Hannu Mikkola R.I.P.

[The Brummie]

I just read that he passed away today.

RIP Hannu. Thank you for the memories of sideways Ford Escorts & Audi Quattro’s flat out.

A truly great rally driver & one of the best.

[ArnageWRC]

An absolute legend - from the golden era of the sport!!

Remember him stopping right in front of me on the inaugural Roger Albert in 2004 in Kershope...and struggling to get the Escort started in the dark.

RIP Hannu

[aeropilot]

In my opinion, one of the greatest of all time.

That's now all the legendary Mk.1 Escort era works drivers now gone, with Timo and Roger already gone, and Bjorn and Russel gone from the Mk.2 Escort works era as well, pretty much leaves just Ari and Malcolm left from the Escort era that were with Boreham for a long while.

[Athlon]

Oh no What a legend in the world of rallying.

Smooth, fast and in the Quattro utterly superb, worked out left foot braking and keeping on boost very quickly.

R.I.P.

Hannu tribute

[DuckAvenger]

What? There is no news about that in Finnish newssites

[pitboard]

I remember him confounding the rally world by taking an as yet unhomologated Audi Quattro out as course car on the TAP Rally and setting fastest time on virtually every stage. A statement of intent that kicked open the doors to the modern era.

[105.4]

The Brummie said:

I just read that he passed away today.

RIP Hannu. Thank you for the memories of sideways Ford Escorts & Audi Quattro’s flat out.

A truly great rally driver & one of the best.

Bugger

God Speed indeed. He always came across as a real gent. I remember the touching interview he did shortly after Henri Toivonen passed away.

[Straff99]

I hated the Quattros as they (in my humble opinion) destroyed the greatest motorsport in the world.

Hannu Mikkola, however, stood head and shoulders against the rest and I was a Chevette fan!

RIP Hannu; my God, you were good.

[rossub]

Worthy of a PH news article I would say

[928 GTS]

DuckAvenger said:

What? There is no news about that in Finnish newssites

They were bit slow but its on all major news this morning.

https://www.hs.fi/urheilu/art-2000007830134.html

[GVK]

Sad news.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzi1cpL2XDg

[LukeBrown66]

He had been poorly for some time, but even so a big loss.

Mid 70's to early 80's he was dominant on gravel, totally owned British forests, to the amazement often of Ari, Henri, Markku etc, he really was dominant after Timo packed in.

made the RAC his own

[generationx]

The passing of a true rally legend. A gentleman with a remarkable legacy.

[aeropilot]

LukeBrown66 said:

Mid 70's to early 80's he was dominant on gravel, totally owned British forests, to the amazement often of Ari, Henri, Markku etc, he really was dominant after Timo packed in.

Hannu was giving Timo a run for his money way before Timo packed it in. Hannu became a full works Escort driver at the start of the 1969 season, along with Roger, and of course won the London-Mexico World Cup Rally in 1970 (and again just for good measure 25 years later)
Many people forget that he left Ford after Timo retired at the end of '74, and drove for Peugeot and Toyota for the next two seasons before coming back to Ford for 1977.

Utter legend, and that 5 mins or so of Escorts Dancing on Ice Ford film on that frozen lake, will be forever a fitting tribute to Hannu and Bjorn and rallying's greatest era.

[Stick Legs]

They had to open both of heaven's gates as he came in on full opposite lock, foot down. Legend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzi1cpL2XDg

[johnpsanderson]

rossub said:

Worthy of a PH news article I would say

Indeed, an absolute legend across the greatest decades of rallying I’d say.

I recently found this incar clip from 1991 and, although rallying is full of moments like this, I think it’s a great one I’ll remember for a long time. Especially the “apologises to the codriver” part, the Finns always came across as so calm and gentle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVGtvvNxZ6k

[coppice]

One of my very few claims to fame is that I was a young marshal at the corner (actually, more of a kink ) in Dalby Forest when Mikkola crashed there in 1969 - now 'Mikkola's Bend'. I still have the tax disc holder which , err , fell off his Escort when he rolled it . A mighty driver , and at his absolute best in the Quattro - the most stunning sight, and sound , in forest rallying .

[Mark A S]

Lots of tributes on FB and quite rightly so. Is there anything more iconic in Rallying than Hannu in a Blue Eton Yale Mk 2 ? I don’t think so.
He was then and now my only Rallying “Hero” lovely man, amazing driver and IMO no one faster in a Mk 2 in the late 70’s, including Ari.

RIP Hannu, Thank you for the wonderful memories.

[aeropilot]

He still holds the record for the most stage wins on Rally GB (by some margin) and I suspect, probably not a record that might ever be bettered.

[Dapster]

What tragic news. He was an incredible driver and came across as such a gent. For me, he was an integral part of the golden age of rallying - the greatest drivers, the most amazing cars.

Of all his antics, this is the one that I love the most. The 1982 Scottish Rally had no less than 7 category A drivers at the start line - McRae, Toivonen, Brookes, Eklund, Blomqvist, Vatanen and Mikkola. 100m into the first stage, Mikkola hit a bank and broke the steering on the Quattro, and eventually had to complete the rest of the stage in reverse! loosing 8 mins. At the end of the first stage he was stone dead last. To win the rally from last place, he'd have to be 1 sec / km faster than anyone else. Guess what happens....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC-Zuz5A22s