Mikko Hirvonen

Mikko Hirvonen (Kannonkoski, Finland, 31 July 1980) is a Finnish rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC) for over a decade and was one of Sébastien Loeb's main rivals in the second half of the 2000s. He made his world championship debut in the late 1990s and achieved his greatest successes as a works driver for Ford Motor Company within the BP Ford World Rally Team, where he drove the Ford Focus RS WRC and later the Ford Fiesta RS WRC. Throughout his WRC career he claimed 15 victories and more than 60 podiums, finishing runner-up in the world championship in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012. In 2008 he came very close to the title, arriving at the final rally still with a chance against Loeb. In 2012 he competed with Citroën behind the wheel of the Citroën DS3 WRC, again finishing second in the championship before returning to Ford for his last full season in 2013. After retiring from the WRC at the end of 2014, Hirvonen continued to participate occasionally in rally competitions and raids, as well as endurance events and other motorsport-related activities. He is regarded as one of the most consistent drivers of his generation and a key figure in the Ford team during the era dominated by Loeb.