Hannu Mikkola: Rally Driver, Wife & Net Worth
Hannu Mikkola, a legendary Finnish rally driver, passed away on February 25, 2021, because of the cancer.
Being into the motorsport for a long 31-years, he had contributed a lot throughout his career, achieving several championship titles.
This legendary driver had made his country proud, winning 1000 Lakes Rally seven-time and RAC Rally four-time throughout his career.
Well, without further ado, let’s begin a brief biography of Hannu Mikkola, starting with his quick facts.
Quick Facts: Hannu Mikkola
| Birth Name | Hannu Olavi Mikkola |
| Date of Birth | May 24, 1942 |
| Death of Date | February 25, 2021 |
| Age | 81 Years Old |
| Nick Name | Mikkola |
| Gender | Male |
| Profession | Rally Driver |
| Place of Birth | Joensuu, Finland |
| Nationality | Finnish |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Horoscope | Gemini |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse | Arja Mikkola |
| Children | Juha Mikkola and Vesa Mikkola |
| Father | Unknown |
| Mother | Unknown |
| Siblings | Unknown |
| Education | Unknown |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Height | 5 feet 9 inches |
| Weight | Unknown |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Hair Color | Blonde |
| Net Worth | $1 Million – $5 Million |
| Source of Income | Rally Racing |
| Active since | 1973-1993 |
| Social Media | |
| Merch | Vintage Photo, 1973-1984 ALL ABOUT THE WRC RALLY BY RALLY |
| Last Update | April, 2024 |
Early Life and Family of Hannu Mikkola
Hannu Olavi Mikkola, a former professional rally driver, was born on May 24, 1942, in the beautiful country of Joensuu, Finland.
Mikkola and his family belong to the white ethnic groups holding the nationality of Finland.
Moreover, there is no information about his parents and if he had any siblings or not.
This rally driver had a simple and comfortable childhood with easy access to the education.
Since his early life, Hannu was interested in driving which he did after completing his education.
How old was Hannu Mikkola when he died? Age and Body Measurements
Former professional rally driver and Finnish champion Hannu Mikkola lived his life to the fullest until the age of 78, along with his loving wife and kids.
Mikkola celebrated his annual birthday on the 24th of May and fell under the zodiac sign of Gemini, which represented his personality as intelligent, adaptable, and outgoing.
Moving towards the physical appearance of this driver, he had an impressive body height of 5 feet 9 inches, i.e., 175cm, while his body weight is unknown.
Furthermore, Hannu was blessed with deep blue eyes and blonde hair color representing his Finnish personality.
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Career: Hannu Mikkola
Early Career
Mikkola began his professional career journey in 1963 when he drove Volvo PV544. During his early years in the rally, he had many hard times.
For several years, Mikkola was struggling with his racing style. However, the racer was not a person to give up that easily.
During the early 1970s, the good times of Hannu began with his first overseas win in East African Safari Rally in 1972.
Similarly, in the late 1970s, Mikkola came to the rising point of his career, coming second place only by one point behind the champion, Bjorn Waldegard, in the World Rally Championship.
Likewise, in 1978, after pairing with his Swedish co-driver Arne Hertz, they won the British Rally Championship in an Escort.
This duo lasted for thirteen long years and finally ended the partnership in the 1990 season.
Furthermore, the following year in 1991, Hannu got his new co-driver, Johnny Johansson.
Rising Career of Hannu Mikkola
During 1981, Hannu switched to the new Audi factory team driving the new revolutionary four-wheel drive Audi Quattro.
He led the Audi on their first event in Monte Carlo Rally the same year, but he got into the accident.
However, on his next race of Swedish Rally, Mikkola finished in a first-place. Then, he continued his winning strike in his next event, RAC Rally.
With the end of the 1981 season, Mikkola finished at the third position in the driver’s championship chart.
Similarly, Hannu won the 1000 Lakes and RAC rally the following year but ended in the third position behind Opel’s Walter Rohrl and teammate Michele Mouton.
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World Rally Championship
After several years of disappointment in the World Championship, in 1983, Mikkola had his best career season with impressive four wins and three-second places.
With his first World Championship title in 1983, Mikkola became the oldest rally world champion.
Similarly, in the following season, he came second place behind the champion Stig Blomqvist.
In 1985, he had the worst season of his career, where he participated in only four races.
This performance led him to slip to 22nd position at the end of the season.
Sadly, his contract with Audi ended in 1988 after winning the Safari Rally in a Group A Audi 200.
Late Rally Career of Hannu Mikkola
Leaving Audi, he switched to Mazda Rally Team Europe in 1988, where he remained until 1991 after entering semi-retirement.
However, he was making few appearances on international rallies until he finally retired from motorsport in 1993.
Although he retired from rally races, Mikkola was making a brief appearance, such as during the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally’s 25th anniversary, which he and his co-driver Gunner Palm won.
Similarly, the racer also appeared at the London-Sydney Marathon 2000 Rally reunion and a re-union of his 1968 1000 Lakes Rally winning Ford Escort RS1600.
Likewise, in September 2008, Hannu appeared in the Colin McRae Forst Stages Rally, one of the former world champions.
Hannu Mikkola was finally inducted into the Rally Hall of Fame in 2011 along with his former co-driver Rohrl.
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WRC Victories of Hannu Mikkola
- 1000 Lakes Rally with John Davenport from Ford Escort RS1600 in season 1974.
- Rallye du Maroc with Jean Todt from Peugeot 504 in season 1975.
- 1000 Lakes Rally with Atso Aho from Toyota Carolla in season 1975.
- RAC Rally with Arne Hertz from Ford Escort RS1800 in season 1978.
- Rallye de Portugal Vinho do Porto with Arne Hertz from Ford Escort RS1800 in season 1979.
- Rally of New Zealand and RAC Rally with Arne Hertz from Ford Escort RS1800 in season 1979.
- Rallye Cote d’Ivoire with Arne Hertz from Mercedes 450 SLC 5.0 in season 1979.
- Swedish Rally and RAC Rally with Arne Hertz from Audi Quattro in season 1981.
- 1000 Lakes Rally and RAC Rally with Arne Hertz from Audi Quattro in season 1982.
- Rally Argentina and 1000 Lakes Rally with Arne Hertz from Audi Quattro A2 in season 1983.
- Safari Rally with Arne Hertz from Audi 200 Quattro in 1987.
Personal Life of Hannu Mikkola
Finnish world rally champion Hannu Mikkola was happily married to Arja Mikkola.
The couples have two children, Juha Mikkola and Vesa Mikkola. His oldest son, Juha Mikkola, is also a rally driver, the Canada Cup (floorball) founder.
Hannu was married to Arja only, who was the love of his life. Throughout his life, no false rumors or controversies were heard.
It shows the deep love and strong relationship between the couples. However, as of current, Arja is living alone after the death of Hannu.
How did Hannu Mikkola died?
This legendary Finnish rally driver, Hannu Mikkola, died of cancer at age 78 on February 25, 2021. He passed away in Helsinki, Finland.
It was known that this racer was battling cancer for a long time and was, sadly, finally beaten by cancer in 2021.
Although this legend passed away, his memory and contribution to the motorsport will always be remembered.
After the racer’s death, the social media was flooded with condolences messages to his family.
Many other legendary drivers tweeted regarding Hannu, including Carlos Sainz, Mark Gallagher, and many more.
How much was Hannu Mikkola’s Net Worth?
After a long 31-years of professional rally career, Hannu Mikkola had surely accumulated a massive amount of net worth.
As a top Finnish rally driver who has won dozens of international rally race events, no doubt that Mikkola has collected millions of dollars.
Mikkola has won the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland seven times and won the RAC Rally four times in Great Britain.
Looking towards his bright and successful career, the total estimated net worth of Hannu Mikkola was around $1 Million to $5 Million.
Surely, the major source of his income was his rally career.
Social Media Presence
Sadly, this rally driver is no longer active on his social media platforms.
However, he was certainly active on some social media platforms such as Twitter.
Frequently Asked Questions
How and when did Hannu Mikkola die?
Legendary Finnish Rally driver Hannu Mikkola died due to cancer on February 25, 2021.
How many 1000 Lakes Rally and RAC Rally has Hannu Mikkola won?
Hannu Mikkola has won the 1000 Lakes Rally Seven times and the RAC Rally four times during his career.
