The Finnish rally legend was paralyzed – The horrific accident pictures are arresting

Risto Mannisenmäki improved before falling apart. The TV picture cuts out as the car flies at high speed towards the rock wall.

The following pictures are a sight to behold. The Mitsubishi, with its bow completely destroyed, lies upside down on the edge of the ravine, swaying. Just a couple of meters more, and the car would have derailed down tens of meters into a ravine.

In the middle of all this destruction lies Mannisenmäki, who has hurt himself badly.

Tommi Mäkinen as a map reader, Mannisenmäki celebrated two rally world championships in his career. The journey towards the third title ended with a violent crash in Corsica in 2001. A career at the top of the rally world also ended on the French cliff.

Although his career ended in a way that Mannisenmäki did not want, he is not bitter about it. After all, he was close to losing much more.

Tommi was an old acquaintance

Mannisenmäki was already a very experienced map reader when he teamed up with Mäkinen for the 1998 season. However, the competitions in the World Championship were few and far between.

Mäkinen was a two-time world champion at this point. Seppo Harjanten leaving the karttur duties to his younger Mitsubishi Finnish star, a new sheet music reader was needed.

The selection focused on Manninenmäki.

– Tommi and I had driven one rally in 1988. That was the beginning of a friendship that remained, even though we didn’t drive together. When Sepo left, I was offered a place to return to Tommi’s side. However, it was not a given, Mannisenmäki tells Iltalehte.

That’s why the two didn’t end up in the same car. In the selection phase, Mannisenmäki had to prove his professionalism and motivation. At this point, the solid ground work was a huge help.

– I am very satisfied with the way my career was built. A lot of experience had already been accumulated before the first competition abroad. I learned to see the rally world from many different angles, says Mannisenmäki.

Cooperation with Mäkinen got off to a dream start. The world championships came at the end of the 1998 and 1999 seasons.

– We both had a huge motivation to succeed. We were ready to work hard to make it, says Mannisenmäki.

Paralysis near

Mäkinen and Mannisenmäki were firmly involved in the 2001 season’s championship fight, when the World Series moved to the silky asphalt roads of Corsica in October.

The competition was the last in Mannisenmäki’s career at the top of the sport.

In the fifth special stage of the competition, the Mitsubishi Lancer WRC driven by Mäkinen first hit a low stone wall and bounced from it nose-first into the mountain wall.

The wrecked car flipped onto its roof and slid to the edge of the ravine, where it was left swinging. A couple of sliding meters more, and the car would have fallen tens of meters down.

Mäkinen was able to save himself from the car wreck, but it was worse for Mannisenmäki.

– One of the vertebrae was crushed in the accident. It was a serious place, paralysis was close, Mannisenmäki says seriously.

Rescue operations took a long time. The destroyed wreckage of the car had to be moved away from the edge of the gorge, but carefully so that Mannisenmäki, who was still inside, would not be injured more.

Finally, the map reader was taken out of the car.

The TV image of Mannisenmäki, roped to a stretcher, is burned into the retinas of rally fans, being hoisted by a cable onto a helicopter and headed for the hospital.

No bitterness

Mannisenmäki, who was seriously injured, recovered, although the accident left its mark.

– Such injuries will never fully heal. I’m doing just fine though, no need to complain. There were ingredients for much worse, says Mannisenmäki.

Mannisenmäki was 42 years old when the accident happened. A career at the top of the rally world could have continued for a long time. Mäkinen continued his career until the end of the 2003 season. At Subaru, Mäkinen was reading notes Kaj Lindström.

After the accident, Mannisenmäki read sheet music in a few more competitions. However, the return never materialized.

– There were a lot of things that I don’t care to talk about anymore. And I’m not speculating about it any more. I am happy that I am healthy. It could have been worse, says Mannisenmäki more than 22 years after the accident.

Mannisenmäki did not remain bitter about his accident.

– More than that, I think that I had time to achieve a lot before it all ended in that crash. It could also have happened that the accident had happened earlier and a lot would have been left unachieved, Mannisenmäki describes.

Great time

Mannisenmäki compares the relationship between a working driver and a map reader to pair skating. Cooperation must work seamlessly.

It worked on Mäkinen and Mannisenmäki. As proof of this, the duo celebrated world championships at the end of the 1998 and 1999 seasons.

The pair took 13 race wins together. Three of them came in Monte Carlo, the crown jewel of the rally world.

– It was a great time. There were a lot of tough Teams and drivers. It was great that success came in such a high-level club, says Mannisenmäki.

Next generation

Mannisenmäki continued working on the rally even after the sheet music was closed.

For years, Mannisenmäki worked in the ranks of AKK from young Finnish drivers in schools to the next generation of rally stars. With the teachings of Mannisenmäki, he rose to the top of the sport, among other things Juho Hänninen.

Mannisenmäki still follows the rally, although schedules are no longer built based on the WC program.

– These modern results services are really convenient, Mannisenmäki praises modern technology.

The sheet music reading in the family has been passed on to the next generation. Ville Mannisenmäki reads sheet music Teemu to Asunmaa. At the end of the season, the couple celebrated the rally Finnish championship.

– The boys drove well, Mannisenmäki laughs while praising the duo.