How a rally legend's new challenge is helping Toyota create further WRC history

When you think of Juha Kankkunen, you conjure images of the moustachioed, straight-talking Finn taming World Rally Championship beasts, such as the fire-breathing Peugeot 205 T16, the all-conquering Martini-liveried Lancia Delta and the famous Castrol Toyota Celica to four world titles. But for Kankkunen, competing for world titles as a driver is now merely a memory.

Times change, and even the well-trimmed moustache has been consigned to the past. Kankkunen’s passion for rallying is seemingly endless, however, and this year the 66-year-old has become a more established fixture in the WRC service park once again, swapping driving for management as Toyota’s deputy team principal.

“It’s a bit different but so far I’ve enjoyed it,” smiles Kankkunen. “You can still live your own rally career through these good drivers, but let’s say you are more nervous in this role than when you were driving.”

Kankkunen has seemingly slotted into his new position like a comfy Toyota racesuit from the 1990s. That’s partly down to the fact that he is a familiar face at the Jyvaskyla-based Toyota factory WRC team, having operated as a brand ambassador for the Japanese car giant.

His association with the team has since grown significantly. At the end of 2024, Toyota confirmed that the WRC’s first four-time world champion would be stepping up to cover while team principal Jari-Matti Latvala is absent from WRC rounds. Latvala, an 18-time WRC event winner, is competing in the FIA European Historic Rally Championship, driving something familiar to Kankkunen – a Toyota Celica ST185. Latvala’s blast-from-the-past rally programme means Kankkunen has been a fixture in the service park this year, overseeing four of the first seven WRC events, and it’s likely that he will be at most of the remaining rallies.

Kankkunen’s competitive WRC rally driving career, spanning four decades, came to an end at Rally Finland in 2010 when he piloted a Stobart M-Sport Ford Focus, eight years after his last campaign with Hyundai. And while there have been sporadic outings since, he had not considered a career in team management after retiring. The opportunity to return to the WRC was fortuitous.

When Latvala has been enjoying his historic rallying outings, Kankkunen has stepped in

Photo by: Toyota

“I was helping Jari-Matti a little bit and they [Toyota] wanted me to do some PR activities, like demo driving and talking about the Celica, as they are building a new Celica now, and I won the championship driving a Celica in 1993,” explains Kankkunen.

“And it came up that Jari-Matti wanted to drive the historic Celica and I’ve been already two or three years working for Toyota, so I was asked if I could take the deputy team principal role and replace him when he cannot attend WRC rallies. I said if I am good enough and not too old I will do it because I know the people and I know the team. The feeling in the team is really nice.

“If I don’t know something, there are lots of people who have the information. And for things like team orders, I think already everybody is trying to do the best they can for themselves and for the team. Today, the race is all the time flat-out; it’s less like the days before when you could drive with a bit more strategy on the longer distance.”

"They know what they are doing, they are professional guys, but sometimes they ask me what I would do if I was in their position" Juha Kankkunen

It is a restructure within Toyota that has been welcomed by Latvala, who has been largely away from the WRC limelight this season. Having started the year in Monte Carlo and Sweden, since then he has only attended the Sardinia round in June.

“I’m very excited to have the opportunity to combine my role as team principal with my passion for driving, competing with the legendary Toyota Celica,” said Latvala at the beginning of the year. “I’m really pleased that Juha Kankkunen will take on the role of deputy team principal to support me and the team on WRC events: he knows the team well and brings a lot of experience to the role.”

Kankkunen may be new to team management, but when it comes to WRC experience and general rally nous there are few who can match him. As well as his four titles (1986, 1987, 1991, 1993), he made 162 WRC starts and took 23 wins – still enough to be seventh on the all-time list – and enjoyed success in Group B, Group A and World Rally Car machinery, driving for Peugeot, Lancia, Toyota, Ford, Subaru and Hyundai. There is very little Kankkunen hasn’t experienced.

Kankkunen competing for Peugeot on his way to the 1986 WRC title

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Toyota’s current WRC line-up is not exactly new to the game or in need of guidance. Kalle Rovanpera has won two world titles, Elfyn Evans is a four-time championship runner-up, while eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier is regarded by many as the greatest of all time. Takamoto Katsuta is into his sixth season in the top tier and perhaps the only exception is the team’s new signing, reigning WRC2 champion Sami Pajari.

Given the experience Toyota boasts within its squad, you could argue that there is little required to manage these drivers, especially as the rally world has moved on vastly in terms of the technology at its disposal when setting up the Rally1 monsters, compared to the days when Kankkunen was competing.

“They know what they are doing, they are professional guys, but sometimes they ask me what I would do if I was in their position,” observes Kankkunen. “For example, they have questions like what tyres would you choose for certain parts on a rally. A lot of the time they know but they want to make sure.

“It’s nice that they come and ask me such questions. I’ve been driving these cars – well, not the current one – but I know them and how they handle and things, though these days you do the set-up using the computer.

“Of course, the tyre manufacturer has changed this year [with Hankook coming in], so the drivers are learning and it is a hard job. This makes the set-up very tricky and very sensitive because the tyre works a different way. You have to set up the car the way the tyre allows you to drive. Kalle is very sensitive because he is very clean when he drives. It’s all about braking and turning and it’s as simple as that, so he has to change the car set-up a little bit and the driving as well to trust the tyre 100%.”

The benefits of Kankkunen’s presence within the team are not lost on Evans, who has his eyes fixed on trying to become Britain’s first world champion since Richard Burns in 2001. “He knows the pressures we’re under – he’s been there and done it and it’s always great to have someone like that in the team,” says Evans. “There’s no pressure from him and he is always there if we need him.”

A strong bond has formed between Kankkunen and the Toyota drivers

Photo by: Toyota Racing

Rovanpera was born the year Kankkunen claimed his last WRC stage win at Rally GB in 2000. But the young Finn has huge respect for one of his country’s rally heroes, and the pair have formed a close bond. “I’m really good friends with him,” enthuses the 24-year-old. “And of course he has a crazy amount of experience. I think Juha always brings a really positive feeling.”

Kankkunen may be new to the world of being a WRC boss, but his start to the role has coincided with a stunning WRC campaign so far by Toyota. It won the first six rallies of the year (Monte Carlo, Sweden, Kenya, Canary Islands, Portugal and Sardinia), with only one defeat in Greece as we went to press. It meant Kankkunen was on hand to stand on the podium at Safari Rally Kenya, a rally he won three times (the first 40 years ago) as a driver, this time as a victorious team principal.

"I have finished my career – I have done more than two million kilometres so that is enough for me. I’m not missing it at all" Juha Kankkunen

Toyota could also make history this year. If this run of success continues, Kankkunen will oversee Toyota (101 wins after this year’s Rally Finland) overtake Citroen (102) as the WRC’s manufacturer with the most rally victories.

With half a season in a management role now under his belt, has it made Kankkunen miss the days when he was behind the wheel of a WRC car fighting for titles and wins? “No, I’m too old. I have finished my career – I have done more than two million kilometres so that is enough for me. I’m not missing it at all. I did enough and I’m very satisfied.”

This article is one of many in the monthly Autosport magazine. For more premium content, take a look at the Summer 2025 issue and subscribe today.

Further WRC history is in reach for Toyota and Kankkunen

Photo by: Toyota Racing