Timo Salonen
Timo Salonen | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 8, 1951 Finland |
| Occupation | Rally driver |
| Years active | 1975–2002 (WRC), 1992–1995 (Rally Raid) |
| Known for | 1985 World Rally Championship title, most successful Group B driver |
Timo Salonen (born 8 October 1951) is a retired Finnish rally driver who clinched the 1985 World Rally Championship title driving for Peugeot. Recognizable for his unique look—stocky build, thick spectacles, and habitual smoking—Salonen was nonetheless among the quickest and most formidable competitors on the circuit. His calm demeanor and distinctive one-handed steering technique earned him the moniker Löysä ("Slack"). With a total of 11 rally victories, he stands as the most accomplished driver from the Group B period (1983–1986).
WRC career (1975–2002)
Salonen's initial podium in the World Rally Championship came behind the wheel of a Fiat 131 Abarth, finishing second at the 1977 1000 Lakes Rally. Shortly thereafter, he claimed his first victory at the 1977 Critérium du Québec, marking only his fifth WRC appearance.
His factory WRC tenure began with Nissan, where he concentrated on endurance rallies. Impressive top-ten finishes in 1984 caught the attention of Jean Todt, who brought him into Peugeot's lineup for the 1985 season. Starting as a support driver to Ari Vatanen, Salonen swiftly rose to prominence following Vatanen’s crash in Argentina. He established a new benchmark by winning four consecutive world rallies—a record that stood until Sébastien Loeb surpassed it with six straight wins in 2005—and secured the championship with an unprecedented 52-point gap over Stig Blomqvist. Continuing with Peugeot in 1986, he ended the season third overall behind teammate Juha Kankkunen and Lancia’s Markku Alén.
With seven victories during Group B and a world title, Salonen remains the era’s most successful competitor. After Group B's conclusion, he joined Mazda Rally Team Europe and triumphed at the 1987 Swedish Rally. His final WRC outing occurred at the 1992 Rally Portugal driving a Mitsubishi Galant VR-4, followed by a one-time comeback at the 2002 Neste Rally Finland where he finished 14th in a Peugeot 206 WRC.
Most often paired with co-driver Seppo Harjanne—who later won two championships alongside Tommi Mäkinen—Salonen transitioned into business after retiring from racing, taking on the role of CEO at Autotalo Timo Salonen, a Finnish automotive sales company.
Rally Raid career (1992–1995)
Following his full-time WRC career, Salonen joined Guy Fréquelin’s Citroën rally raid squad. During the 1992 Paris-Moscow-Beijing event, his Citroën ZX was lost to a fire.
In 1993, he regularly competed for Citroën’s factory team, securing victory at the Pharaohs Rally in the ZX and contributing to winning the Cross-Country World Cup manufacturers’ championship. That season also saw him finish fourth in Baja Aragon Raid, runner-up in Atlas Rally Raid, and third in the United Arab Emirates Desert Challenge. He withdrew from that year’s Paris-Dakar rally after co-driver Fred Gallagher suffered a back injury.
Due to Citroën’s dispute with organizers in 1994 leading to limited team entries, Salonen did not participate in Paris-Dakar-Paris but remained active in the World Cup series. He placed second at the Tunisia Rally despite a late accident, won Baja Aragón, and provided a test drive for Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear.
At the 1995 Granada-Dakar rally, Salonen finished fifth despite losing over five hours because of front-wheel drive failure on his ZX. That year he also achieved third place at Atlas Rally and second at Baja España-Aragón.
Complete WRC results
... [Table continues with consistent formatting and key data maintained, redundant rows omitted for brevity] ... ... [Subsequent results condensed similarly, emphasizing major placements and total points] ...| Year | Team | Vehicle | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Championship Position | Points Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Timo Salonen | Mazda 1300 | MON C |
SWE C |
POR | KEN | GRE C |
FIN 22 |
ITA | CAN | USA | GBR | FRA | – | – | |||
| 1975 | Timo Salonen | Datsun 160J | MON | SWE | KEN | GRC | MOR | POR | FIN 6 |
ITA | FRA | GBR | – | – | ||||
| 1976 | Timo Salonen | Datsun 160J | MON | SWE | POR | KEN | GRC | MOR | FIN 6 |
ITA | FRA | GBR | – | – | ||||
| 1985 | Peugeot Talbot Sport | Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 | MON 3 |
SWE 3 |
POR 1 |
KEN 7 |
FRA Ret |
1st | 143 | |||||||||
| Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2 | GRE 1 |
NZL 1 |
ARG 1 |
FIN 1 |
ITA 2 |
CIV | GBR Ret |