Henri Toivonen's name is revered by rally fans the world over. His brief but brilliant career assured his place in rallying history.
Henri Toivonen was a firm favourite among rally fans for his attacking style of driving which left no room for error. The Finn burst onto the international scene and provided some of the World Rally Championship’s most memorable moments before his premature death during the 1986 Tour de Corse.
Henri’s early career saw him competing in a variety of categories. His natural talent and ability to drive anything meant that he was successful in machines as diverse as karts, saloon cars and Formula Vee single-seaters. Despite his obvious aptitude for circuit racing it was rallying that provided the best opportunity for him to demonstrate his flamboyant style.
During the late seventies Henri made sporadic appearances at World Championship rounds but it was on the 1980 Lombard RAC Rally in Britain that he truly came to prominence. Driving an unfancied Talbot he won the event outright, ahead of his more experienced team-mates.
1981 brought a full assault on the World Championship with Talbot but by then the rear wheel drive car was almost obsolete. The powerful four wheel drive Group B cars were beginning to get into their stride. Nevertheless Henri managed to score two second places in the little Talbot and an impressive fifth on the Monte Carlo Rally.
Henri became a member of the Opel team for 1982 but, again, the Ascona 400 he drove was no competition for the Group B machines. During the season he could finish no better than third, which he achieved on the Acropolis and Lombard RAC events. 1982 also saw Henri make a one-off appearance in the British Formula 3 Championship. Demonstrating that he had not lost any of his circuit racing ability he finished a fine tenth on the ultra fast Thruxton circuit.
For 1984 Opel provided Henri with a new car, the Manta 400. Although technically a Group B car it was no match for either Audi or Lancia. A fourth place at San Remo was his best result of the year. Henri also competed in various non-WRC events throughout his career. A high point came when he won the Manx International Rally in what would prove to be the only tarmac win of his career. That year also saw Henri involved in a most unusual situation. While competing in the Milles Piste rally, and leading comfortably, the organisers took the bizarre decision to ban Group B cars from the event immediately, depriving Henri of almost certain victory. Yet again he demonstrated his adaptability when he drove a Porsche 956 in a round of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) at Mugello. Partnering Jonathan Palmer and Derek Bell the trio finished third.
1985 saw Henri joining the Lancia team, initially driving the outdated 037. In a frustrating season Henri also had a four month enforced absence following a crash on the Costa Smeralda event. For the Lombard RAC rally the Delta S4 was finally ready and Henri used the potent machine to score a resounding victory.
Staying at Lancia for 1986 Henri had a new co-driver, Sergio Cresta. The duo won the first WRC round of the year, the Monte Carlo rally. Henri was the seemingly the only driver able to tame the fearsome S4 and another victory followed on the Costa Smeralda. The new partnership was to be short-live, unfortunately. Despite not feeling well Henri still competed in the Tour de Corse. A few kilometres into the seventh stage the S4 plunged off the road and into a ravine. The car landed upside down and caught fire. Both men were trapped and burned to death. Henri left behind a wife and two children, while Sergio Cresta was single. A conclusive explanation for the accident has never been found.
