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Markko Märtin

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Markko Märtin
Markko Märtin in 2006.
Personal information
NationalityEstonia Estonian
Born (1975-11-10) 10 November 1975 (age 49)
Tartu, Estonia
World Rally Championship record
Active years1997–2005
Co-driverEstonia Toomas Kitsing
United Kingdom Michael Park
TeamsLukoil EOS Rally Team, Subaru World Rally Team, Ford, Peugeot
Rallies86
Championships0
Rally wins5
Podiums18
Stage wins101
Total points207
First rally1997 Rally Finland
First win2003 Acropolis Rally
Last win2004 Rally Catalunya
Last rally2005 Wales Rally GB

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

Career

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Märtin with a Ford Focus RS WRC 04 at the 2004 Cyprus Rally.
Märtin with a Peugeot 307 WRC at the 2005 Cyprus Rally.

Märtin, as understudy to then-team mates Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz, rose to prominence with the Ford World Rally Team in the 2002 season. He was leading that year's Acropolis Rally Greece until he suffered two punctures and fell behind the more experienced McRae. 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 Nordic 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 were the last for the Märtin/Michael Park partnership.

For 2005 Märtin departed the team for former constructors' champion Peugeot and its 307 car. He and co-driver Park had still notched up four podium finishes for their new employers by the time they had arrived in Wales to contest the Wales Rally Great Britain. On the final leg of the event, two kilometres from the start of Stage 15 at Margam Park, Märtin's Peugeot crashed into a tree. Although the Estonian driver was left unhurt by the crash, 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.

Shaken by the death 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 lustre 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 signed a deal to become the official test driver for the Subaru World Rally Team in 2008.[2] He has since test-driven for Ford and Mini.

Life after WRC

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In 2009, Märtin was hired by Ford to work as a R&D factory driver.[3] He helped to train WRC rookie Ken Block for the 2010 WRC season.[4] On 7 June 2010, it was announced that Märtin would race in Rally Estonia, which took place on 16–18 July 2010 and which was also an IRC candidate event. Märtin drove a Ford Focus RS WRC 03, which he referred to as "the best rally car in the world."[5] Märtin won all twelve stages, second place, Ott Tänak lost 2.50,3.[6]

Together with his father, Märtin runs a haulage company in Estonia. He also rents out land and property, most prominently a piece of land to Autospirit, an Estonian car dealership. In 2005 he also created MM Motorsport, which won several Estonian Rally Championship titles. The team also has numerous Ford Fiesta R5 for rent.

Personal life

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Märtin lives in Monaco with Miss Model Estonia 2004 Mari-Liis Sallo and they welcomed their first child together in summer 2007.[7]

Märtin also appeared in the 2019 documentary film Ott Tänak: The Movie and in the 2023 film Legends of the Winding Roads as one of the interviewees.

Complete World Rally Championship results

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(key)

Year Entrant Chassis 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 WDC Points
1997 Markko Märtin Toyota Celica GT-Four ST185 MON
SWE
KEN
POR
ESP
FRA
ARG
GRC
NZL
FIN
Ret
IDN
ITA
AUS
GBR
NC 0
1998 Markko Märtin Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205 MON
SWE
KEN
POR
Ret
ESP
FRA
ARG
GRC
NZL
FIN
12
ITA
9
AUS
GBR
Ret
NC 0
1999 Markko Märtin Ford Escort WRC MON
SWE
8
KEN
POR
Ret
18th 2
Toyota Corolla WRC AE111 ESP
FRA
ARG
GRC
5
NZL
FIN
Ret
CHN
ITA
Ret
AUS
GBR
8
2000 Lukoil EOS Rally Team Toyota Corolla WRC AE111 MON
SWE
9
KEN
POR
7
ESP
10
ARG
GRC
Ret
NZL
FIN
10
CYP
6
FRA
ITA
Ret
GBR
7
21st 1
Subaru World Rally Team Subaru Impreza WRC2000 AUS
Ret
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
DNS
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 03 MON
2
SWE
7
MEX
1
3rd 79
Ford Focus RS WRC 04 NZL
3
CYP
2
GRC
Ret
TUR
24
ARG
Ret
FIN
2
GER
4
JPN
3
GBR
3
ITA
Ret
FRA
1
ESP
1
AUS
Ret
2005 Peugeot Peugeot 307 WRC MON
4
SWE
2
MEX
3
NZL
5
ITA
4
CYP
3
TUR
5
GRC
8
ARG
6
FIN
3
GER
4
GBR
Ret
JPN FRA ESP AUS 5th 53

WRC victories

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Number Event Season Co-driver Car
1 Greece 50 th BP Ultimate Acropolis Rally of Greece 2003 Michael Park Ford Focus RS WRC 03
2 Finland 53rd Neste Rally Finland
3 Mexico 18º Corona Rally México 2004
4 France 48ème Tour de Corse – Rallye de France Ford Focus RS WRC 04
5 Spain 40º Rallye Catalunya-Costa Brava (Rallye de España)

References

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  1. ^ "Angry Martin wants rally overhaul". January 12, 2006 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  2. ^ "Official: Martin inks deal with Subaru". Crash. January 4, 2008.
  3. ^ "World Rally Championship - News - Markko Martin returns to Ford to help with testing". Archived from the original on 2009-07-09. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
  4. ^ "Markko Martin tests with Ken Block". May 26, 2010.
  5. ^ "Markko Martin to contest Rally Estonia | RallyBuzz". Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2010-06-09.
  6. ^ "Markko Märtin ja Kristo Kraag võitsid Mad-Croc Rally Estonia - Rally Estonia 2011". Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2011-03-05.
  7. ^ "Kroonika | Markko Märtin saab isaks". Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
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