http://www.wrc.com/news/latvala-praised ... ?fid=13449Latvala praised by Finnish legends
Jari-Matti Latvala has been tipped as a future world champion after claiming his maiden victory on Neste Oil Rally Finland.
Latvala became the ninth different Finnish driver to win the event and the youngest ever after breaking Markku Alen’s record set in 1976.
Alen was 25 years and five months old when he triumphed on home soil in a Fiat, while Latvala was 25 years and three months when he beat Sebastien Ogier into first place in Jyvaskyla at the weekend.
Four-time world champion Juha Kankkunen, who finished eighth on his one-off return to the WRC, said: “For sure he can win the world title. This year is difficult but for sure he will win it one day.”
Alen, who has won in Finland on six occasions, visited the rally and was full of praise for Latvala. He said: “The important thing is a Finnish driver wins the 1000 Lakes Rally as I still call it. It will be a very special feeling for Jari-Matti because when I won in Finland they were amongst my favourite wins as if you’re a Finn you want to win Rally Finland. He drove very well and I was really impressed.”
Hannu Mikkola, world rally champion in 1983, also attended the event and paid tribute to Latvala.
“It was a good fight and I’m very pleased to see him and Ford at the top,” said Mikkola. “He has clearly grown up because he had a lot of pressure on him and handled it very well. When I was younger I had two dreams: one was to win the rally, the other was to win the Finnish championship. This is a real sign of how good Jari-Matti can be.”
Latvala paid his own tribute after winning the event, which marked his fourth triumph at world level. The milestone took him ahead of his hero Henri Toivonen, who lost his life in a crash on Tour de Corse in 1986.
“It’s something special. Henri [Toivonen] won three world rallies: two times RAC and one Monte Carlo and now I was able to beat his record. It feels good to beat his record,” said Latvala.
Jari-Matti Latvala
Jari-Matti Latvala
Methinks Jari-Mari should finally get his own thread since Ogier and Hirvonen have their own threads and Jari-Mari has already had more wins than Ogier and Hirvonen this year. I know there are a couple of Jari-Mari fans out there!
Re: The Jari-Mari thread
Jari-Matti Latvala interview with Neil Cole from last year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeMglmrpwCk
Re: The Jari-Mari thread
I'm definitely one of them. I liked him but since Bulgaria I like him even more. OMG, he's so kind and lovely!!!!sleenster wrote:I know there are a couple of Jari-Mari fans out there!
Re: The Jari-Mari thread
Yay!!! Me likey! Thanks, Sleen!
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Re: The Jari-Mari thread
Here are my pics about Jari-Matti from Bulgaria:
http://a.imageshack.us/img59/2194/p1040735i.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img834/1266/p1040737.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img844/6749/p1040740.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img188/7011/p1040742m.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img696/2858/p1040743di.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img180/5362/p1040917h.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img814/6922/p1040918.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img820/7029/p1040919.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img707/7093/p1040920a.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img828/7374/p1040921.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img689/1217/p1040978z.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img204/4060/p1040980q.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img294/4353/p1050004g.jpg
The 2 signatures I got from him:
http://a.imageshack.us/img715/2098/jarimatti.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img715/4320/mikk ... ttisig.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img59/2194/p1040735i.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img834/1266/p1040737.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img844/6749/p1040740.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img188/7011/p1040742m.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img696/2858/p1040743di.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img180/5362/p1040917h.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img814/6922/p1040918.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img820/7029/p1040919.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img707/7093/p1040920a.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img828/7374/p1040921.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img689/1217/p1040978z.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img204/4060/p1040980q.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img294/4353/p1050004g.jpg
The 2 signatures I got from him:
http://a.imageshack.us/img715/2098/jarimatti.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img715/4320/mikk ... ttisig.jpg
Re: The Jari-Mari thread
Wow Kinga, thank you! That is a really nice collection of Jari-Mari pics!
Re: The Jari-Mari thread
Absolutely! We were there at the shakedown day early in the morning. They came back from the test and he got out of the car. I called out his name, I tried to pronounce it the best way I could and he waved that he'd come in a minute. He talked to some of the guys there for 1 or 2 minutes and then came to us. We made pictures with him and he signed my friend's Finnish flag and my photo. Later we met him again, I think on Friday afternoon and that was when we got an autograph again. We didn't want to disturb him for an other photo. That's why I have "only" one where he's "sleeping".dindi wrote: Kinga, awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Thank you!!! He was really nice in person, wasn't he?
You're welcome, Sleenster.
Re: The Jari-Mari thread
He was sooooooooooooo dorky in that photo, Kinga... it's my favorite!
Re: The Jari-Mari thread
Hehedindi wrote:He was sooooooooooooo dorky in that photo, Kinga... it's my favorite!
I would have liked to comment on your offtopic sentence but it doesn't show in this reply box for some reason. I just wanted to say that I agree with it!!!
Edit: OMG, just realised that ^^^it's in your signature!!!!
Re: The Jari-Mari thread
Dindi has fallen big time
That is so sweet of you and thank you Sleenster for making this thread
Will look for more pictures of him later
That is so sweet of you and thank you Sleenster for making this thread
Will look for more pictures of him later
To be changed soon - rko281, where are you??? LOL
Re: The Jari-Mari thread
Totally!!Wolfie wrote:Dindi has fallen big time
I found some extra cute Jari-Matti pics:
http://www.sport24.com/var/plain_site/s ... porama.jpg
http://amberie.files.wordpress.com/2007 ... norway.jpg
http://static.iltalehti.fi/urheilu/latv ... AML_ur.jpg
http://static.iltalehti.fi/urheilu/aala ... 1JO_ur.jpg
http://www.walesrallygb.com/images/gall ... eb2008.jpg
http://www.ksml.fi/multimedia/dynamic/0 ... 8923a1.jpg
Jari-Matti matrix
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... _RNZ08.jpg
Re: The Jari-Mari thread
Heehee It's amazing how you and I think alike, Kinga!
Nikki, it's embarrassing but I can't help it. I'm totally smitten. It's the glasses. LOL. Hope you can share some stuff in Finland about Jari-Mari here, too
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