Co-driver Carl Williamson.
Car was flawless. I started slowly. On the first day engine stopped few times due to my error. In the morning on second day I was tired and I didn´t do very well. But afternoon was better. On third day I attacked and I rose from 11th position one step up in overall. I made history again.
10th overall
Ford Focus WRC -02
Service Team M-Sport
Rally engineer Esko Reiners
Co-driver Carl Williamson.
My self confidence was lost on first three stages. After that it started to go better. After first leg I was 3rd On Sunday best placing was 2nd but then on stage 12 steering arm twisted and I dropped to third place in Subaru Cup.
18th overall, 3rd Subaru Cup
Car: Subaru WRX, four-wheel drive, group N.
Service team: Motoring Club
Engineer: Esko Reiners
Co-driver Carl Williamson.
First five special stages went well, I made only small mistakes. On special stage six we hit a bank, consequence was that left rear shock absorber broke. Because of service prohibition we had to drive next two stages very carefully. I lost all my chances to win. Service personnel made excellent work and car was again in good condition. Nevertheless we drove last four stages steadily and we kept the second place.
9th overall, 2nd in Subaru cup
Car: Subaru WRX, four-wheel drive, group N.
Service team: Motoring Club
Engineer: Esko Reiners
Co-driver Carl Williamson.
Rally began splendidly and I led the rally after three special stages. On SS5 it started to happen, it was very foggy and I drove to ditch. Fortunately I managed to get out off the ditch without any bigger damages, so we continued. I caught the car before me and mud flew and covered our headlights so badly that we had to stop for a while. I lost eight minutes on that stage and our position dropped from 1st to 20th On Saturday I drove steadily among three fastest driver and we moved upward to 10th overall.
Motorsport News: “With visibility down to less than five metres, drivers had no option but to tiptoe their way through SS3, a 12-mile run through Harwood Forest, with young Finn Jari-Matti Latvala (Ford Focus WRC) quickest by nine seconds.”
10th overall, 5th in group A
Car: Ford Focus WRC-01.
Service team: M-Sport Ltd.
Engineer: Esko Reiners
Co-driver Carl Williamson.
Roads were very challenging, but nice to drive. It rained in the morning, but sun started to shine during the day and soon roads were dry. There were a lot of stones on road banks so we had to be cautious. I started in peacefull mind, keeping an eye on goings and making better times. I tried to narrow the deficit to leader of Subaru Cup, but I tried too hard and we spun. We lost our chances to win and drove sensibly to finish.
Paper: Corriere Dello Sport L’anno scorso ha vinto un altro veneto, Demitri Brunello, e c’è stata anche la rivelazione di un giovane pilota finlandese, Mikko Hirvonen, che grazie aa questa esperienza ha potuto spiccare il volo verso il campionato mondiale dove corre ora con una Ford. Lo schema si ripropone quest’anno. C’è un pilota italiano d’esperienza che punta al titolo. E’ il lombardo Guido Acerbis, che a Radicofani s’è piazzato quinto assoluto, e c’è un giovanissimo finlandese, il diciottenne Jari-Matti Latvala, che punta a far esperienza e spettacolo! In questo monomarca per poi seguire le orme di Hirvonen e degli altra “flying finn”.
6th overall, 2nd in Subaru Cup
Car: Subaru WRX, four-wheel drive, group N.
Service team: Motoring Club.
Engineer: Esko Reiners
Co-driver Carl Williamson.
Morning was frosty. Roads were at the beginning hard and slippery for summer tyres. On stage three, I nearly turned the car over. I set fastest times on all other nine stages and I won the rally by two minutes.
Motorsport News: “The young Finn entered the event to gain further experience of WRC cars and, with the Ford Focus he will use to contest the BRC still not finished, hired a Toyota Corolla WRC for the rally. He set fastest time on all but one of the event’s ten stages and two half spins were the only blots on his copybook.”
1st overall, Class 1st
Toyota Corolla WRC 98, group A.
Service team JM Engineering.
Rally engineer Esko Reiners
Co-driver Miikka Anttila.
My first rally in WRC car and ice-stud tyres. Car worked fine and I didn´t do any big mistakes. My reaction time in the start was not good and I spun in last special stage.
“Pohjalainen” newspaper: “Latvala´s driving was convincing. On friday´s first stage young lad from Töysä set the fastest time by 1,7 seconds and when this stage was driven for second time deficit to second was seven seconds. On saturday´s stages Finnish youngster humiliated his rivals on every stage. Final difference to second place was almost two minutes.”
1st overall, Class A6 1st
Toyota Corolla WRC 98, group A as rally car.
Service team JM Engineering.
Rally engineer Esko Reiners
Co-driver Carl Williamson.
“Aamulehti” newspaper: “The youngest Finnish sixth former of all times who has participated to world championship rally goes through morning´s special stages so enthusiastic that he doesn´t have time to eat his lunch. Roads are awfully slippery. Sometimes there is grip, but when I try to increase speed, problems turn up and I am near to go off the road. It is difficult to drive, when I don´t know where I can drive fast and when not, explains Latvala. Young man seemes simply eager, but admits that maybe also tension affects to his driving. First world championship rally is really something special for a rally driver. One puncture, 2 broken drive shafts, a few needless spins and on second last stage troubles with gear changer. Yet 17th in this thrilling rally. (yes !).”
“Aamulehti” newspaper: “According to Airikkala, Latvala has excellent contact for driving, but he has yet a lot to learn. Young man has intensive and versatile timetable for next year.”
17th overall, Class A8 17th
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6,5 four-wheel drive, group A as rally car.
Service team Fairfield Motorsport.
Motor sport coach Pentti Airikkala.
Co-driver Carl Williamson.
Gasket burned from exhaust pipe and darkness caught us (we didn´t get extra lights in time). Regardless first and second place to Finland; Mikko Hirvonen 1st and me 2nd.
Motorsport News: “With Burton hitting trouble, Latvala was on hand to capitalise and claim second overall by a margin of four seconds. We had to keep an eye on the temperature gauge because we had to drill a hole in the front of the bonnet to fit the light pod and it seemed to upset the airflow into the engine and radiator,” said the rising Finnish star. “But apart from that, everything went quite well.”
2nd overall, Class B13 2nd
Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6,5 four-wheel drive, group A as rally car.
Service team Fairfield Motorsport.
Motor sport coach Pentti Airikkala.
Co-driver Carl Williamson.
On previous day car broke in international rally but the car was fixed during the night. Ten special stages. I led the rally whole time and I won with almost three minutes. I even set fastest time on one stage included international contest, even I drove 100 numbers behind.
Motorsport news: “A 17-yaers-old Finn, Jari-Matti Latvala, got his international career off to a sensational start on the Tempest Clubman’s Stages. Under the watchful eye of Pentti Airikkala, Latvala won the event by an incredible 2 min 43.1 sec over a distance of 42 stage miles.”
1st overall, Class 5 1st.
Mitsubishi Lancer EVO6,5 group N, four-wheel drive.
Service team Fairfield Motorsport.
Motor sport coach Pentti Airikkala.