey started with Toyota Team Europe in 1983, where he notched his first win during his third season. His impressive results led to a contract with reigning champions Peugeot in 1986, where he became the youngest champion at that time. After Peugeot withdrew following the ban on Group B cars, Kankkunen moved to Lancia and became the inaugural driver to successfully defend a world championship title. Following two years back with Toyota, he returned to Lancia to secure his third championship in 1991.

In 1993, he rejoined Toyota and captured his fourth world title. After Toyota faced disqualification and suspension in 1995, Kankkunen made a mid-1997 comeback with Ford, stepping in for Armin Schwarz. He later switched to Subaru in 1999, achieving his first victory in over five years, and subsequently competed part-time for Hyundai before retiring after the 2002 season.

Outside of the WRC, Kankkunen also won the Dakar Rally in 1988 and triumphed at the Race of Champions in both 1988 and 1991. Following his retirement from competitive rallying, he engaged in business ventures and political activities. Notably, in 2007 and again in 2011, he set ice speed records driving Bentley Continental vehicles, underscoring his ongoing passion for automotive performance.

Career

Raised on his family’s farm near the Rally Finland route in Laukaa, Central Finland, Kankkunen was introduced to driving early by his father, who had a keen interest in rallying and ice racing. He learned to drive on an ice track and was behind the wheel by age seven, owning his first car at twelve. His rally debut came in 1978, followed by his first World Rally Championship appearance at the 1979 1000 Lakes Rally, where he finished fourteenth driving a Ford Escort RS2000. Under the mentorship of Timo Mäkinen and financial backing from Timo Jouhki—who would later manage prominent Finnish drivers such as Tommi Mäkinen and Mikko Hirvonen—Kankkunen developed crucial early experience.

1983–85: Toyota

Strong performances on the national level for Toyota Finland paved the way for Kankkunen’s inclusion in the factory WRC squad Toyota Team Europe, managed by Ove Andersson. During his rookie season, piloting a Toyota Celica Twincam Turbo alongside former world champion Björn Waldegård, he finished sixth at the 1000 Lakes Rally, seventh at the RAC Rally, and retired from the Rallye Côte d'Ivoire. The following year, paired with new co-driver Fred Gallagher, he entered four WRC rounds—achieving fifth place on home soil but retiring from three events. The breakthrough came in 1985 when he won the challenging Safari Rally on his debut there, becoming the first driver ever to do so. He followed this with a second victory at the endurance-focused Rallye Côte d'Ivoire, narrowly defeating teammate Waldegård on a tiebreaker despite identical penalty times.

1986: Peugeot

Kankkunen's achievements behind the wheel of the Celica earned him a position with the reigning champions Peugeot for the 1986 season, stepping in for Ari Vatanen who was sidelined due to injury. Piloting the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2, he triumphed at the Swedish Rally, Acropolis Rally, and Rally New Zealand, alongside securing three additional podium finishes. The season concluded amid controversy after the fatal accident of Henri Toivonen at the Tour de Corse led to a ban on Group B vehicles, a decision that provoked strong disapproval from Peugeot team principal Jean Todt. Subsequently, Peugeot faced disqualification at the Rallye Sanremo for illegal underbody fins, resulting in a triple victory for rival Lancia. Heading into the final event, the Olympus Rally, Kankkunen was one point behind Lancia’s Markku Alén but was ultimately crowned world champion following an FIA appeal that nullified the Sanremo results, making him the youngest ever WRC champion.

1987: Lancia

Following the prohibition of Group B cars, Peugeot exited the WRC, prompting Kankkunen to join Lancia Martini and compete in the Lancia Delta HF 4WD. He quickly acclimated and led during his debut at Monte Carlo; however, team directives from Lancia’s director Cesare Fiorio controversially relegated him to second place behind teammate Miki Biasion. Kankkunen claimed victory at the Olympus Rally, narrowly defeating Biasion by 12 seconds after a grueling six-hour battle. In a fiercely contested championship race, he secured his second consecutive drivers' championship by winning the final event, the RAC Rally, edging out Biasion and Markku Alén. Despite this triumph and earning the "International Rally Driver Award" once more, his dissatisfaction with team orders favoring Biasion hinted at his impending departure ahead of the 1988 season.

1988–89: Toyota

In 1988, Kankkunen rejoined Toyota Team Europe. Although he finished fifth in his initial outing with the Toyota Supra Turbo at the Safari Rally, his defense of the title faltered. Toyota unveiled the new Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165 during the Tour de Corse, but persistent engine troubles caused three successive retirements, leaving Kankkunen ranked 37th in the drivers' standings.

Beyond WRC competition, Kankkunen excelled by winning the Dakar Rally on his first attempt driving a Peugeot 205 T16 after teammate Ari Vatanen’s leading Peugeot 405 T16 was stolen. He also finished second to Vatanen at the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb and captured victory in the inaugural Race of Champions, defeating former Peugeot teammate Timo Salonen.

In 1989, with enhancements to Toyota’s GT-Four, Kankkunen achieved his first win of the year at Rally Australia. He also earned third-place finishes at both Tour de Corse and RAC Rally, concluding third in the drivers' championship behind Lancia’s Biasion and Alex Fiorio. Toyota attained its best-ever result by finishing second in the manufacturers' championship.

1990–92: Lancia

By 1990, Kankkunen had returned to Lancia for that season. Midway through, he stood fourth in the championship while Toyota’s emerging talent Carlos Sainz held the lead. Kankkunen secured another win in Australia and achieved a podium finish at Sanremo but ended third overall behind Sainz and teammate Didier Auriol. Meanwhile, Lancia captured an unprecedented fourth straight manufacturers' title.

In 1991, Kankkunen triumphed in four rallies including Safari, Acropolis, his home event—the 1000 Lakes Rally (his first victory there)—and Rally Australia for a third successive year. Entering the last event, the RAC Rally, he trailed Sainz by one point but clinched his third drivers' championship by winning ahead of Sainz and Kenneth Eriksson. His total of 150 points remains a WRC single-season record. That year marked a milestone as two drivers each achieved five wins apiece. Additionally, Kankkunen secured his second victory in the Race of Champions, overcoming Auriol.

During 1992, Kankkunen reached the podium in every one of nine WRC events he entered but won only at Rally Portugal. The championship battle was intensely close; prior to the final rally, Sainz led by two points with Auriol just three points ahead of Kankkunen. Sainz’s victory at the RAC Rally combined with Auriol’s retirement ensured Sainz claimed the title over Kankkunen.

1993–96: Toyota

Following Lancia's withdrawal from the WRC in 1992, Kankkunen returned to Toyota, piloting the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST185. Despite mid-season co-driver changes prompted by Juha Piironen’s brain hemorrhage, Kankkunen clinched an unprecedented fourth drivers' championship by triumphing in five out of ten rallies, including the Safari Rally, Rally Argentina, Rally Australia, RAC Rally, and 1000 Lakes Rally. His victory at the RAC marked his 20th career win, surpassing Markku Alén’s previous record. Alongside teammate Didier Auriol, he played a key role in securing Toyota's inaugural manufacturers' championship, a significant achievement for Japanese motorsport. Additionally, Kankkunen was honored as Finnish Sportsman of the Year, joining the ranks of F1 champion Keke Rosberg.

Kankkunen commenced the 1994 season strongly with a second-place finish at Monte Carlo and a win in Portugal. However, a crash during the Safari Rally and mechanical failures in Argentina and Sanremo impeded his progress. Although he shared the championship lead mid-season with Subaru’s Carlos Sainz, inconsistent outcomes caused him to fall behind both Sainz and Auriol by the conclusion of the year.

In 1995, Kankkunen led the championship heading into the final two rounds, ahead of Subaru’s Colin McRae. While holding a near one-minute lead at Rally Catalunya, a pacenote error resulted in a crash and forced retirement. Subsequently, Toyota faced a 12-month ban imposed by the FIA due to illegal turbo restrictor modifications on their ST205 vehicles; all Toyota drivers, including Kankkunen, were stripped of their points. FIA president Max Mosley confirmed that no drivers were implicated in the infraction.

The 1996 season saw Kankkunen compete in three events with private Toyota entries after Nicky Grist left to join McRae. He achieved fourth place in Sweden, third in Indonesia, and runner-up in Finland under these arrangements.

1997–98: Ford

During the middle of the 1997 campaign, Kankkunen joined the Ford factory squad, replacing Armin Schwarz. Arriving too late to contend for the title, his primary responsibility was to support Ford and teammate Carlos Sainz in their championship pursuits. At his second rally with Ford—the Acropolis Rally—he initially led before yielding to Sainz under team instructions. Kankkunen finished narrowly behind Sainz in both Indonesia and New Zealand and lost to Tommi Mäkinen by just seven seconds in Finland—the slimmest margin ever recorded for that event. He secured fourth place at the season finale RAC Rally, finishing ahead of Sainz.

In 1998, Kankkunen continued with Ford alongside new teammate Bruno Thiry. As Ford concentrated on developing the forthcoming Focus WRC, their final year campaigning the Escort WRC produced no victories. Nevertheless, Kankkunen attained seven podium finishes, with both driver and manufacturer concluding fourth in their respective championships. For 1999, Ford signed Colin McRae, prompting Kankkunen to transfer to Subaru.

1999–2000: Subaru

Kankkunen joined the Subaru World Rally Team driving the Subaru Impreza WRC and secured wins in Argentina and Finland during 1999. His triumph in Argentina was his first victory in over five years, edging out teammate Richard Burns by 2.4 seconds amid a disputed team orders scenario. The Finnish rally marked what would become his final WRC win. Despite Subaru’s strong showing with a one-two finish at the season-ending RAC Rally, Toyota captured the manufacturers' championship by a narrow four-point margin. Kankkunen finished fourth in the drivers' standings for the third consecutive year while Mäkinen equaled his record of four titles.

The 2000 season proved less fruitful; Kankkunen’s top result was second place at the Safari Rally behind Burns, complemented by only two additional podiums, culminating in an eighth-place finish overall in the drivers' championship.

Later career

Subaru and Kankkunen were unable to finalize a contract for the 2001 season, resulting in his participation in just one world rally that year—the Rally Finland—where he competed for the Hyundai World Rally Team. Unfortunately, mechanical failures forced him to retire from that event. In the 2002 season, Hyundai initially proposed a full schedule of 14 events, which Kankkunen declined; the deal was later adjusted to include nine gravel rallies. Despite enhancements to the Accent WRC, Hyundai faced stiff competition from leading teams such as Peugeot, Ford, and Subaru. Kankkunen’s fifth-place finish at Rally New Zealand marked Hyundai’s top performance of the year. Alongside teammates Freddy Loix and Armin Schwarz, he contributed to Hyundai achieving its highest-ever position—fourth place—in the manufacturers' standings. Following the conclusion of 2002, Kankkunen retired from the WRC.

After retiring from rallying, Kankkunen ventured into politics, standing as a candidate in the 2004 European Parliament elections representing Finland's conservative National Coalition Party. Unlike fellow rally competitor Ari Vatanen, he was not elected, receiving 17,815 votes. In business pursuits, Kankkunen held shares in the now-defunct Flying Finn, Finland’s pioneering low-cost carrier; notably, its first aircraft bore his name. Together with NHL legend Jari Kurri, he invested in upscale property development projects in Ruka, Finland.

In 2004, Kankkunen joined Volkswagen’s factory rally raid team for the 2005 Dakar Rally. However, after experiencing a rollover accident followed by a collision with another participant’s vehicle, he withdrew after stage 10.

In 2007, Kankkunen set a new ice speed record driving his personally owned Bentley Continental GT on the frozen Gulf of Bothnia near Oulu, Finland. Achieving an average speed exceeding , he surpassed the previous record held by a Bugatti EB110 Supersport. The vehicle was only lightly modified with safety enhancements like a roll cage and aerodynamic adjustments; Nokian Tyres provided spiked tires and technical assistance alongside Bentley Motors. He further improved this record in 2011 by reaching 330.695 km/h (205.48 mph) in an E85-fueled Bentley Continental Supersports convertible. Bentley honored this milestone by producing a limited run of 100 of its most powerful road cars.

On 23 July 2010, it was announced that Kankkunen would participate in the 2010 Rally Finland, commemorating the event’s sixtieth anniversary. Reunited with co-driver Juha Repo and piloting a Ford Focus RS WRC 08 for Stobart M-Sport Ford Rally Team, he achieved an impressive eighth-place finish at age 51, outperforming numerous regular WRC drivers.

Personal life

Kankkunen currently lives in Monaco but also spends time at his family estate in Laukaa, which features a large country residence and extensive grounds. His impressive car collection includes six Ferraris such as the F40 and 288 GTO, as well as all four rally cars with which he secured world championship titles. He and his wife Pirjo divorced in 2008; they have two sons named Tino and Niko. His father Pekka (1934–2013) and brother Timo were both former rally drivers as well.

WRC triumphs

Nicky Grist Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD Nicky Grist Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD Nicky Grist Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD Nicky Grist Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD Nicky Grist Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD

Victory No.	Rally	Year	Navigator	Vehicle
1	Template:Country data Kenya Template:Namespace detect showall Safari Rally	1985	Fred Gallagher	Toyota Celica TCT
2	Template:Country data Côte d'Ivoire Template:Namespace detect showall Rallye Côte d'Ivoire	1985	Fred Gallagher	Toyota Celica TCT
3	Sweden 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	Template:Country data UK Template:Namespace detect showall 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	Template:Country data Kenya Template:Namespace detect showall 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	Template:Country data UK Template:Namespace detect showall RAC Rally	1991	Juha Piironen	Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
15	Portugal Rally de Portugal	1992	Juha Piironen	Lancia Delta HF Integrale
16	Template:Country data Kenya Template:Namespace detect showall Safari Rally	1993	Juha Piironen	Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
17	Template:Country data Argentina Template:Namespace detect showall Rally Argentina	1993	Nicky Grist	Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
18	Finland Rally Finland	1993	Denis Giraudet	Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD

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Template:Flagicon UK Rally GB (RAC Rally) \| 1993 World Rally Championship season (1993) \| Nicky Grist\| Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD\|

Complete WRC results

Year	Entrant	Vehicle	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	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
1982	Intereconomics	Opel Manta GT/E												GBR Ret	–	0
1983	Toyota Team Europe	Toyota Celica TCT	MON	SWE	POR	KEN	FRA	GRC	NZL	ARG	FIN 6	ITA			19th	10

...

Year	Entrant	Vehicle	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	WDC	Points

External links