GROUP B TOP 10 DRIVES
With all that grunt, it took some special men and women to harness the raw power of these rally monsters. Anthony Peacock looks at 10 of the best performances from this legendary formula
Beasts off the leash: Group B cars demanded respect, and often made heroes of their drivers
McKLEIN, ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ALASDAIR LINDSAY
Ari Vatanen
1985 Monte-Carlo: 1st
Comebacks don’t get bigger than this. Going up against Walter Röhrl in the mountains above Monte Carlo was usually a fruitless endeavour, as the Audi legend had won four of the previous five editions. But Ari Vatanen had found the groove and was flying, taking the lead in his Peugeot 205 T16. Alas, an early check-in by Vatanen’s navigator Terry Harryman cost him eight minutes in penalties, along with the lead and seemingly any chance of beating Röhrl. But an inspired tyre gamble, taking studded snow boots while Röhrl went for asphalt rubber, meant that Vatanen retook the lead. He overtook the Audi Quattro Sport mid-stage as it squirrelled around desperately for grip on the Col de Saint Raphaël to emphasise the point. Vatanen would go on to take a rally win that seemed lost, finishing five minutes ahead of Röhrl in the final standings.
It's a long way from Indianapolis, but Ari Vatanen still enjoyed a glass of the white stuff after his epic Monte comeback