Relaxed Risto

Risto Pietiläinen began co-driving for Harri Rovanperä in 1989. The then-beginners picked up the necessary speed for rallying in the Finnish F-Cups during 1991-93.

Risto’s first WRC rally was the 1993 Thousand Lakes Rally, when Harri drove an Opel Manta as a scholarship driver. The next year, Harri and Risto placed third in the rally’s group N competition in a Mitsubishi Galant.

After winning the 1995 Finnish championship with an Opel Astra, Harri’s international career began, but Risto remained at home. In the 1996 Finland WRC Rally, Risto co-drove for Janne Tuohino in an Opel Astra.
After a couple years’ sabbatical break, Risto got back in the co-driver’s seat for the 1998 Portugal Rally, when he and Harri won the third consecutive 2-litre championship for Seat. That same year, Seat had its WR car debut in the Finland WRC Rally. The season ended with Risto’s first co-drivers’ points, when he and Harri came in sixth in the Great Britain Rally.

”The worse the conditions, the better his notes ended up working.”
- Harri Rovanperä praising his co-driver after winnig the 1999 Col de Turini stage of the Monte Carlo Rally.

The 1999 Monte Carlo Rally demonstrated that the Rovanperä– Pietiläinen pair could accomplish the near-impossible. The Seat team celebrated the Finnish duo's performance during the famed Col de Turini stage. The season ended even more handsomely, when Risto navigated Harri and their Seat WR car to the first podium spot in the Great Britain Rally being third.

In 2000, Risto only co-drove in four WRC rallies with Harri, but a fourth place in Portugal and a close third in Finland were amazing displays of Harri's and Risto's skills with their Toyota WR Corolla.

The pair's first WRC win came in the 2001 Sweden Rally, and since then Risto has guided Harri and Peugeot to the podium seven times. In all of the competitions they have driven and finished in a Peugeot team car, the pair has earned WRC points.

In 2002 Risto became seriously ill, suffering a brain aneurysm just before the 2002 Finland WRC Rally. Risto feels privileged that he was able to return to the season-ending Great Britain Rally after missing just five WRC rallies over his three months of sick leave.

The season 2003 turned out disappointing, however, just like the following season 2004. But the next season 2005, together with a new car, will hopefully give all that’s necessary for more success coming.