Latvala’s WRC career started with the 2002 Wales Rally GB. On Sunday, November 17 of that year, the 17-year old Finn was 17th overall after 17 stages in his yellow Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI!
From 2003 to 2007, he diligently learned his trade in a variety of cars (WRC, S1600, Group N, etc.) before earning a full programme with Stobart/M-Sport in a Ford Focus WRC. That assertive apprenticeship was marked by his first stage victory (in Norway), his first time in the lead (Sardinia), his first podium finish (Ireland, asphalt) and 10 fastest times on the 2007 Wales Rally GB.
His first WRC triumph followed three months later in Sweden, the second round of 2008. The Finn was only 22 years and 10 months when he parked his factory Ford Focus WRC on the highest step of the podium in Karlstad. That age record still holds.
Quick on all types of terrain, but occasionally victim of his own impetuousness, he had to wait until Sardinia 2009 for his second success, then New Zealand 2010 for the third when he beat Ogier by 2.4s.
Victory on the same year’s Rally Finland was one of the finest moments of his career to date, as was his first asphalt success in France in 2014.
At the age of just 30, he has 13 wins to his name (level with Petter Solberg), as well two runner-up titles and five bronze medals. A score of four stage wins or more would take his score to 400.
Meanwhile, 150 WRC starts will make Jari-Matti Latvala the championship’s eighth most prolific starter, behind Kankkunen, Sainz, Auriol, Grönholm, Solberg, Loeb and Hirvonen.After 93 rallies with Ford, he joined Volkswagen Motorsport in 2013 and recently confirmed a long-term association with the German make.