Miikka Anttila on FCDAn jäsen

Jari-Matti Latvala, rally driver

- Date of Birth: April 3rd 1985
- Place of Birth: Töysä
- Family relations: Single
- Height & weight: 185cm & 81kg
- First Rally: 2002 Scottish Rally
- First World Rally: 2002 Wales GB
- World Rally starts: 106 (01/2012)
- World Rally victories: 5 (01/2012)
- Statistics: www.juwra.com

Club I represent:
AlavUa (Alavuden Urheiluautoilijat)

Nicknames:
Jarppa ja Latvis

Favorite hobbies:
Motorsports, water sports, skiing and orienteering

Idols in rallying:
Henri Toivonen and Juha Kankkunen

Music I'm very fond of:
80'ies, Pop & Rock

Best movie:
Forest Gump & Benjamin Button

Strength:
Stubbornity, will of win, honesty and being myself

What I'm doing in 10 years from now:
Hopefully still a professional rally driver and hunting for World Rally Championship victories and titles

Motto:
Be yourself

Without the fact that I'm young, I'm VERY experienced rally driver. I've grown in motorsport family and lived nearly all my life surrounded by rally cars. My father is a famous and successful rally driver in Finland. I've seen and lived in his rally career and learn to will of winning.

My career started in season 2001 from Finnish youngsters rallysprint class. Now seven years later I'm a rally driver in a manufacturers rally team. In season 2010 I have excellent possibilities to fight for World Rally Championship title and join into group of successful Finnish rally drivers.

More information:
- My nine years of motorsport history

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Miikka Anttila, co-driver

Club I represent:
Finnish Co-Drivers Association (FCDA)

Nicknames:
So far I've managed to live with my own name. At the time I worked in Nokian Tyres my fellow co-workers called me as Plussa (Plus). I'n Finnish language my name Miikka means Minus.

Favorite hobby:
Downhill skiing

Idols in rallying:
Markku Alen and his colourful character gave me lots of good memories when I was young. In co-drivers side Seppo Harjanne and his archievements are pretty convincing - two Championship titles with two separate drivers.

Music I'm very fond of:
REM and (90ies) finnish bands like Miljoonasade and Leevi and the Leavings.

Best movie:
Pulp Fiction

Strength:
Awareness of reality, positivity and decision ability

What I'm doing in next 10 years:
World Rally Champion, still working on rally scene, father of a child

Motto:
What ever you do, do it with max

My first touch for rallying happened in May 1993 at a rally called Auranmaa as I was co-driving for my neighbours son Heikki Lappalainen in his group-F Toyota Starlet. I enjoyed a lot and knew that rallying was a perfect hobby for me.

In season 1994 I met Ari-Pekka Pylvänäinen and he needed a co-driver for group-F series. Ari-Pekka rallied with Ford Escort RS2000. In autumn there was a rally in the region of Kouvola and Ari-Pekka rallied as a B-junior. He didn't won the event because it was won by never heard rally driver Toni Gardemeister, who was rallying his first event ever.

I co-driver Ari-Pekka in Finnish Junior Rally Championship series in season 1995 but we didn't gain success. In same year I was working in Germany and visited Finland few occasions. One time in Finland I noticed an advertisement in Finnish Rally Magazine that Finnish National Rally Association (AKK) seeked co-drivers to be trained into professionality. I made an application and was selected to the group. I think that was my first step into professionality. Also Jarmo Lehtinen was selected for the group aswell.

To be in part of that co-drivers trainee group opened new doors and gave new contacts. In season 1996 I graduated from the school and went to England for further studies, which I finished at the end of 1997.

At January 1998 Teppo Vekka contacted me and asked to join his crusade in Finnish Rally Championship series. That was my first full season as a professional co-driver. We finished the Championship into 4th position.

At November 1998 Janne Tuohino contacted me and asked to co-drive him in season 1999. I had excellent time with Tuohino in seasons 1999 and 2000 as we won group-N Finnish Rally Championship in season 1999. At autumn 2000 Tuohino's sponsor Timo Hulkkonen told me that Janne needs more experienced co-driver and that I was not that one. It was a hard moment for me because I had sacrified so much of my time and resources for rallying with Janne.

However luckily that was not the end of the world for me. In season 2001 Jani Pirttinen asked me to co-drive him in German Championship and in WRC Finland. At the end of season 2001 Jani told he's about to quit rallying and I was again left without a seat. Fortunately I wasn't long without a work, because appreciated co-driver Timo Hantunen were seeking a new and experienced co-driver for his friend, a fellow called Mikko Hirvonen.

In season 2002 I co-drived Hirvonen and we won group-A Finnish Rally Championship. Next year Mikko continued his career with Jarmo Lehtinen and I sat into the cabin of Kosti Katajamäki as he was rallying in JWRC.

At the beginning of season 2003 Timo Jouhki, who is manager for Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala, asked me to join by the side of very talented and young Finnish rally driver. That fellow was so young that he couldn't rally in Finland. But in Estonia he could and that was the point where I started working for Jari-Matti as we rallied and won a rally in Estonia. After that event I Tapop Laukkanen asked me to join his side in British Rally Championship series and I said yes. Jari-Matti Latvala was also rallying in the series with M-Sport WRC Focus. In Jim Clack Memorial Rally Latvala crashed very hard into stone fence and his co-driver Carl Williamson was seriously injured. At the next day Timo Jouhki contacted me again and asked if I could continue with Jari-Matti for the rest of the season. I thought this was an opportunity which to be received once in a lifetime. Ofcourse I didn't say no.

In spring 2004 Jari-Matti improved his rallying skills with me and Carl Williamson. However at the end of summer he made a decision to continue his career with me. Ofcourse it was a major relief for me, even we didn't have any problems before.

So at the start of season 2008 it'll be my fifth anniversary as a co-driver for Jari-Matti Latvala. Together we've rallied 49 WRC events, so legendary Monte Carlo at the beginning of January 2008 is our 50th. It'll be also our first WRC with manufacturer car. And what's amazing, Monte Carlo is my 150th rally!

I've also co-drived young estonian Kert Uus few years ago. I also did two PWRC events with Aki Teiskonen in seasons 2005 and 2006. In past 15 years I've been co-driving for 14 different rally drivers, 150 rallies, 62 WRC-events. Those years have given me one Finnish Rally Championship title and one silver medal. And then hobby becomes profession :)