Björn Lars-Olov Waldegård

Björn Lars-Olov Waldegård (12 November 1943 – 29 August 2014) was a Swedish rally driver and the first official World Rally Championship drivers’ champion, winning the title in 1979. He began his career in the 1960s, won the Swedish championship in 1967 and 1968 and gained international recognition with victories on the 1969 and 1970 Monte Carlo Rally in a Porsche 911.

In the WRC he contested 95 events, achieving 16 victories and 35 podiums while competing for manufacturers including Lancia, Ford, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota. His 1979 title campaign was based mainly around the Ford Escort RS1800, although he also scored points with Mercedes-Benz. He was particularly successful in Africa, winning the Safari Rally four times and the Ivory Coast Rally three times. In 1990 he won the Safari again at the age of 46, becoming the oldest WRC event winner, a record he held until 2022. His final World Rally Championship appearance was the 1992 Safari Rally.