Ari Vatanen, an emblematic figure in rallying, is inseparable from the PEUGEOT 205 T16. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the 205, we went to meet him. To talk about the birth of his vocation as a driver and his strong link with the T16.
Ari Vatanen was born on 27 April 1952 in Tuupovaara, in the east of Finland :
"I lived in a rather isolated place. I didn't have the opportunity to attend car races as a spectator. In 1964, when I was 12 years old, a rally came through our village for the first time. It was the middle of July. This is very important to note. It was the time of the light night in Finland. It is absolutely beautiful. The light is incredibly soft, between night and day. It creates a very special atmosphere: you feel as if time slows down and almost stops."
"The first cars were expected around 2am. My whole family went to bed around 10pm, as usual. I went and sat on an embankment and waited for the cars. I didn't want to miss the show. Four hours later, a car finally appeared on the curve. Imagine the incredible sight that was revealed before me! I remember, it was a white car, a Volvo: it came towards me, coming down across, with the dust behind, in that special light of the Finnish summer... I remember the sound of the drum brakes and its red light, I remember the stones rolling under the tyres. I was literally breathless. My 12-year-old body sat on that embankment and my mind went with the car... The rest of the story you know."
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