Markko Märtin

Markko Märtin (born 10 November 1975) is a retired rally driver from Estonia, who competed in the World Rally Championship from 2000 until 2005.

Career Märtin with a Ford Focus RS WRC 04 at the 2004 Cyprus Rally.

Märtin, as understudy to then-team mates Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz, rose to prominence with the Ford World Rally Team in the 2002 season. He was leading that year's Acropolis Rally Greece until he suffered two punctures and fell behind the more experienced McRae. He won the equivalent event in Greece the following year as well as being only the third driver in the history of the WRC to break the Nordic stranglehold on the Neste Rally Finland. In addition to this, Märtin was inaugural winner, again with Ford, of the Corona Rally Mexico in the 2004 season. He also won the tarmac rallies of Corsica and Catalunya in the same year. These victories were the last for the Märtin/Michael Park partnership.

For 2005, Märtin departed the team for former constructors' champion Peugeot and its 307 car. He and co-driver Park had still notched up four podium finishes for their new employers by the time they had arrived in Wales to contest the Wales Rally Great Britain. On the final leg of the event, two kilometres from the start of Stage 15 at Margam Park, Märtin's Peugeot crashed into a tree. Although the Estonian driver was left unhurt by the crash, co-driver Michael Park was immediately killed in the accident, the first fatality for a competitor at WRC-level for over a decade. As a result, Märtin announced that he would pull out of the last four events of the 2005 season.

Shaken by the death of Park, Märtin effectively left the WRC stage. He went on to manage a junior rallying team in the Estonian rally scene, indicating that he would likely refuse any offers to drive at the top level again. He has since spoken out against the FIA's treatment of the WRC, claiming that the series had lost much of its lustre and calling for a far-reaching rules overhaul.

However, Märtin made a limited return to competitive rallying in March 2006 at the 2006 Rally of Portugal. The invitational event was held as a candidate for full WRC status. Märtin competed in a Subaru Impreza, his first outing in an FIA-spec Group N car in nearly a decade. He was co-driven by David Senior, who formerly worked with Alister McRae. Märtin also partook in the 2006 Danish Touring Car Championship with Hans Hartmann's Honda Racing.

Märtin signed a deal to become the official test driver for the Subaru World Rally Team in 2008. He has since test-driven for Ford and Mini.

Life after WRC In 2009, Märtin was hired by Ford to work as a R&D factory driver. He helped to train WRC rookie Ken Block for the 2010 WRC season. On 7 June 2010, it was announced that Märtin would race in Rally Estonia, which took place on 16–18 July 2010 and which was also an IRC candidate event. Märtin drove a Ford Focus RS WRC 03, which he referred to as "the best rally car in the world." Märtin won all twelve stages, second place, Ott Tänak lost 2.50,3.

Together with his father, Märtin runs a haulage company in Estonia. He also rents out land and property, most prominently a piece of land to Autospirit, an Estonian car dealership. In 2005 he also created MM Motorsport, which won several Estonian Rally Championship titles. The team also has numerous Ford Fiesta R5 for rent.

Personal life Märtin lives in Monaco with Miss Model Estonia 2004 Mari-Liis Sallo and they welcomed their first child together in summer 2007.

Märtin also appeared in the 2019 documentary film Ott Tänak: The Movie and in the 2023 film Legends of the Winding Roads as one of the interviewees.

Märtin was a good friend of Richard Burns and was in the car at the time when Burns collapsed at the wheel on a UK motorway; Märtin managed to steer the car to the hard shoulder to avoid any incident. Burns's collapse was a result of an aggressive brain tumour that eventually led to his death.

Complete World Rally Championship results (key) Year Entrant Chassis 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 WDC Points 1997 Markko Märtin Toyota Celica GT-Four ST185 MON SWE KEN POR ESP FRA ARG GRC NZL FINRet IDN ITA AUS GBR NC 0 1998 Markko Märtin Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205 MON SWE KEN PORRet ESP FRA ARG GRC NZL FIN12 ITA9 AUS GBRRet NC 0 1999 Markko Märtin Ford Escort WRC MON SWE8 KEN PORRet 18th 2 Toyota Corolla WRC AE111 ESP FRA ARG GRC5 NZL FINRet CHN ITARet AUS GBR8 2000 Lukoil EOS Rally Team Toyota Corolla WRC AE111 MON SWE9 KEN POR7 ESP10 ARG GRCRet NZL FIN10 CYP6 FRA ITARet GBR7 21st 1 Subaru World Rally Team Subaru Impreza WRC2000 AUSRet 2001 Subaru World Rally Team Subaru Impreza WRC2001 MONRet SWE12 PORRet ESPRet ARG CYP GRCRet KEN FIN5 NZL ITARet FRA6 AUS GBRRet 19th 3 2002 Ford Motor Co Ford Focus RS WRC 02 MON12 SWEDNS FRA8 ESP8 CYP8 ARG4 GRC6 KEN4 FIN5 GER6 ITA5 NZLRet AUS5 GBR2 9th 20 2003 Ford Motor Co Ford Focus RS WRC 02 MON4 SWE4 TUR6 5th 49 Ford Focus RS WRC 03 NZLRet ARGRet GRC1 CYPRet GER5 FIN1 AUSDSQ ITA3 FRARet ESP3 GBRRet 2004 Ford Motor Co Ford Focus RS WRC 03 MON2 SWE7 MEX1 3rd 79 Ford Focus RS WRC 04 NZL3 CYP2 GRCRet TUR24 ARGRet FIN2 GER4 JPN3 GBR3 ITARet FRA1 ESP1 AUSRet 2005 Peugeot Peugeot 307 WRC MON4 SWE2 MEX3 NZL5 ITA4 CYP3 TUR5 GRC8 ARG6 FIN3 GER4 GBRRet JPN FRA ESP AUS 5th 53

WRC victories Number Event Season Co-driver Car 1 50 th BP Ultimate Acropolis Rally of Greece

2 53rd Neste Rally Finland 3 18º Corona Rally México

4 48ème Tour de Corse – Rallye de France

5 40º Rallye Catalunya-Costa Brava (Rallye de España)