Hannu Mikkola R.I.P.

[Skyedriver]

Sadly sucumbed to cancer I believe, at the age of 78
RIP , a true Driving God

[Ozzer2006]

Thanks for the memories. Rest in peace true legend.

[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.

[hiccy18]

Oh that is sad news! Granted for most of what I watched of his career I was waving a GM flag (metaphorically) and cheering on his opponents, but what a driver!

[generationx]

Longer but equally respectful thread here

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[Dapster]

Posted this on the other thread too....


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....

[Turbobanana]

Mark A S said:

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.

I'm a bit young to remember him in Escorts: for me it was the quattro. The sound of that warbling 5-cylinder through the Welsh forests will stay with me forever, largely thanks to Hannu Mikkola.

[Mark A S]

Dapster said:

Posted this on the other thread too....


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....

Best bit in that clip is at 3.29 I'll think your find Hannu would of agreed with me, out of all the cars he drove, he was most fond of the Escorts

There is a wonderful interview with him somewhere on YT after he had driven a Mk 1 Escort as a course car on an RAC rally in Clipstone speccy stage i think, his face when asked how is was to be back in an Escort said it all.

[neutral 3]

I first saw “ Escorts on Ice “ 11 years ago and it’s probably my fave piece of motor sport film.

[aeropilot]

Mark A S said:

Dapster said:

Posted this on the other thread too....


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....

Best bit in that clip is at 3.29

Can't think why you think that

[200Plus Club]

RIP a true legend. Nothing will beat seeing these guys in the 80s from a few feet away in the forests.

[hiccy18]

Mark A S said:

Dapster said:

Posted this on the other thread too....


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....

Best bit in that clip is at 3.29 I'll think your find Hannu would of agreed with me, out of all the cars he drove, he was most fond of the Escorts

There is a wonderful interview with him somewhere on YT after he had driven a Mk 1 Escort as a course car on an RAC rally in Clipstone speccy stage i think, his face when asked how is was to be back in an Escort said it all.

Ah think you mean 3.36 Go JIMMY!!!

Many happy memories cheering on "that lot" especially Brookes and MacRae but can't remember why Tony Pond was missing that year, I thought he was hurling the TR7 V8 around by then?