Markko Märtin in 2006.
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Personal information | |
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Nationality | Estonian |
Born |
Tartu, Estonia |
10 November 1975
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.