1986 WRC

[Elford68]

* Teams' Presentation:

1. Peugeot Talbot Sport:

- Timo Salonen (34) was the defending Champion and, obviously, the big favourite to win the WRC in 1986. In 1985, he proved he was a fast and reliable driver, showing that his lack of consistent results before switching to Peugeot was due to the unreliable Nissan.

- Juha Kankkunen (26) replaced an injured Ari Vatanen at the Peugeot team. After two years with small programs in Toyota and a magical win at his first attempt in the Safari Rally of 1985, Kankkunen was looked as the new big promise of the Rallying world. Fast and consistent, although his young age; he proved during the season his abilities.

- Bruno Saby (36) had several years of experience in French and World roads. Very fast at tarmac, he had an important shape in the developement of the Peugeot 205 Group B nad will have a small program for 1986.

- Michèle Mouton (34) was the fastest lady in the Racing World in those times. After a long career devoted to Audi, with whom he fought for the WRC title in 1982, Mouton signed for Peugeot. His main program was the West Germany Rally Championship, but he also drove at Monte Carlo and Corsica for the works team.

- Shekhar Mehta (40) was a specialist of the African roads. Winner of 5 Safari Rallies, Mehta only raced the Safari with Peugeot. He was also linked to Peugeot for Cross-Country races.

- Stig Blomqvist (39) was signed to Ford but raced at 1000 Lakes and Argentina with Peugeot, after Ford's withdrawn from these rounds.

- Andrea Zanussi (24) was an young Italian promise that raced the SanRemo Rally for the Peugeot works team.

- Mikael Sundström (28) was a Finnish racer, who spent his career between Finland and UK, so Peugeot put him in the 3rd car in the RAC rally, in order to have more Manufacturers' points possibilities.

- Ari Vatanen (33) was recovering from the horrendous crash in Argentina the previous year. His recovery was slow, not only because he had several physical injuries but also a deep depression, with fear of being contaminated with AIDS after the blood transfusions he recieved immediatly after the crash. He returned at Sanremo with the Peugeot 0 car, but hadn't considered himself ready to return and instead kept preparing the 1987 Dakar.



2. Martini Lancia:

- Markku Alén (34), the great uncrowned champion, was the Lancia teamleader again. With the pouwerful and fast Lancia DElta S4, Alén really hoped he could win the title in 1986, after a disappointing 1985 season, mostly spent in the developement of this car.

- Miki Biasion (27), the great latin promise in the Rally scene; having been 1983 European Rally Champion and after two good seasons with a Jolly Club's Lancia in WRC, Biasion get a deserved seat with the works team.

- Henri Toivonen (29) was the pure Flying Finn. With a fiery driving style, astoundingly fast, a Gilles Villeneuve from the Rallies, he was really a great driver, although he had some big accidents who prevented him to achieve better results before. But he was really strong in the beginning of 1986, after a 1985 season marked by a big crash that could have left him paralysed. Sadly Toivonen died at Tour de Corsica when he went off the road and the fuel tank exploded with the impact, killing Toivonen and his co-driver, Sergio Cresto.

- Mikael Ericsson (25) had the hard task of replacing Toivonen after Corsica. Linked to Audi Sweden, he had done some good races in Sweden and UK the years before that make him the indicated man to do replaced the great Toivonen.

- Greg Criticos (?) was a Kenyan driver bought to Lancia to do the Safari.

- Vic Preston Jr. (35) was another Safari specialist. Linked to Lancia since 1984, he was the biggest weapon of the team to win the Safari.

- Jorge Recalde (34) raced only in Argentina, his home country. A well-known racer in the South American scene, Recalde had some palmares in the Argentina and Africa Rallies in the WRC.

- Kalle Grundel (37) was an experienced rider in the Scandinavia and Britain routes, "borrowed" by Ford to Lancia at 1000 Lakes, after the withdraw of the Ford team in this round.

- Dario Cerrato (34) raced the SanRemo to help the team in the Drivers' and Manufacturers' Championship. ERC defending Champion, Italian specialist; he was the perfect man to help the team in this round.



3. Audi Sport:

- Hannu Mikkola (43) was one of the biggest drivers ever in WRC history. WRC 1983 Champion, he came from an hard 1985 year with the team and was one of the favourites to win the title.

- Walter Röhrl (38) had also an wonderful palmares, with 2 WRC titles. Akso a favourite, he had a slightly better year than Mikkola in 1985 with the fast but hard and unreliable Audi Sport Quattro.



4. Austin Rover WCT:

- Tony Pond (40) was one of the best British drivers in the late 70's - mid 80's. He also had WRC experience, that made him the natural leader of the MG team.

- Malcom Wilson (29) had the same cractherictics of Pond, but with less experience. He was a fast racer, but crashed a lot.

- Per Eklund (39) was racing mainly in Scandinavia and UK and was bought by Austin Tover to race at Sweden, 1000 Lakes and RAC. Formed at SAAB School in the late 60's - 70's, he was one of the best snow specialist those times.

- Marc Duez (38) spent his career between Touring Car Races and Rally Races, mainly at the European and Belgium Championships. His tarmac experience made him one of the Austin Rover drivers.

- Didier Auriol (27) was a French rally promise. Unknown in the WRC and ERC scene, he raced for MG in French Championship (he won at the end of the year) and his experience at French routes gave him the 3rd Austin River car in Corsica.

- Harri Toivonen (25) was the younger brother of Henri Toivonen. Although he wasn't so fast, he was also a great promise. He was doing the BRC and was bought by MG to do the 1000 Lakes and RAC Rally.

- Jimmy McRae (42) was a BRC specialist, with 3 titles and, obviously, the perfect man to help Austin Rover in the RAC.

- David Llewellin (25) was, in opposition to Jimmy McRae, the great BRC promise in the 80's. The Welsh had this opportunity, the 1st attempt at the WRC with an works team.



5. Citroën:

- Jean-Claude Andruet (43) was the best Freench rider those times. Although he spent the last years between the French and European Rally Championships, he had several WRC experience from teh Alpine times. Linked to Citroën, he was the main person behind Citroën developement and WRC team. Sadly, he wasn't so fast as in his glory times.

- Philippe Wambergue (37) was also linked to Citroën since the early 80's, racing mainly in te French Rally Championship. He is know well-known by his performances at Cross-Country Races with Peugeot and Citroën.

- Maurice Chomat (32) was another experienced in French driver and linked to Citroën in the national racing scene. He was also the pioneer of the Citroën WRC team in 1983.




6. Ford Motor Co.:

- Stig Blomqvist (39) changed from Audi (from whom he was 84 WRC Winner) to Ford. The car was promising and fast, but unreliable; and Ford withdrew from some rounds. Blomqvist was told he could race with other team and was the 3rd Peugeot driver in Argentina and 1000 Lakes.

- Kalle Grundel (37) came from Peugeot. As I had said, he was an experienced rider, very fast but inconsistent. In 1000 Lakes he was, as Blomqvist, set free with the withdrawl of Ford and raced for Lancia.

- Mark Lovell (25) was a great British promise, caming from British Junior Rally Team (heLped by Ford UK). His good campaign at the BRC made him deserve a seat in the Works team for the RAC.

- Stig Andervang (36) was an experienced Swedish rider, linked to Ford Sweden and won his place in the Works team after being Dutch Rally Chamion with a Ford RS2000.



7. Toyota Team Europe:

- Björn Waldegaard (42) was one of the greatest riders in the Rally scene ever. 1979 Champion, he could have one more titles if the WRC had been founded before. in the mid - 80's, he signed for Toyota and specializes himself in the African rounds.

- Lars-Erik Torph (24) was one of the greatest unfulfilled promises in the WRC scene ever. Linked to Opel in the Swedish and British rally scene, he signed his 1st big contract for the african races with Toyota.

- Erwin Weber (36) was the second best German rider in the 80's. Linked to Opel, he raced for the 1st time in WRC at Safari's 1985, being 5th. His abilities in Africa made him the 3rd Toyota driver.

- Rod Millen (34) had several experiences in North America and British Rallies, that made him the perfect man for the 3rd Toyota at Olympus Rally. He was also an hillclimb specialist, winning several times Pikes Peak.