Timo Salonen

{{Infobox WRC driver

| image = Timo Salonen.jpg

| name = Timo Salonen

| caption = Salonen in 2017.

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|10|08|df=y}}

| nationality = {{flagicon|Finland}} Finnish

| Years = 1974 – 1992, 2002

| Co-driver = {{flagicon|Finland}} Seppo Harjanne
{{flagicon|Finland}} Jaakko Markkula
{{flagicon|Finland}} Erkki Nyman
{{flagicon|South Africa|1928}} Stuart Pegg
{{flagicon|Finland}} Voitto Silander
{{flagicon|Finland}} Launo Heinonen

| Teams = Fiat, Datsun, Nissan, Peugeot, Mazda, Mitsubishi

| Races = 95

| Championships = 1 (1985)

| Wins = 11

| Podiums = 24

| Stagewins = 256

| Points = 524

| First race = 1974 1000 Lakes Rally

| First win = 1977 Rally Canada

| Last win = 1987 Swedish Rally

| Last race = 2002 Neste Rally Finland

}}

Timo Salonen (born 8 October 1951) is a Finnish former rally driver who won the 1985 World Rally Championship season for Peugeot. It was commented of him that he stood out from other drivers, because he was overweight, wore thick glasses and smoked heavily, but still remained one of the fastest and most competitive drivers in the sport. He was also known for his relaxed attitude and for his habit of steering his rally car with one hand only. These factors led to the nickname Löysä ("Slack").{{cite web | title=Timo Salonen, ensimmäisen luokan ajaja | work=Suomen Moottoriurheilumuseo | url=http://www.moottoriurheilumuseo.fi/kuljettajat/salonen.htm | accessdate=26 August 2008 | language=Finnish | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080212112318/http://www.moottoriurheilumuseo.fi/kuljettajat/salonen.htm | archivedate=12 February 2008 }}

With his 11 rally wins he remained the most successful driver of Group B era (1983–1986) of WRC.

Rallying career

=WRC career (1975–2002)=

File:Thumb-Rallye-mont--carlo-1986.jpg at the 1986 Monte Carlo Rally]]

Salonen achieved his first podium place in the World Rally Championship by driving his Fiat 131 Abarth to second place at the 1977 1000 Lakes Rally. He went on to win the next rally, the 1977 Critérium du Québec, which was only his fifth WRC event and his first outside his home country.{{cite web | title=Timo Salonen | work=RallyBase | url=http://www.rallybase.nl/index.php?type=profile&driverid=2911 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061231200155/http://www.rallybase.nl/index.php?type=profile&driverid=2911 | archive-date=31 December 2006 | first = Tjeerd | last = van der Zee }}

Salonen's factory team career at World Championship level began with Nissan, mainly on long-distance events. In 1984, however, he achieved a string of top-ten finishes, resulting in Jean Todt inviting him to drive for Peugeot in the 1985 season. He began that year playing a supporting role to Ari Vatanen but quickly proved capable of being in a leading role, especially after Vatanen's near-fatal accident in Argentina. Salonen set a record by winning four world rallies in a row – unmatched and unbroken until Sébastien Loeb's six wins in a row in 2005{{cite web | title=Loeb ties win record with victory in Turkey | work=Motorsport.com | url=http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=187412 | accessdate=26 August 2008 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607031656/http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=187412 | archivedate=7 June 2011 }} – and went on to win the World Championship with a record 52-point margin ahead of second-placed Stig Blomqvist. Salonen then remained at Peugeot for the 1986 season, and finished third in the drivers' championship, behind his new team-mate Juha Kankkunen and Lancia driver Markku Alén.

He has remained the most successful driver of Group B with his seven rally wins and one World Rally Championship.

In the turbulent world of post-Group B rallying, Salonen starred for Mazda, taking a popular win on the 1987 Swedish Rally. His last WRC event in action was the 1992 Rally Portugal in a Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 until he made a one-time comeback at the 2002 Neste Rally Finland. He managed his Peugeot 206 WRC to 14th place overall.

Salonen was mainly co-driven by Seppo Harjanne, who would later go on to achieve even more success with Tommi Mäkinen (the pairing of Tommi Mäkinen and Seppo Harjanne achieved 2 championship titles from 1996 to 1997 by 1 point until Harjanne was replaced by Risto Mannisenmäki from 1998 to 2001). After retiring from rallying, Salonen has worked as the CEO for his car sales company Autotalo Timo Salonen in Finland.

=Rally Raid career (1992–1995)=

Following his full-time WRC career, he drove for Guy Fréquelin's Citroën rally raid team. During the 1992 Paris-Moscow-Beijing rally raid, Salonen's ZX burnt to the ground.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUpFjbQHbXI&list=PLSed6mmdCF9Jv8VYYhrQanBsCPeeoAvA6&index=3|title = Rallye Raid Paris-Moscou-Pékin (1992)| website=YouTube | date=5 February 2022 }}

In 1993, he then competed regularly for the squad, winning the 1993 Pharaohs Rally Raid {{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9VYDq6ny9g|title = 1993 Pharaohs Rally Raid - Stage 12 - Citroen ZX - Mitsubishi Pajero - Eurosport| website=YouTube | date=15 September 2024 }} in the works ZX and helping the team win the Cross-Country World Cup manufacturers' title. That same season, Salonen also finished fourth on the Baja Aragon Raid,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wbWj-Kc4Z0|title = 1993 Baja Aragon Raid - Citroen ZX - Mitsubishi Pajero - SEAT Toledo - Eurosport| website=YouTube | date=26 August 2024 }} second on the Atlas Rally Raid{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_paGg4SGKk|title = 1993 Atlas Rally Raid - Citroen ZX - Mitsubishi Pajero - Eurosport| website=YouTube | date=23 August 2024 }} and third on the United Arab Emirates Desert Challenge.{{Cite web|url=https://girardo.com/car/1991-citroen-zx-rallye-raid-evo-2-1/|title = 1991 Citroen ZX Rallye Raid Evo 2| website=Girardo & Co}} He would withdraw from the 1993 Paris-Dakar rally, however, when co-driver Fred Gallagher (co-driver) injured his back after a heavy landing.

For the following season, the Finn could not compete in 1994's Paris-Dakar-Paris. Citroën and the event organisers disagreed about the running of the event, the French marque entering a reduced squad of just two ZXs in protest.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEN7c75K-4o&t=4s|title = Citroën Paris-Dakar 1994| website=YouTube | date=18 March 2021 }} He did still drive for the team during the World Cup, finishing second on the Tunisia Rally Raid, following a penultimate stage crash that robbed him of the win,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEN7c75K-4o&t=4s|title = Citroën Paris-Dakar 1994| website=YouTube | date=18 March 2021 }} taking the victory on the Baja Aragón {{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OckA0BM5OVo&list=PLSed6mmdCF9Jv8VYYhrQanBsCPeeoAvA6&index=19|title = Baja Aragón 1994 EuroSport| website=YouTube | date=20 May 2021 }} and providing a test drive for Top Gear (1977 TV series)'s Jeremy Clarkson.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twzfyh0VSn0|title = 1Citroen ZX Rallye Raid - Timo Salonen - Old Top Gear| website=YouTube | date=8 June 2014 }}

In the 1995 Granda-Dakar rally, he finished fifth, after losing over five hours when his ZX lost drive to its front wheels.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/brand/motorsports/dakar/1995/ |title = Dakar Rally 1995| website=Mitsubishi Motors}} Salonen also finished third on the Atlas Rally that season{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj4VeOVp-RU&list=PLSed6mmdCF9Jv8VYYhrQanBsCPeeoAvA6&index=4 |title = Citroën ZX Rallye-raid - Ari Vatanen gagne le rallye de l'Atlas 1995| website=YouTube}} and second on the Baja España-Aragón.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siN72QUFw3Q&list=PLSed6mmdCF9Jv8VYYhrQanBsCPeeoAvA6&index=3 |title = Resumen Baja España-Aragón 1995| website=YouTube| date=8 September 2021 }}

Complete WRC results

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" ! Year ! Entrant ! Car ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! WRC ! Points
1974 ! Timo Salonen ! Mazda 1300 \| MON C \| SWE C \| POR \| KEN \| GRE C \| style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| FIN 22 \| ITA \| CAN \| USA \| GBR \| FRA \| \| \| ! - ! -
1975 ! Timo Salonen ! Datsun 160J \| MON \| SWE \| KEN \| GRC \| MOR \| POR \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| FIN 6 \| ITA \| FRA \| GBR \| \| \| \| ! - ! -
1976 ! Timo Salonen ! Datsun 160J \| MON \| SWE \| POR \| KEN \| GRC \| MOR \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| FIN 6 \| ITA \| FRA \| GBR \| \| \| \| ! - ! -
1977 ! Timo Salonen ! Fiat 131 Abarth \| MON \| SWE \| POR \| KEN \| NZL \| GRC \| style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| FIN 2 \| style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| CAN 1 \| ITA \| FRA \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| GBR Ret \| \| \| ! - ! -
1978 ! Alitalia Fiat ! Fiat 131 Abarth \| MON \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| SWE Ret \| KEN \| POR \| GRE \| style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| FIN 2 \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| CAN Ret \| ITA \| CIV \| FRA \| GBR \| \| \| ! - ! -
rowspan="2"\| 1979 ! N.I. Theocharakis ! rowspan="2"\| Datsun 160J \| MON \| SWE \| POR \| KEN \| style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| GRC 2 \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| ! rowspan="2"\| 4th ! rowspan="2"\| 50
Team Datsun Europe \| \| \| \| \| \| style="background:#000000; color:#ffffff"\| NZL DSQ \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| FIN 5 \| style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| CAN 2 \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| ITA Ret \| FRA \| style="background:#FFDF9F;"\| GBR 3 \| CIV \| \|
1980 ! Team Datsun Europe ! Datsun 160J \| MON \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| SWE 7 \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| POR Ret \| KEN \| style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| GRE 2 \| ARG \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| FIN 6 \| style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| NZL 1 \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| ITA Ret \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| FRA Ret \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| GBR Ret \| CIV \| \| ! 7th ! 45
rowspan="2" \| 1981 ! rowspan="2" \| Team Datsun Europe ! Datsun Violet GT/160J \| MON \| SWE \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| POR Ret \| \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| FRA Ret \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| GRE Ret \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| ARG Ret \| BRA \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| FIN 4 \| style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| ITA 12 \| style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| CIV 1 \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| GBR Ret \| \| ! rowspan="2" \| 6th ! rowspan="2" \| 40
Datsun Silvia \| \| \| \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| KEN 4 \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \|
rowspan="2" \| 1982 ! rowspan="2" \| Team Nissan Europe ! Nissan Silvia/Datsun Violet GTS \| MON \| SWE \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| POR Ret \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| KEN Ret \| FRA \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| GRE Ret \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| NZL 4 \| BRA \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| FIN 4 \| ITA \| CIV \| \| \| ! rowspan="2" \| 11th ! rowspan="2" \| 20
Datsun/Nissan Violet GT \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| GBR Ret \| \|
1983 ! Team Nissan Europe ! Nissan 240 RS \| style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| MON 14 \| SWE \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| POR Ret \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| KEN Ret \| FRA \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| GRE Ret \| style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| NZL 2 \| ARG \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| FIN 8 \| ITA \| CIV \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| GBR Ret \| \| ! 13th ! 18
1984 ! Team Nissan Europe ! Nissan 240 RS \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| MON 10 \| SWE \| POR \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| KEN 7 \| FRA \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| GRE 6 \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| NZL 4 \| ARG \| FIN \| ITA \| CIV \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| GBR 6 \| \| ! 10th ! 27
rowspan="2"\| 1985 ! rowspan="2"\| Peugeot Talbot Sport ! Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 \| style="background:#FFDF9F;"\| MON 3 \| style="background:#FFDF9F;"\| SWE 3 \| style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| POR 1 \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| KEN 7 \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| FRA Ret \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| rowspan="2" style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| 1st \| rowspan="2" style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| 143
Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2 \| \| \| \| \| \| style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| GRE 1 \| style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| NZL 1 \| style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| ARG 1 \| style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| FIN 1 \| style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| ITA 2 \| CIV \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| GBR Ret \| \|
1986 ! Peugeot Talbot Sport ! Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2 \| style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| MON 2 \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| SWE Ret \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| POR Ret \| KEN \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| FRA Ret \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| GRE Ret \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| NZL 5 \| ARG \| style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| FIN 1 \| CIV \| ITA \| style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| GBR 1 \| USA \| \| style="background:#FFDF9F;"\| 3rd \| style="background:#FFDF9F;"\| 63
1987 ! Mazda Rally Team Europe ! Mazda 323 4WD \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| MON Ret \| style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| SWE 1 \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| POR Ret \| KEN \| FRA \| GRE \| USA \| NZL \| ARG \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| FIN Ret \| CIV \| ITA \| GBR \| ! 14th ! 20
1988 ! Mazda Rally Team Europe ! Mazda 323 4WD \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| MON 5 \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| SWE Ret \| POR \| KEN \| FRA \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| GRE Ret \| USA \| NZL \| ARG \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| FIN 4 \| CIV \| ITA \| style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| GBR 2 \| ! 5th ! 33
1989 ! Mazda Rally Team Europe ! Mazda 323 4WD \| style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| SWE 22 \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| MON Ret \| POR \| KEN \| FRA \| GRE \| NZL \| ARG \| style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| FIN 2 \| AUS \| ITA \| CIV \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| GBR 6 \| ! 12th ! 21
rowspan="2" \| 1990 ! rowspan="2" \| Mazda Rally Team Europe ! Mazda 323 4WD \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| MON 8 \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| POR Ret \| KEN \| FRA \| GRE \| NZL \| ARG \| \| \| \| \| \| \| ! rowspan="2" \| 25th ! rowspan="2" \| 9
Mazda 323 GT-X \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| FIN 6 \| AUS \| ITA \| CIV \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| GBR Ret \| \|
1991 ! Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe ! Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| MON 8 \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| SWE Ret \| POR \| KEN \| FRA \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| GRE Ret \| NZL \| ARG \| style="background:#000000; color:#ffffff"\| FIN DSQ \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| AUS 5 \| ITA \| CIV \| ESP \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| GBR 4 ! 13th ! 21
1992 ! Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe ! Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| MON 6 \| SWE \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| POR 5 \| KEN \| FRA \| GRE \| NZL \| ARG \| FIN \| AUS \| ITA \| CIV \| ESP \| GBR ! 20th ! 14
2002 ! Timo Salonen ! Peugeot 206 WRC \| MON \| SWE \| FRA \| ESP \| CYP \| ARG \| GRE \| KEN \| style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| FIN 14 \| GER \| ITA \| NZL \| AUS \| GBR ! - ! 0

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"

! Year

! Entrant

! Car

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8