Ex-world champion Mikkola died at the age of 78

Former Finnish rally star Hannu Mikkola died of cancer at the age of 78, according to a statement from his family on Saturday.

Mikkola won 18 world championship races and in 1983 was the first driver to win the title for Audi with an all-wheel drive car. He was also three times vice world champion. He won the 1,000 lakes rally in Finland seven times.

Two of his successors, Sebastien Ogier, born in 1983, and Carlos Sainz, regretted the death of “one of the legends of our sport” and “one of the best pilots of all time” on the short message service Twitter.

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