Two Audi Quattros for one title: the story of Hannu Mikkola's 1983 season

Hannu Mikkola, in the purest tradition of the Flying Finns, begins to distinguish himself on the world stage during the Rally of the 1 Lakes, which he won for the first time in 000 with a Ford Escort TC. 

It is also with the Oval brand that we will most often see the native of Joensuu in the 1970s, despite some missteps on the African continent with more massive vehicles resistant to rough tracks (Peugeot 504 at the 1975 Morocco Rally, Mercedes 450 SLC 5.0 in Ivory Coast 1979). 

The year 1981 marked a decisive turning point in his career. He left Ford to join Audi, which then put the finishing touches on a future icon: the Quattro. Equipped with all-wheel drive, the Quattro proved to be quick from the outset, but lacked reliability. A success in Monte-Carlo seemed realistic after the first 10 special stages, but a crash due to loss of brakes dampened hopes. . 

The German brand is refining its beast; the following year, Walter Röhrl won the Drivers' crown while the Ingolstadt firm was victorious among the Manufacturers. It won't be long before Hannu Mikkola's time.

The Quattro was improved for the 1983 campaign, with the aim of meeting the new Group B regulations. Now called "Quattro A1", it gained muscle and power. The 5 cylinders of the engine block are made of aluminum for weight reasons. The nose is lighter by 44 pounds (16 kg), while the KKK turbo increases the power between 320 and 340 horsepower. 

Winner on the snow in Sweden then in the middle of a considerable crowd in Portugal, Hannu Mikkola, associated with Arne Hertz, finished second at the Kenya Safari. This will be the Finnish duo’s last result with the “A1”. 

Audi indeed introduces the Quattro “A2” during the Tour de Corse. Be careful, it’s time for a technical update. Group B then asked to carry out a calculation based on the engine displacement to establish the minimum weight of the car and the size of the tires. The calculation was based on the displacement multiplied by 1,4. 

The result was separated into two classes, cylinder capacities between 2 and 500 cc on the one hand and blocks between 2 and 999 cc on the other. The A3 used the engine from the Group 000 version of 3 cc. Multiply this value by 999 and we get 1 cc. 

The A1 therefore narrowly belonged to second place in the Group B category. As a result, the Audi could not weigh less than 1 kg, a huge disadvantage compared to the Lancia 100, which was less technically advanced (two-wheel drive) but lighter and more agile. 

The German engineers have it in their throats. Also, they managed to lower the displacement of the heart of the Quattro to 2 cc, allowing after the calculation to move into the first section of Group B, reserved in principle for lighter and less powerful models (135 x 2 = 135 cc)! 

This is how the A2 appears, equipped with composite and Kevlar body panels to shave off precious kilos. The redistribution of weight also allows the oil cooler to be placed under the rear wing. The sedan now delivers between 350 and 370 horsepower at 7 rpm. End of course, thank you for reading! 

Let’s pick up the sports thread. Hannu Mikkola leaves the Isle of Beauty with his head down after an accident, and cannot recover at the Acropolis (Greece) due to an engine failure. In the Antipodes, it was a faulty fuel injection that forced him to retire in New Zealand.

In short, at mid-season, nothing is going well for the Finn, who has 65 points in the general classification compared to 87 points for the defending champion Walter Röhrl (Lancia). However, simultaneously with an increase in reliability, Hannu Mikkola will benefit from the absences of his opponent in four of the final five events for contractual reasons. 

Hannu Mikkola is not letting this opportunity pass, especially since his contract allows him to take part in all 12 rallies of the season. Argentina put him back on his feet with a success before of course doubling the lead in front of his supporters in Finland.

Despite his perfect knowledge of the terrain, Hannu Mikkola started the event on the wrong foot. When landing from a jump, the gearbox breaks. Here he is rejected after more than two minutes. During the next stage, it is the turbo that acts up. Then, the engine mount moves under the hood. More trouble.

Never mind, the driver attacks more and more and manages to overtake Stig Blomqvist two stages from the finish! “The hardest victory of my career”he says.

A scare at San Remo (Italy) with a completely burned car did not prevent him from finishing the campaign with two solid performances, second in Ivory Coast and at the RAC. It's good, the title is in the pocket, quite comfortably in fact (23 points ahead of Walter Röhrl). 

Second in 1984, Hannu Mikkola will follow lighter programs in the rest of the 1980s by his own will, “I did 17 or 18 rallies a year with the WRC and the British Championship, he explained to Rallye Sport Mag magazine in 2018. It was too much. »