Markko Märtin
Encyclopedia
Markko Märtin is a rally
driver from Estonia
, who competed in the World Rally Championship
from 2000 until 2005.
Märtin, as understudy to then-team mates Colin McRae
and Carlos Sainz
, shot to prominence with the Ford World Rally Team in the 2002 season. He was on target to notch up a victory on that year's Acropolis Rally Greece
, his career first, until suffering two punctures and instead being forced to concede to the more experienced McRae. Nonetheless, Märtin still impressed during his time as pilot of the Ford Focus WRC
. He won the equivalent event in Greece the following year as well as being only the third driver in the history of the WRC to break the Scandinavia
n stranglehold on the Neste Rally Finland. In addition to this, Märtin was inaugural winner, again with Ford, of the Corona Rally Mexico in the 2004 season. He also won the tarmac rallies of Corsica
and Catalunya
in the same year. These victories happened to be the last for the Märtin/Michael Park
partnership.
For 2005 Märtin departed the team for former constructors' champion Peugeot
and its 307
car. Sadly, in comparison to the heights of previous seasons, initial promise was to give way to grief. Although 2005 was by no means an exemplary season by Märtin's standards, he and co-driver
Park had still notched up four podium finishes for their new employers by the time they had arrived in Wales
to contest the Wales Rally Great Britain.
However, on Sunday, September 18, 2005, the final leg
of the event, two kilometres from the start of Stage 15 at Margam Park, Märtin's Peugeot crashed heavily into a tree. Although the Estonian driver was left unhurt by the shunt, co-driver Michael Park
was immediately killed in the accident, the first fatality for a competitor at WRC-level for over a decade. As a result, Märtin announced that he would pull out of the last four events of the 2005 season.
Understandably shaken by the death of Park, Märtin effectively left the WRC stage. He went on to manage a junior rallying team in the Estonian rally scene, indicating that he would likely refuse any offers to drive at the top level again. He has since spoken out against the FIA's treatment of the WRC, claiming that the series had lost much of its lustre and calling for a far-reaching rules overhaul.
However, Märtin made a limited return to competitive rallying in March 2006 at the 2006 Rally of Portugal. The invitational event was held as a candidate for full WRC status. Märtin competed in a Subaru Impreza
, his first outing in an FIA-spec Group N
car in nearly a decade. He was co-driven by David Senior, who formerly worked with Alister McRae
. Märtin also partook in the 2006 Danish Touring Car Championship
with Hans Hartmann's Honda Racing.
Märtin signed a deal to become the official test driver for the Subaru World Rally Team
in 2008. He has since test-driven for Ford and Mini.
for the 2010 WRC season. On 7 June 2010, it was announced that Markko Märtin would race in Rally Estonia, which took place on July 16–18, 2010 and which was also a IRC candidate event. Märtin drove a Ford Focus WRC 03, which he referred to as "the best rally car in the world."
Märtin won all 12 stages, second place, Ott Tänak
lost 2.50,3.
Together with his father Markko runs a haulage company in Estonia. He also bought a car dealership and has started selling Subarus.
with Miss Model Estonia 2004 Mari-Liis Sallo and they welcomed their first child together in summer 2007.
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
driver from Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, who competed in the World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
from 2000 until 2005.
Career
Colin McRae
Colin Steele McRae, MBE was a Scottish rally driver born in Lanark.The son of five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae and brother of rally driver Alister McRae, Colin McRae was the 1991 and 1992 British Rally Champion and, in 1995, became the first British person and the youngest to win the...
and Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz Cenamor is a Spanish rally driver. He won the World Rally Championship drivers' title with Toyota in 1990 and 1992, and finished runner-up four times...
, shot to prominence with the Ford World Rally Team in the 2002 season. He was on target to notch up a victory on that year's Acropolis Rally Greece
Acropolis Rally Greece
The Acropolis Rally of Greece |Rally]] of Greece) is a rally competition, part of the World Rally Championship schedule. The rally is held on very dusty, rough and rocky mountain roads around Athens during the Greek hot summer period. The rally is known for being extremely tough on the competing...
, his career first, until suffering two punctures and instead being forced to concede to the more experienced McRae. Nonetheless, Märtin still impressed during his time as pilot of the Ford Focus WRC
Ford Focus WRC
The Ford Focus RS WRC is a car built for the Ford World Rally Team by Ford and M-Sport and based on the Ford Focus Climate 2-litre production hatchback, developed to compete in the World Rally Championship. The RS stands for Rallye Sport and the WRC for World Rally Car, the car's FIA specification...
. He won the equivalent event in Greece the following year as well as being only the third driver in the history of the WRC to break the Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n stranglehold on the Neste Rally Finland. In addition to this, Märtin was inaugural winner, again with Ford, of the Corona Rally Mexico in the 2004 season. He also won the tarmac rallies of Corsica
Tour de Corse
The Tour de Corse - Rallye de France is a rally first held in 1956 on the island of Corsica. It was part of the World Rally Championship from the inaugural 1973 season to 2008. The name "Tour de Corse" refers to the fact that in the early days it was run around the island; nowadays it only features...
and Catalunya
Rally Catalunya
The Rally Catalunya is a rally competition on the World Rally Championship schedule. Now held on the wide, smooth and sweeping asphalt roads around the town of Salou, Catalonia, Spain, it was previously held around the region of Costa Brava...
in the same year. These victories happened to be the last for the Märtin/Michael Park
Michael Park (co-driver)
Michael Park was a rally co-driver from Newent in Gloucestershire.One of the top co-drivers of his generation, Park died as a result of injuries sustained in an accident on the final leg of Wales Rally Great Britain when his Peugeot 307 WRC left the road and struck a tree...
partnership.
For 2005 Märtin departed the team for former constructors' champion Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
and its 307
Peugeot 307
The Peugeot 307 is a small family car produced by the French Peugeot manufacturer since 2001. It was awarded the European Car of the Year title for 2002, and continues to be offered in China and certain South American markets through 2009 despite the French launch of the 308 in September...
car. Sadly, in comparison to the heights of previous seasons, initial promise was to give way to grief. Although 2005 was by no means an exemplary season by Märtin's standards, he and co-driver
Co-driver
Co-driver is the term given to the navigator of rally car in the sport of rally racing, who sits in the front passenger seat. The co-driver's job is to navigate, by reading off a set of pacenotes to the driver, often over a radio headset, due to the high level of noise in the car...
Park had still notched up four podium finishes for their new employers by the time they had arrived in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
to contest the Wales Rally Great Britain.
However, on Sunday, September 18, 2005, the final leg
Leg (rallying)
In rallying, a leg is each day of the whole event. For example, as of 2005 each WRC event lasts over 3 legs - from Friday over Saturday to Sunday ....
of the event, two kilometres from the start of Stage 15 at Margam Park, Märtin's Peugeot crashed heavily into a tree. Although the Estonian driver was left unhurt by the shunt, co-driver Michael Park
Michael Park (co-driver)
Michael Park was a rally co-driver from Newent in Gloucestershire.One of the top co-drivers of his generation, Park died as a result of injuries sustained in an accident on the final leg of Wales Rally Great Britain when his Peugeot 307 WRC left the road and struck a tree...
was immediately killed in the accident, the first fatality for a competitor at WRC-level for over a decade. As a result, Märtin announced that he would pull out of the last four events of the 2005 season.
Understandably shaken by the death of Park, Märtin effectively left the WRC stage. He went on to manage a junior rallying team in the Estonian rally scene, indicating that he would likely refuse any offers to drive at the top level again. He has since spoken out against the FIA's treatment of the WRC, claiming that the series had lost much of its lustre and calling for a far-reaching rules overhaul.
However, Märtin made a limited return to competitive rallying in March 2006 at the 2006 Rally of Portugal. The invitational event was held as a candidate for full WRC status. Märtin competed in a Subaru Impreza
Subaru Impreza
Introduced in November 1993, the Impreza was offered in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive versions and as a four-door sedan/saloon or five-door station wagon/estate. According to a Motor Trend article written March 1992 on page 26, the name of Subaru's new compact was, initially, to be...
, his first outing in an FIA-spec Group N
Group N
In relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group N refers to a set of regulations providing 'standard' production vehicles for competition, often referred to as the "Showroom Class"....
car in nearly a decade. He was co-driven by David Senior, who formerly worked with Alister McRae
Alister McRae
Alister McRae is a Scottish rally driver, who competed in the World Rally Championship. He is the son of the five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae and the younger brother of the late 1995 World Rally Champion, Colin McRae...
. Märtin also partook in the 2006 Danish Touring Car Championship
Danish Touring Car Championship
The Danish Touringcar Championship was a touring car racing series in Denmark. The inaugural year for the DTC was 1999, after the huge success in Scandinavia of the British Touring Car Championship. For the first two years it was known as the Danish Touring Car Challenge...
with Hans Hartmann's Honda Racing.
Märtin signed a deal to become the official test driver for the Subaru World Rally Team
Subaru World Rally Team
The Subaru World Rally Team was Subaru's World Rally Championship team. It used a distinctive blue with yellow color scheme that is a throwback to the sponsorship deal with State Express 555, a BAT cigarette brand popular in Asia. 555 logos were found on Subaru cars from 1993 to 2003...
in 2008. He has since test-driven for Ford and Mini.
Life after WRC
In 2009 Markko was hired by Ford to work as a R&D factory driver. He helped to train WRC rookie Ken BlockKen Block
Ken Block is a songwriter, guitarist and lead singer of the rock band Sister Hazel. Ken plays acoustic guitar. He also helped produce the band's first CD in 1994. His debut solo effort Drift was released on December 9, 2008....
for the 2010 WRC season. On 7 June 2010, it was announced that Markko Märtin would race in Rally Estonia, which took place on July 16–18, 2010 and which was also a IRC candidate event. Märtin drove a Ford Focus WRC 03, which he referred to as "the best rally car in the world."
Märtin won all 12 stages, second place, Ott Tänak
Ott Tänak
Ott Tänak is an Estonian rally driver.-Career:Tänak won the Estonian Rally Championship in 2008 and 2009, driving for the team run by former world rally winner Markko Märtin. Tänak made his World Rally Championship debut on the 2009 Rally de Portugal, finishing 20th overall...
lost 2.50,3.
Together with his father Markko runs a haulage company in Estonia. He also bought a car dealership and has started selling Subarus.
Personal life
Markko lives in MonacoMonaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
with Miss Model Estonia 2004 Mari-Liis Sallo and they welcomed their first child together in summer 2007.
WRC career results
- 1997 – NC – 0 points – Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
- 1999 – 18th – 2 points – best finish 5th – Ford Escort WRC, Toyota Corolla WRC
- 2000 – 21st – 1 point – best finish 6th – Toyota Corolla WRC, Subaru Impreza WRC
- 2001 – 19th – 3 points – best finish 5th – Subaru Impreza WRC
- 2002 – 9th – 20 points – best finish 2nd – Ford Focus WRC 02
- 2003 – 5th – 49 points – 2 rally wins – Ford Focus WRC 03
- 2004 – 3rd – 79 points – 3 rally wins – Ford Focus WRC 04
- 2005 – 5th – 53 points – best finish 2nd – Peugeot 307 WRC (season unfinished)
Complete World Rally Championship results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Markko Märtin | Toyota Celica GT-Four (ST185) | MON |
SWE |
KEN |
POR |
ESP |
FRA |
ARG |
GRC |
NZL |
FIN Ret |
IDN |
ITA |
AUS |
GBR |
NC | 0 | ||
| 1998 | Markko Märtin | Toyota Celica GT-Four (ST205) | MON |
SWE |
KEN |
POR Ret |
ESP |
FRA |
ARG |
GRC |
NZL |
FIN 12 |
ITA 9 |
AUS |
GBR Ret |
' | 0 | |||
| 1999 | Markko Märtin | Ford Escort WRC | MON |
SWE 8 |
KEN |
POR Ret |
18th | 2 | ||||||||||||
| Toyota Corolla WRC AE111 | ESP |
FRA |
ARG |
GRC 5 |
NZL |
FIN Ret |
CHN |
ITA Ret |
AUS |
GBR 8 |
||||||||||
| 2000 | Lukoil EOS Rally Team | Toyota Corolla WRC AE111 | MON |
SWE 9 |
KEN |
POR 7 |
ESP 10 |
ARG |
GRC Ret |
NZL |
FIN 10 |
CYP 6 |
FRA |
ITA Ret |
GBR 7 |
21st | 1 | |||
| Subaru World Rally Team Subaru World Rally Team The Subaru World Rally Team was Subaru's World Rally Championship team. It used a distinctive blue with yellow color scheme that is a throwback to the sponsorship deal with State Express 555, a BAT cigarette brand popular in Asia. 555 logos were found on Subaru cars from 1993 to 2003... |
Subaru Impreza WRC 22B | AUS Ret |
||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Subaru World Rally Team Subaru World Rally Team The Subaru World Rally Team was Subaru's World Rally Championship team. It used a distinctive blue with yellow color scheme that is a throwback to the sponsorship deal with State Express 555, a BAT cigarette brand popular in Asia. 555 logos were found on Subaru cars from 1993 to 2003... |
Subaru Impreza WRC2001 | MON Ret |
SWE 12 |
POR Ret |
ESP Ret |
ARG |
CYP |
GRC Ret |
KEN |
FIN 5 |
NZL |
ITA Ret |
FRA 6 |
AUS |
GBR Ret |
19th | 3 | ||
| 2002 | Ford Motor Co BP Ford World Rally Team The Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, also known as the Ford Motor Co. Team prior to 2005, is Ford Motor Company's full factory World Rally Championship team. In its current form, it has been a competitor since the 1997 season, when Ford Motor Company's motorsport arm selected the Malcolm Wilson... |
Ford Focus RS WRC 02 Ford Focus WRC The Ford Focus RS WRC is a car built for the Ford World Rally Team by Ford and M-Sport and based on the Ford Focus Climate 2-litre production hatchback, developed to compete in the World Rally Championship. The RS stands for Rallye Sport and the WRC for World Rally Car, the car's FIA specification... |
MON 12 |
SWE |
FRA 8 |
ESP 8 |
CYP 8 |
ARG 4 |
GRC 6 |
KEN 4 |
FIN 5 |
GER 6 |
ITA 5 |
NZL Ret |
AUS 5 |
GBR 2 |
9th | 20 | ||
| 2003 | Ford Motor Co BP Ford World Rally Team The Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, also known as the Ford Motor Co. Team prior to 2005, is Ford Motor Company's full factory World Rally Championship team. In its current form, it has been a competitor since the 1997 season, when Ford Motor Company's motorsport arm selected the Malcolm Wilson... |
Ford Focus RS WRC 02 Ford Focus WRC The Ford Focus RS WRC is a car built for the Ford World Rally Team by Ford and M-Sport and based on the Ford Focus Climate 2-litre production hatchback, developed to compete in the World Rally Championship. The RS stands for Rallye Sport and the WRC for World Rally Car, the car's FIA specification... |
MON 4 |
SWE 4 |
TUR 6 |
5th | 49 | |||||||||||||
| Ford Focus RS WRC 03 Ford Focus WRC The Ford Focus RS WRC is a car built for the Ford World Rally Team by Ford and M-Sport and based on the Ford Focus Climate 2-litre production hatchback, developed to compete in the World Rally Championship. The RS stands for Rallye Sport and the WRC for World Rally Car, the car's FIA specification... |
NZL Ret |
ARG Ret |
GRC 1 |
CYP Ret |
GER 5 |
FIN 1 |
AUS DSQ |
ITA 3 |
FRA Ret |
ESP 3 |
GBR Ret |
|||||||||
| 2004 | Ford Motor Co BP Ford World Rally Team The Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, also known as the Ford Motor Co. Team prior to 2005, is Ford Motor Company's full factory World Rally Championship team. In its current form, it has been a competitor since the 1997 season, when Ford Motor Company's motorsport arm selected the Malcolm Wilson... |
Ford Focus RS WRC 04 | MON 2 |
SWE 7 |
MEX 1 |
NZL 3 |
CYP 2 |
GRC Ret |
TUR Ret |
ARG Ret |
FIN 2 |
GER 4 |
JAP 3 |
GBR 3 |
ITA Ret |
FRA 1 |
ESP 1 |
AUS Ret |
3rd | 79 |
| 2005 | Peugeot Peugeot Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion... |
Peugeot 307 Peugeot 307 The Peugeot 307 is a small family car produced by the French Peugeot manufacturer since 2001. It was awarded the European Car of the Year title for 2002, and continues to be offered in China and certain South American markets through 2009 despite the French launch of the 308 in September... |
MON 2005 Monte Carlo Rally The 73ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo , the first round of the 2005 World Rally Championship season took place between January 21 and 23, 2005.- Results :-Special stages:-External links:* at... 4 |
SWE 2 |
MEX 3 |
NZL 5 |
ITA 4 |
CYP 3 |
TUR 5 |
GRC 8 |
ARG 6 |
FIN 3 |
GER 4 |
GBR Ret |
JAP | FRA | ESP | AUS | 5th | 53 |
WRC victories
| Number | Event | Season | Co-driver | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Greece 50 th BP Ultimate Acropolis Rally of Greece |
2003 | Michael Park | Ford Focus RS Ford Focus WRC The Ford Focus RS WRC is a car built for the Ford World Rally Team by Ford and M-Sport and based on the Ford Focus Climate 2-litre production hatchback, developed to compete in the World Rally Championship. The RS stands for Rallye Sport and the WRC for World Rally Car, the car's FIA specification... |
| 2 |  Finland 53rd Neste Rally FinlandRally Finland The Neste Oil Rally Finland is a rally event driven in the Jyväskylä area in Central Finland. It is the biggest annually organised public event in the Nordic countries, gathering over 500,000 spectators every year.... |
2003 | Michael Park | Ford Focus RS Ford Focus WRC The Ford Focus RS WRC is a car built for the Ford World Rally Team by Ford and M-Sport and based on the Ford Focus Climate 2-litre production hatchback, developed to compete in the World Rally Championship. The RS stands for Rallye Sport and the WRC for World Rally Car, the car's FIA specification... |
| 3 |  Mexico 18º Corona Rally MéxicoRally Mexico The Corona Rally Mexico, formerly known as Rally America is a round of the FIA World Rally Championship. The rally entered the championship schedule in the 2004 season. The event's itinerary is based in the state of Guanajuato... |
2004 | Michael Park | Ford Focus RS Ford Focus WRC The Ford Focus RS WRC is a car built for the Ford World Rally Team by Ford and M-Sport and based on the Ford Focus Climate 2-litre production hatchback, developed to compete in the World Rally Championship. The RS stands for Rallye Sport and the WRC for World Rally Car, the car's FIA specification... |
| 4 |  Early Modern France 48ème Tour de Corse – Rallye de FranceTour de Corse The Tour de Corse - Rallye de France is a rally first held in 1956 on the island of Corsica. It was part of the World Rally Championship from the inaugural 1973 season to 2008. The name "Tour de Corse" refers to the fact that in the early days it was run around the island; nowadays it only features... |
2004 | Michael Park | Ford Focus RS Ford Focus WRC The Ford Focus RS WRC is a car built for the Ford World Rally Team by Ford and M-Sport and based on the Ford Focus Climate 2-litre production hatchback, developed to compete in the World Rally Championship. The RS stands for Rallye Sport and the WRC for World Rally Car, the car's FIA specification... |
| 5 |  Spain 40º Rallye Catalunya-Costa Brava (Rallye de España)Rally Catalunya The Rally Catalunya is a rally competition on the World Rally Championship schedule. Now held on the wide, smooth and sweeping asphalt roads around the town of Salou, Catalonia, Spain, it was previously held around the region of Costa Brava... |
2004 | Michael Park | Ford Focus RS Ford Focus WRC The Ford Focus RS WRC is a car built for the Ford World Rally Team by Ford and M-Sport and based on the Ford Focus Climate 2-litre production hatchback, developed to compete in the World Rally Championship. The RS stands for Rallye Sport and the WRC for World Rally Car, the car's FIA specification... |
External links
- Article on Märtin's intention to retire
- http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=211473&FS=WRCArticle on Märtin's joining with DTCDTC-Companies and organizations:*Defence Technology Centre*Delaware Theatre Company*Delhi Transport Corporation , the transportation backbone of Delhi*Denver Technological Center, a business park located on I-25 in Denver and Greenwood Village, Colorado...
] - Stats at Jonkka's World Rally Archive
- Stats at ewrc-results.com