It's impossible to separate Ari Vatanen – a mainstay of the rallying world – from the Peugeot 205 T16. On the 40th anniversary of the 205, we went to meet him and chat about the origin of his driving career and his connection with the T16.
Ari Vatanen was born on 27 April 1952 in Tuupovaara, in the east of Finland. "I lived in a rather isolated place. I didn't have the opportunity to attend car races as a spectator. In 1964, when I was 12 years old, a rally came through our village for the first time. It was the middle of July. This is very important to note. It was the time of the light night in Finland. It is absolutely beautiful. The light is incredibly soft, between night and day. It creates a very special atmosphere: you feel as if time slows down and almost stops.
The first cars were expected around 2am. My whole family went to bed around 10pm, as usual. I went and sat on an embankment and waited for the cars. I didn't want to miss the show. Four hours later, a car finally appeared on the curve. Imagine the incredible sight that was revealed before me! I remember, it was a white car, a Volvo: it came towards me, coming down across, with the dust behind, in that special light of the Finnish summer... I remember the sound of the drum brakes and its red light, I remember the stones rolling under the tyres. I was literally breathless. My 12-year-old body sat on that embankment and my mind went with the car... The rest of the story you know."
For the Finn, a tragic event a few years earlier had cemented this desire to become a driver: a road accident involving the family car in which his father lost his life.
"I said afterwards that I wanted to 'tame cars'. Subconsciously, since that dramatic event, I had only one idea in my head: to master the car. It became like a necessity."
For the Finn, a tragic event a few years earlier had cemented this desire to become a driver: a road accident involving the family car in which his father lost his life.
"I said afterwards that I wanted to 'tame cars'. Subconsciously, since that dramatic event, I had only one idea in my head: to master the car. It became like a necessity."
Another memory, a happier one this time, comes to mind when he mentions the Peugeot brand.
"In my country village, there were a few notables: the teachers, the chief of police, the forest warden, the doctor and the pharmacist whose dispensary had belonged to the same family for decades. The pharmacist had a Peugeot 403. I remember that at the time, owning a Peugeot was a bit out of fashion. So that's the image I had of Peugeot as a child and it was still in the back of my mind when my adventure with Peugeot and the 205 T16 began in 1983."
Without knowing it yet, this adventure with the Peugeot 205 T16 would open his eyes to a whole new world of driving.
"I sincerely believe that very few drivers have had the chance to have such an adventure in their lives, not only as a driver but also as a human being. I feel very privileged to have experienced it and to be here to tell the story."
Without knowing it yet, this adventure with the Peugeot 205 T16 would open his eyes to a whole new world of driving.
"I sincerely believe that very few drivers have had the chance to have such an adventure in their lives, not only as a driver but also as a human being. I feel very privileged to have experienced it and to be here to tell the story."
"When I met Jean Todt to discuss the project with him, I started by asking him this question:
"I heard that you only use French components and that you only employ French people, is that true? He replied: "No Ari, we use everything that can lead us to victory. This first exchange really reassured me."
The link between the Finnish driver and the Peugeot was obvious:
"The Peugeot 205 T16 is a car that fits me like a glove. It could deviate as much as possible with just one little push of the steering wheel, but the front wheels always stayed straight. You could make it skid all the time. What a fantastic car! I remained a real fan of the 205. It was really my car and my team: it was obvious, like a DNA. Nothing else would have been possible. I felt at home with this team and this car. I think if I had joined another team and driven another car, I would have felt like a mercenary. Can you see the difference? It is really essential: my heart was with the Peugeot team and with the 205. It still is."
The link between the Finnish driver and the Peugeot was obvious:
"The Peugeot 205 T16 is a car that fits me like a glove. It could deviate as much as possible with just one little push of the steering wheel, but the front wheels always stayed straight. You could make it skid all the time. What a fantastic car! I remained a real fan of the 205. It was really my car and my team: it was obvious, like a DNA. Nothing else would have been possible. I felt at home with this team and this car. I think if I had joined another team and driven another car, I would have felt like a mercenary. Can you see the difference? It is really essential: my heart was with the Peugeot team and with the 205. It still is."
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