Rally diving legend Hannu Mikkola died of cancer aged 78 on Saturday. The Finnish driver, who was famously known as the ‘Flying Finn’ won the coveted World Rally Championship in 1983 and Finland’s notoriously unnerving 1000 Lakes Rally seven times.

Born in in May 1942, Mikkola started his career on home country rallies in a series of Volvo cars and got his first win at the Pohjala Ralli in 1966, according to an obituary posted by the World Rally Championship on their website. 

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Although he drove with several manufacturers in the mid 70s, Mikkola made his name in the WRC at Ford. Mikkola’s move to Audi changed his career when he piloted a Quattro to two WRC wins in both 1981 and 1982.

Mikkola’s final win came in Kenya in 1987 following which he moved to Mazda. Mikkola retired from the WRC on a full-time basis in 1991 and continued to compete as a guest driver at a variety of events until 2017. 

Both his sons Vesa Mikkola and Juha Mikkola posted heartful messages on social media following his death.

Vess said, “We lost my father Hannu to cancer this weekend. Most knew him as a rallying great who ushered in the golden years of the sports. To me he was dad – and an incredible one at that.”

Juha said, “Heart warming to see the posts remembering my dad. Most knew Hannu Mikkola as a rally driver; I’ll remember him as an amazing husband to my mom Arja, father to Vesa and me, and grandfather.”