Jari-Matti Latvala
Finland (FIN) |
CAREER
PROFILE2002: Started rallying with Mitsubishi, Finished
17th in Rally Great Britain on his WRC debut
2003: Drives Toyota, Ford and Subaru 2004: Drives Ford, Subaru, Toyota and Suzuki 2005: Drives Toyota and Subaru
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| Date of Birth: 3/4/1985 at Töysä Marital status: Hobbies: World Drivers' Champion: |
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a very small child, Jari-Matti Latvala watched his father Jari competing
at numerous rallies and later shared his family´s joy when his father won
the Group N Finnish championship driving a Mitsubishi Lancer in 1994. He
began his motorsport career in rallysprint in 2001 at the age of just 16.
He competed in the junior class and was able to take many class wins.
In 2002 he was too young to compete in the national series rallies in his native Finland and he made his rallying debut in Great Britain. He was run with the help of Finnish legend, Pentti Airikkala giving him tuition and advice. His first ever event was the International Scottish Rally in June and in Rally Great Britain he finished 17th with Mitsubishi on his WRC debut. He was caught the eye of Ford team boss Malcolm Wilson and when the season 2003 started Ford´s works team M-Sport announced that 17-year-old Finn will contest four rounds of the World Rally Championship behind the wheel of a newest specification Ford Focus WRC. Besides that he contested the British Rally Championship series and the Italian Subaru Cup events. Latvala contested one rally in an Focus, leading the British Championship Pirelli Rally before temporarily leaving the road and in Greece, at the age of 18-year-old, he became the youngest driver ever to pilot an official manufacturer-entered car on a world rally. He was the sensation of the rally finishing in the top ten on only his second ever outing in the WRC event. He finished fourth in the British Championship, after winning one rally in a Ford Focus RS WRC. He also finished 10th in Rally Great Britain. In 2004 he was expected to lead Ford’s assault on the Junior World Championship, but failed to score points on either of the first three rounds. This wwa his first attempt at the JWRC and his first events in a front-wheel-drive car. An array of mechanical problems on the Fiesta’s first two rallies suggests that more development was required. He started the season with the old Puma, but in Greece the new Fiesta was ready. His first two outings in the Fiesta in Greece and Turkey ended unhappily as a damaged water feeder pipe starved the engine and caused overheating. For the Rally Finland his manager Timo Jouhki desided to change the car and he contested the event with the Suxuki Ignis. He contested also selected WRC- events with the Group N Subaru and some Finnish rallies with the World Rally Car. He has three main hopes and ambitions: to become a professional world rally driver and compete in a full rally programme as part of a factory team. Then it is to win a rally and be on the podium and one day to be a world champion. Latvala is widely regarded as a star of the future. He is one of the most promising talent in rallying. |
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