In Quarantine with AUTOhebdo – Henri Toivonen and Attilio Bettega, broken destinies

There are those dates that we would have preferred never to commemorate. At Lancia, May 2 will forever remain a black day. In quick succession, in 1985 and 1986, the Italian team lost Attilio Bettega in Corsica, then the duo Henri Toivonen – Sergio Cresto, all tragically missing in two accidents which highlighted the shortcomings of Group B cars in terms of safety .

If Bettega had started his career at the highest level with a Lancia Stratos, it was above all with FIAT and the 131 Abarth that the native of Molveno made his mark in the World Cup until 1981. His first podiums were obtained on his home soil at Sanremo in 1979 then in Greece in 1981.

In 1982, the Italian joined the great Lancia team, with a new car developed specifically for Group B: the 037. At the wheel of this two-wheel drive, Bettega had a string of first-rate results, signing his best result at the Sanremo 1984 with a second place behind Ari Vatanen.

Henri Toivonen did not gravitate into the Lancia fold at the start of his career. The Finn, son of Pauli Toivonen, European rally champion at the end of the 60s and winner of the Rally Monte-Carlo in 1966 with a Citroën DS, logically began on its northern lands with a good number of cars (Citroën, Chrysler, Simca), before starting to export its talent to the World Cup in 1978.

But it was in Great Britain that the talent of the man who would later be nicknamed the Little Prince came to light. If Finland remains one of his favorite playgrounds, it is with the Ford Escort RS1800 then the Talbot Sunbeam that Henri Toivonen confronts the cream of European drivers in events such as the Manx or the Circuit of Ireland .

From 1980, his appearances in the World Championship were more regular, and the young talent established himself at the RAC before being part of Talbot's victorious epic in 1981, with the world brands title, in perfect complement to Guy Fréquelin.

The following year, a new global and British campaign for Henri Toivonen, this time within the Opel team, alongside a certain Walter Röhrl, who won his second crown in WRC.

The podiums followed one another for two seasons, without success in the WRC however for the driver of the Ascona then the Manta 400. In 1984, still supported by his usual sponsor, Henri Toivonen competed for the majority of the season on a Porsche 911 SC, multiplying victories in the European Championship.

But for the first time, he joined the ranks of Lancia, for three rallies, with a podium finish in Finland. After a difficult year in 1985 for the 037, technically dominated by four-wheel drive Peugeot 205 T16 and Audi Quattro Sport in the lead, and for Toivonen, victim of a serious accident at Costa Smeralda, the end of the championship saw the Italian brand launch its furious Delta S4.

Although the development was not easy for the Italian troops, the car's first outing was more than successful. Henri Toivonen and Markku Alen sign a resounding double at the RAC. 1986 therefore presents itself with renewed ambitions for the transalpine clan.

And the Monte-Carlo Rally does not fail to kick off the campaign with an incredible scenario. Quickly at the forefront, Toivonen was slowed down by an accident with a car on a road course.

Despite a car lapping for a while, the Finn didn't give up against the Peugeot 205 T16 Evo2 of world champion Timo Salonen, but a puncture caused him to lose more time. However, it is he who comes to impose himself in the Principality at the end of the last night, 20 years after his father Pauli.

We then think of the Little Prince and his co-pilot Sergio Cresto setting out to aim for the crown. Until that disastrous May 2, 1986 at the bend of a Corsican bend...