The legend of the Flying Finns
The first Arpiem to explore the world of rallying is dedicated to the legendary Flying Finns, those intrepid Finnish drivers who enlivened world rallies between the late 1950s and the 2000s.
These drivers learned to drive on snow and ice from a very young age, behind the wheels of improbable cars, often jury-rigged to allow them to reach the pedals. On the playground of frozen lakes and Finnish forests, they developed an incredible sense of balance and attack.
Rauno Aaltonen and Pauli Toivonen were the first to challenge the European rally elite and introduced a new technique: left-foot braking. The driving principle was to ensure maximum cornering speed. To achieve this, they would brake with their left foot while easing off the accelerator without letting go, thus stabilizing the car without locking it in a wide slide, all while keeping the revs up to power out of the turn.
This spectacular style ensured the popularity of these fearless drivers, fueled by their sisu, Finnish-style determination. They dominated rallies for four decades; the most famous and decorated among them were Hannu Mikkola, Ari Vatanen, Markku Alen, Juha Kankkunen, Henri Toivonen, Tommi Mäkinen, and Marcus Grönholm. Over this period, a total of 14 Flying Finns would win at least one round of the World Rally Championship. Their first names appear on the dial of the Flying Finns.
This legend would fade with the arrival of a certain Sébastien Loeb. Loeb took the opposite approach to the Finns, prioritizing exit speed and acceleration over entry and mid-corner speed. Exiting with more speed allows you to reach the next corner faster. Gone were the generous slides and counter-steering; the goal was now to have all 4 wheels in line as soon as possible to maximize grip and traction. And Loeb would go on to become World Champion nine times in a row.
That was the end of the Flying Finns, their style, and their uniqueness, but not that of Finnish drivers: Mikko Hirvonen, Esapekka Lappi, and of course Kalle Rovanperä, a two-time World Champion at the age of 23, continue to ensure the presence of Finnish drivers at the highest level of world rallying.
