GIANT-KILLER DAVID SUTTON REMEMBERED BY THE STARS
Ari Vatanen has led the tributes to his former team boss David Sutton, who died on April 6 following a long battle with cancer.
Sutton famously oversaw Vatanen’s 1981 World Rally Championship triumph in what was the first title win for a privateer team in the WRC – and the last until Sebastien
Loeb won the 2006 crown for Belgium-based Kronos Racing.
From his west London base, Sutton had taken on what remained of Ford’s
WRC effort following the company’s withdrawal from rallying at the end of 1979.
With David Richards co-driving, Vatanen took wins in Greece, Brazil and Finland during a giant-killing season in their Rothmans-backed
Ford Escort RS 1800 Mk2.
“David’s trust in me had finally paid off,” Vatanen wrote on Facebook when recalling the moment that he became
World champion on the 1981 RAC Rally. “It was a real David and Goliath operation [and] spirit made up for what we lacked materially. David lived and breathed rallying. He was optimistic and his contagious smile disarmed you. David was a warm character because he believed it could be done.
“With David’s and Hannu’s [Mikkola] close departures we witness the end of a golden era.”
In an interview on WRC.com, Richards said: “It was his name above the door and he had his arms around every aspect of the operation. The 1981 season was a true David and Goliath story.”
Having beaten Audi during the 1981 WRC season, Sutton’s team became synonymous with running the German cars in the British championship for Stig Blomqvist, Hannu Mikkola and Michele Mouton.
Mikkola’s victory on the 25th anniversary London to Mexico Rally was in a Sutton-prepared Escort, while the team also enjoyed success in the Middle East Rally Championship.
Martin Rowe, who took the Production World Rally Championship title in 2003 in a Sutton-run Subaru Impreza, wrote on Facebook: “Thanks for an amazing opportunity and some very special memories.”