That was the phrase that was heard time and again around the Rovaniemi service park in Finland as the WRC paid its respects to Hannu Mikkola following his passing on Friday. World champion in 1983, runner-up on three more occasions, a winner of 18 WRC rounds and a podium record of more than one in three bear testament to that. Mikkola came to Britain in 1984 for a British Championship programme in an awesome Audi Quattro A2. Hannu Mikkola, the 1983 world champion and one of Finland’s great rally names has died. Nearly three months later, Mikkola and co-driver Arne Hertz were back for the Welsh International Rally.

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