MIIKKA ANTTILA
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If it wasn't for a former neighbour, Miikka Anttila may never have discovered his talents in the co-driving seat. In 1993, while studying for a bachelor degree in automotive engineering, Anttila noticed his neighbour hard at work on a Toyota Starlet and curiosity got the better of him. Discovering the work was to be a Group F car for local rallies, he dismissed his friend's offer of assisting with servicing and asked if he could co-drive instead.
Firmly bitten by the rallying bug, the following year Anttila and a classmate from university competed in the B Juniors F-Cup championship in a Ford Escort, finishing fourth. Early in 1995 he answered an advertisement in the Finnish Automobile Sport Federation's newspaper seeking interest in a new Rally Coaching School for co-drivers. Anttila was one of only six people chosen to participate from the vast number of enquiries and, ironically, one of his colleagues was new team-mate Jarmo Lehtinen. His reputation as a co-driver grew and he was asked to assist a number of drivers at different events for the remainder of that year.
He was determined to finish his studies so in 1996 he moved to Britain for a one-year masters degree in automotive engineering, returning home to a management position with Nokian Tyres.
In 1999, he struck up a partnership with Janne Tuohino which lasted for two seasons and saw many highlights - including winning the national Group N Championship and entering his first ever WRC event, the 1999 Rally Finland, where he finished eighth in a Ford Escort WRC. The following year they finished fourth in the Finnish Championship in a Toyota Corolla WRC.
In 2001 Anttila partnered Jani Pirttinen in the German Championship and the following season he joined forces with Mikko Hirvonen, who had such a busy development programme that he needed two co-drivers. They won the F2 category in the Finnish Championship in a Volkswagen Golf Kit Car and also competed in Italian asphalt rallies in a Renault Clio S1600 to gain more experience. The pair also tackled two world rallies, Finland and San Remo, in their Renault. They won their class in Rally Finland, which was Anttila's first world rally.
In 2003 he joined forces with Jari-Matti Latvala during the second half of the season, a partnership that has remained unbroken ever since. Anttila guided his young colleague through several seasons of learning in the WRC in a variety of cars before, stepping up to a full-time programme with the Stobart VK M-Sport team in 2007.
Last year Anttila moved up to the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team with Latvala and claimed his maiden WRC victory in Sweden.
In the little spare time that he has, Anttila enjoys cross-country and downhill skiing, jogging, mountain biking, land skating and, when he can, enjoys renovating his 'new' old house.