Leo Kinnunen 1943-2017
Always genial Finnish driver who set the fastest-ever Targa Florio lap
WHEN LEO KINNUNEN lined up on the grid for the start of the 1974 Swedish Grand Prix, he created a bit of history on the quiet: this permasmiling trailblazer became the first Finnish driver ever to participate in a round of the Formula 1 World Championship.
He retired from the race aboard his privateer Surtees TS16 and failed to make the cut in other points-paying rounds that season, but if his status as an F1 one-hit wonder in terms of starts gives the impression that Kinnunen was something of a tail-end Charlie, a gentleman driver who was in above his head, then nothing could be further from the truth. His sole GP outing was a mere downward blip in an otherwise glittering career.
Kinnunen, who died on 26 July aged 73, enjoyed a highly successful career that spanned almost 20 years, campaigning all manner of machines on two wheels and four. Nevertheless, he is best remembered for taming the mighty Porsche 917. After a few years racing motorcycles in the early 1960s, he rose to prominence in rallying, autocross and ice racing before switching to single-seaters in 1967. Kinnunen raced an outdated Brabham to a single victory in the national Formula 3 series, beating Ronnie Peterson in the process, before making the switch to sports cars. In 1969, he won the hotly contested Nordic Cup, which led to the invitation to test for the works Porsche team.
Kinnunen landed a full-time seat for 1970 and won first time out in the Daytona 24 Hours, sharing a Porsche 917K with Pedro Rodríguez. The Finnish-Mexican duo also claimed honours in subsequent International Championship of Makes rounds at Brands Hatch and Monza, and he shone in that year’s Targa Florio aboard the latest 908/03. Kinnunen drove much of the distance after Rodríguez was taken ill, finishing second behind the sister car of Brian Redman/Jo Siffert. Kinnunen somehow mustered a 33min 36sec lap of Circuito Piccolo delle Madonie on his final tour, and this blistering new record was never eclipsed. He finished third in the 1973 Targa, too, sharing a 911 RSR with Claude Haldi.
Kinnunen also excelled in the Interserie championship, the European equivalent of CanAm, steering variants of 917 to consecutive titles in 1971-73. He claimed 18 outright wins and 11 heat victories over three seasons, and was still a factor in the World Endurance Championship up to 1977, when he retired from circuit racing.
Despite staying away from track action, Kinnunen continued to dabble in other disciplines. He had dovetailed race and rally programmes for much of the 1970s, his third place on the 1973 1000 Lakes Rally behind Timo Makinen and Marku Alén being a stand-out performance. He continued to compete off-piste to the end of the decade, claiming outright honours on the 1979 Arctic Rally among others.
Kinnunen remained a strong supporter of motor sport after hanging up his helmet, becoming a close friend and supporter of Valtteri Bottas among other fellow countrymen who followed in his wheeltracks. Sadly, Kinnunen was wheelchair-bound for the last ten years of his life after suffering a massive stroke, but he never lost his sunny disposition.