Markko Märtin

Markko Märtin

Markko Märtin in 2006.
Personal information
Nationality	Estonian
Born	(1975-11-10) 10 November 1975 (age 41) Tartu, Estonia
World Rally Championship record
Active years	1997–2005
Co-driver	Michael Park
Teams	Lukoil EOS Rally Team, Subaru World Rally Team, Ford, Peugeot
Rallies	86
Championships	0
Rally wins	5
Podiums	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 10 November 1975 in Tartu) is a rally driver from Estonia, who competed in the World Rally Championship from 2000 until 2005.

Märtin, as understudy to then-team mates Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz, shot to prominence with the Ford World Rally Team in the 2002 season. He was on target to notch up a 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 RS 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' champion Peugeot and its 307 car. 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 podium finishes for their new employers by the time they had arrived in Wales to contest the Wales Rally Great Britain.