Markko Märtin

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Markko Märtin
Markko Märtin in 2006.
World Rally Championship record
Nationality	Estonian
Active years	1997 - 2005
Teams	Subaru, Ford, Peugeot
Rallies	86
Championships	0
Rally wins	5
Podium finishes	18
Stage wins	101
Total points	207
First rally	1997 Neste Rally Finland
First win	2003 Acropolis Rally
Last win	2004 Rally Catalunya
Last rally	2005 Rally Great Britain

Markko Märtin (born November 10, 1975 in Tartu) is a rally driver from Estonia, who competed in the World Rally Championship from 2000 until 2005.

Contents 1 Career 2 Life after WRC 3 Personal life 4 WRC career results 4.1 Complete World Rally Championship results 5 WRC victories 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Career

Märtin, as understudy to then-team mates Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz, shot to prominence with Ford World Rally Team in the 2002 World Rally Championship season. He was on target to notch up victory on that year's Acropolis Rally Greece, his career first, until suffering two punctures and instead being forced to concede to the more experienced McRae. Nonetheless, Märtin still impressed during his time as pilot of the Ford Focus WRC. He won the equivalent event in Greece the following year as well as being only the third driver in the history of the WRC to break the Scandinavian stranglehold on the Neste Rally Finland. In addition to this, Märtin was inaugural winner, again with Ford, of the Corona Rally Mexico in the 2004 season. He also won the tarmac rallies of Corsica and Catalunya in the same year. These victories happened to be the last for the Märtin/Michael Park partnership.

For 2005 Märtin departed the team for former constructors' champions Peugeot and their 307 car. Sadly, in comparison to the heights of previous seasons, initial promise was to give way to grief. Although 2005 was by no means an exemplary season by Märtin's standards, he and co-driver Park had still notched up four podiums for their new employers by the time they had arrived in Wales to contest the Wales Rally Great Britain.

However, on Sunday, September 18, 2005, the final leg of the event, two kilometres from the start of Stage 15 at Margam Park, Märtin's Peugeot crashed heavily into a tree. Although the Estonian driver was left unhurt by the shunt, co-driver Michael Park was immediately killed in the accident, the first fatality for a competitor at WRC-level for over a decade. As a result, Märtin announced that he would pull out of the last four events of the 2005 season.

Understandably shaken by the passing of Park, Märtin effectively left the WRC stage. He went on to manage a junior rallying team in the Estonian rally scene, indicating that he would likely refuse any offers to drive at the top level again. He has since spoken out against the FIA’s treatment of the WRC, claiming that the series had lost much of its luster and calling for a far-reaching rules overhaul ^[1].

However, Märtin made a limited return to competitive rallying in March 2006 at the 2006 Rally of Portugal. The invitational event was held as a candidate for full WRC status. Märtin competed in a Subaru Impreza, his first outing in an FIA-spec Group N car in nearly a decade. He was co-driven by David Senior, who formerly worked with Alister McRae. Märtin also partook in the 2006 Danish Touring Car Championship with Hans Hartmann's Honda Racing.

Märtin has signed a deal to become the official test driver for the Subaru World Rally Team in 2008.^[2]

[edit] Life after WRC

Together with his father Markko runs a haulage company in Estonia. He also bought a car dealership and has started selling Subarus.

[edit] Personal life

Markko lives in Monaco with Miss Model Estonia 2004 Mari-Liis Sallo and they welcomed their first child together in summer 2007.^[3]

[edit] WRC career results

• 1997 - NC - 0 points - Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
• 1999 - 18th - 2 points - best finish 5th - Ford Escort WRC, Toyota Corolla WRC
• 2000 - 21st - 1 point - best finish 6th - Toyota Corolla WRC, Subaru Impreza WRC
• 2001 - 19th - 3 points - best finish 5th - Subaru Impreza WRC
• 2002 - 9th - 20 points - best finish 2nd - Ford Focus WRC 02
• 2003 - 5th - 49 points - 2 rally wins - Ford Focus WRC 03
• 2004 - 3rd - 79 points - 3 rally wins - Ford Focus WRC 04
• 2005 - 5th - 53 points - best finish 2nd - Peugeot 307 WRC (season unfinished)

[edit] Complete World Rally Championship results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	WDC	Points
1997		Toyota Celica GT-Four (ST185)	MON	SWE	KEN	POR	ESP	FRA	ARG	GRC	NZL	FIN Ret	IDN	ITA	AUS	GBR			NC	0
1998		Toyota Celica GT-Four (ST205)	MON	SWE	KEN	POR Ret	ESP	FRA	ARG	GRC	NZL	FIN 12	ITA 9	AUS	GBR Ret				'	0
1999		Ford Escort Mk.5	MON	SWE 8	KEN	POR Ret	ESP	FRA	ARG	GRC	NZL	FIN	CHN	ITA	AUS	GBR			18th	2
		Toyota Corolla WRC AE111	MON	SWE	KEN	POR	ESP	FRA	ARG	GRC 5	NZL	FIN Ret	CHN	ITA Ret	AUS	GBR 8
2000		Toyota Corolla WRC AE111	MON	SWE 9	KEN	POR 7	ESP 10	ARG	GRC Ret	NZL	FIN 10	CYP 6	FRA	ITA Ret	AUS	GBR 7			21st	1
		Subaru Impreza WRC 22B	MON	SWE	KEN	POR	ESP	ARG	GRC	NZL	FIN	CYP	FRA	ITA	AUS Ret	GBR
2001	Subaru World Rally Team	Subaru Impreza WRC2001	MON Ret	SWE 12	POR Ret	ESP Ret	ARG	CYP	GRC Ret	KEN	FIN 5	NZL	ITA Ret	FRA 6	AUS	GBR Ret			19th	3
2002	Ford Motor Co	Ford Focus RS WRC 02	MON 12	SWE Ret	FRA 8	ESP 8	CYP 8	ARG 4	GRC 6	KEN 4	FIN 5	GER 6	ITA 5	NZL Ret	AUS 5	GBR 2			9th	20
2003	Ford Motor Co	Ford Focus RS WRC 02	MON 4	SWE 4	TUR 6														5th	49
		Ford Focus RS WRC 03				NZL Ret	ARG Ret	GRC 1	CYP Ret	GER 5	FIN 1	AUS DSQ	ITA 3	FRA Ret	ESP 3	GBR Ret
2004	Ford Motor Co	Ford Focus RS WRC 04	MON 2	SWE 7	MEX 1	NZL 3	CYP 2	GRC Ret	TUR Ret	ARG Ret	FIN 2	GER 4	JAP 3	GBR 3	ITA Ret	FRA 1	ESP 1	AUS Ret	3rd	79
2005	Peugeot	Peugeot 307	MON 4	SWE 2	MEX 3	NZL 5	ITA 4	CYP 3	TUR 5	GRC 8	ARG 6	FIN 3	GER 4	GBR Ret	JAP	FRA	ESP	AUS	5th	53

[edit] WRC victories

Number	Event	Season	Co-driver	Car
1	50 th BP Ultimate Acropolis Rally of Greece	2003	Michael Park	Ford Focus RS
2	53rd Neste Rally Finland	2003	Michael Park	Ford Focus RS
3	18º Corona Rally México	2004	Michael Park	Ford Focus RS
4	48ème Tour de Corse - Rallye de France	2004	Michael Park	Ford Focus RS
5	40º Rallye Catalunya-Costa Brava (Rallye de España)	2004	Michael Park	Ford Focus RS

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Markko Märtin

• Article on Märtin's intention to retire
• Article on Märtin's joining with DTC