Timo Rautiainen (co-driver)
The calm, strategic voice beside a rally legend, navigating treacherous roads to two world championships.
Born 1964 (age 62)·Finnish rally co-driver·Birthday: November 13·Baby Boomers
Biography
In the roaring, dusty world of rally racing, the driver gets the glory, but the co-driver holds the map to victory. Timo Rautiainen was the essential, unflappable counterpart to Marcus Grönholm's explosive talent. Their partnership, which began in 1995, became one of the most successful in World Rally Championship history. Rautiainen's role was cerebral and critical: reading pace notes at a blistering speed, calling out turns, jumps, and hazards with unerring precision while hurtling through forests and down mountain passes. His steady Finnish demeanor provided the perfect balance to Grönholm's aggressive driving style. Together at Peugeot and later Ford, they notched 30 rally wins. Rautiainen's contribution was fundamental to securing Grönholm's two driver's titles, a masterclass in trust and teamwork. His career exemplifies that in rallying, the best partnerships are a fusion of two distinct skills into a single, championship-winning unit.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Timo was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Timo Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Timo's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-drove for Marcus Grönholm to win the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 2000 and 2002.
- Won 30 individual World Rally Championship events during his tenure as Grönholm's co-driver.
- Competed at the highest level of WRC with factory teams Peugeot (2000-2005) and Ford (2006-2007).
- His partnership with Grönholm lasted 13 seasons, from 1995 to 2007, one of the longest and most successful in WRC.
Did You Know?
He is married to Marcus Grönholm's sister, making his professional partnership also a family connection.
After retiring from co-driving, he worked as a safety delegate for the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).
He and Grönholm were known for their exceptionally clear and concise in-car communication, a key to their success.
His first WRC rally win with Grönholm was the 2000 Swedish Rally, which kicked off their first championship year.
“Left six into right four long, don't cut.”
