| Pentti Airikkala | |
| Birth Date: | 1945 9, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Helsinki, Finland |
| Death Place: | Bray, Berkshire, United Kingdom |
| Nationality: |  Finnish |
| Years: | 1973–90, 2003 |
| Co-Driver: | Heikki Haaksiala John Davenport Risto VirtanenMike Greasley Mike Nicholson  Rodger Freeth Chris PorterPhil Short Juha Piironen Seppo Harjanne Ronan McNamee Brian MurphyNigel Gardner |
| Teams: | Privateer, Vauxhall, Rothmans Ford, Mitsubishi Ralliart, Martini Lancia, Nissan, Q8 Team Ford |
| Races: | 37 |
| Championships: | 0 |
| Wins: | 1 |
| Podiums: | 6 |
| Stagewins: | 147 |
| Points: | 102 |
| First Race: | 1973 1000 Lakes Rally |
| First Win: | 1989 Lombard RAC Rally |
| Last Race: | 2003 Wales Rally GB |
Pentti Airikkala (4 September 1945 – 30 September 2009) was one of the "Flying Finns" who dominated world rallying in the past four decades.[1] His career was more sporadic than many of his contemporaries, and he competed in only three World Rally Championship (WRC) events regularly; the two Scandinavian rallies (the 1000 Lakes and the Swedish Rally) and the RAC Rally in the United Kingdom.
Airikkala was born in Helsinki, Finland.[2] Most of his top flight competitive experience was behind the wheel of various rear wheel drive Vauxhall/Opels like the Chevette HS and Magnum coupé, but his greatest success came in the twilight of his career, when he won the 1989 RAC Rally in a Group A Mitsubishi Galant VR-4.[3] [4] He is still the third oldest driver to win a WRC event.
Altogether he competed in 36 WRC events between 1973 and 1990, and a 37th in 2003, scoring 102 points and achieving a best of 9th overall in the 1981 Drivers' Championship.[5] He also contested the British Rally Championship in the 1970s/80s, becoming British Rally Champion in 1979. Since retiring from full-time international competition he operated a highly successful rally driving school in Oxfordshire teaching left-foot braking, where his roster of pupils included subsequent World Champions Colin McRae and Richard Burns.[6]
Airikkala died at Bray, Berkshire, UK, aged 64. He had been battling illness in recent years and was admitted to hospital shortly before his death after suffering liver problems and a fall.[7]
| Year | Team/Entrant | Car | WRC Round | WDC | Points | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | |||||
| 1973 | Opel Finland | Opel Kadett | MON | SWE | POR | KEN | MAR | GRE | PLD | FIN RET | AUT | ITA | USA | GBR | FRA | N/A | N/A | |||||||
| 1974 | Dealer Team Vauxhall | Vauxhall Magnum Coupé | POR | KEN | FIN 16 | ITA | CAN | USA | N/A | N/A | ||||||||||||||
| Center Hotels/ Clarke & Simpson | Ford Escort RS1600 | GBR RET | FRA | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1975 | Dealer Team Vauxhall | Vauxhall Magnum Coupé | MON | SWE | KEN | GRE | MAR | POR | FIN RET | ITA | GBR 20 | FRA | N/A | N/A | ||||||||||
| 1976 | Privateer | Ford Escort RS1600 | MON | SWE | POR | KEN | GRE | MAR | FIN 2 | ITA | FRA | N/A | N/A | |||||||||||
| Team Avon Tyres | GBR RET | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1977 | Toyota Team Europe | Toyota Celica | MON | FIN | SWE RET | POR | KEN | NZL | GRE | ITA | SA | PLD | – | 0* | ||||||||||
| Dealer Team Vauxhall | Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HSR | FIN RET | ITA | CAN | FRA | ITA | AUS | ESP | FRA | GBR 16 | CIV | |||||||||||||
| 1978 | Dealer Team Vauxhall | Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HSR | MON | FIN | SWE RET | KEN | POR | GRE | SCO 2 | PLD | FIN 3 | NZL | CAN | FRA | ITA | ITA | AUS | ESP | CIV | FRA | GBR RET | 10th | 10* | |
| 1979 | Dealer Team Vauxhall | Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HSR | MON | SWE 3 | POR | KEN | GRE | NZL RET | FIN RET | CAN | ITA | FRA | GBR 7 | CIV | 15th | 16 | ||||||||
| 1980 | Dealer Team Vauxhall | Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HSR | MON | SWE 6 | POR | KEN | GRE | ARG | FIN RET | GBR RET | CIV | 36th | 6 | |||||||||||
| Masport | Ford Escort RS2000 | NZL RET | ITA | FRA | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1981 | Rothman's Rally Team | Ford Escort RS1800 | MON | SWE 3 | POR | KEN | FRA | GRE | ARG | BRA | FIN 5 | ITA | CIV | GBR 4 | 9th | 30 | ||||||||
| 1982 | Team Ralliart | Mitsubishi Lancer Turbo | MON | SWE | POR | KEN | FRA | GRE | NZL | BRA | FIN 3 | ITA | CIV | GBR RET | 15th | 12 | ||||||||
| 1983 | Martini Racing | Lancia Rallye 037 | MON | SWE | POR | KEN | FRA | GRE | NZL | FIN 5 | ITA | CIV | GBR | 21st | 8 | |||||||||
| 1984 | Team Nissan Europe | Nissan 240RS | MON | SWE | POR | KEN | FRA | GRE | NZL | ARG | FIN RET | ITA | CIV | GBR | – | 0 | ||||||||
| 1985 | British Telecom Mobile Phone | Vauxhall Astra GTE | MON | SWE | POR | KEN | FRA | GRE | NZL | ARG | FIN | ITA | CIV | GBR RET | – | 0 | ||||||||
| 1986 | British Telecom Mobile Phone | Vauxhall Astra GTE | MON | SWE | POR | KEN | FRA | GRE | NZL | ARG | FIN | CIV | ITA | GBR 16 | USA | – | 0 | |||||||
| 1987 | GM Dealersport | Opel Kadett GSi | MON | SWE | POR | KEN | FRA | GRE | USA | NZL | ARG | FIN | CIV | ITA | GBR RET | – | 0 | |||||||
| 1988 | Safety Devices | Lancia Delta Integrale | MON | SWE | POR | KEN | FRA | GRE | USA | NZL | ARG | FIN | CIV | ITA | GBR 4 | 30th | 10 | |||||||
| 1989 | Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe | Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 | SWE | MON | POR | KEN | FRA | GRE | NZL | ARG | FIN | AUS | CIV | ITA | GBR 1 | 14th | 20 | |||||||
| 1990 | Q8 Team Ford | Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4 | MON | POR | KEN | FRA | GRE | NZL | ARG | FIN RET | AUS | ITA 11 | CIV | GBR RET | – | 0 | ||||||||
| 2003 | Fairfield Motorsport | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI | MON | SWE | TUR | NZL | ARG | GRE | CYP | GER | FIN | AUS | ITA | FRA | GBR RET | – | 0 | |||||||