Hannu Olavi Mikkola

Hannu Olavi Mikkola (Joensuu, Finland, 24 May 1942 – 25 February 2021) was one of Finland’s leading rally drivers. He began competing in 1963 with a Volvo PV544 and enjoyed an international career spanning around three decades. In the World Rally Championship he contested 123 events and achieved 18 victories. His first WRC-counting win came on the 1974 1000 Lakes Rally in a Ford Escort RS1600; he won the Finnish event seven times in total, a record he shares with Marcus Grönholm.

After a successful period with Ford, Mikkola joined Audi and formed one of the leading early Group B partnerships with co-driver Arne Hertz. In 1983 he became world champion with the Audi Quattro, becoming the first WRC champion in a four-wheel-drive car and, at 41, the oldest champion in the history of the series. In his later years he also competed with Mazda, Subaru and Toyota. He was inducted into the Rally Hall of Fame in 2011.