Finland's Motorsport talent system

[Sulland]

It is amazing to follow the way Soumi/ Finland is coming up with Top-Line drivers in both Rally and F1 all the time !

But this is not due to coincidence, it is due to a model the Finns have followed for a long time.
The Finns on the forum can explain much better than me, but the model in short is that the current top drivers get a responsibility to help one or more of the fresh talented drivers the last bit to the top.

I am not sure if there are Agents/Managers or other people sitting in the background, working towards the same goal.

Can a Finn please explain in detail ?

My point is that more Nations need to learn from this, since the system seems to work perfectly !

Do other countries have ways/systems of helping talent to the top, or is it every man for himself ?

[Tomi]

I think it's much like you explained, the federation also arranges courses (teachers are absolute top level, meaning world champions) and has special coaching for the most talented, but good manager is the most important, rally is expensive.
Also the past champs helps out in what they can, for instance i read from the forum today that Dele is going to start in monte with top car, if he can arrange such ride for himself, he could have done it for someone who really need the drive, thats the difference.
Also its good to have a top level national series, you have to drive flatout right from the start of the carreer, the others anyway will.
Forgot to mention that a good planning is important too, what series to drive and when in what cars and so on, its also important to show the sponsors progress, so they continiue to help.

[rp]

cheap cars, good roads and oil money...

Just kidding, the one thing is for sure the long tradition in rallying, world´s best rally roads and lately Mr Timo Jouhki. He was the manager of Juha, Tommi and Harri and is still involved in rallying very strongly with Toni, Mikko and J-M. Without him only one Finnish rally driver has reached the highest level during the last 20 years and it was Marcus...

Sadly Mr Jouhki has said that he may not take a new protégé anymore, but who knows if he finds really talented driver...

[A.F.F.]

Don't forget what AKK has done with their training program.

[Finni]

I would say that Finland just has largest material of fast drivers in rallying. There is program by AKK but I am not sure if it's behind of many succesfull driver. Normally finnish drivers has to achieve certain level of mastery in tough national series and then he can dream about sponsoring. For instance in Britain you need only right father or right face to become wrc-driver (Wilson, Mchale contra Meeke and Wilks). In Norway the overall level in national championship is too slender to produce consistently top wrc-drivers.

As to F1 I have impression that Räikkönen and Kovalainen for instance came up quite normal route. Räikkönen drove in Europe and then became picked up to Formulla Renault by englismen named Robertsons?

[jparker]

Speaking of training programs and talent systems, what's Anton Alen's history of training?

[GruppoB]

Its quite simple

FINISH RALLY MAFIA

I kid!

[jparker]

Its quite simple

FINISH RALLY MAFIA

I kid!

I don't think so. Some kids just don't get it, so it must be something else.

[Magnus]

I have always wondered why sweden is som dominating in the WRC
We have the gravel roads, we have more people then Finland, we have a big motorsport community, may be those are the reasons.
I am fed up with it. I am thinking of becoming a finn or a norse instead, or maybe we can just take them with brute military force? But nah, the only thing which is brute in Sweden is the taxes...

[AndyRAC]

The Finnish governing body (AKK) obviously want their drivers to do well, and will support them properly. In UK we have the MSA, enough said.....