The 65-year-old Kankkunen, who won four world championships during his career, still occasionally works for Toyota. Last week, he had the honour of driving two Toyota rally cars during the Rally Hokkaido, part of the Japanese Rally Championship.
Kankkunen displayed his skills on the Rikubetsu Long super special stage, driving both the iconic Toyota Celica (ST185) and the Toyota Yaris WRC car. Kankkunen won his last world championship in 1993 with a similar Celica.
The crowd watched closely as the Finnish legend tackled the gravel section with the Celica. When Kankkunen parked the car, Japanese fans surrounded the four-time world champion.
“I was here last year as well, and I know this stage. It’s a very good stage for demo runs. And Hokkaido island is really beautiful, completely different from the main island. So it’s nice to be here,” Kankkunen warmed up the crowd in an interview.
“Hokkaido island looks a little bit like Finland. If you look at the forest, it’s exactly the same, and the air is very fresh. There’s also a lot of farmland here. So it almost feels like being at home,” Kankkunen remarked.
Watch the video of Kankkunen’s demo drive below.
In recent years, Kankkunen has visited Japan regularly for promotional work. For example, at the 2022 Japan WRC, he presented the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 car to the public for the first time. The car’s official debut in the WRC took place at this year’s Rally Monte Carlo.
The Hokkaido Rally was won by Japanese driver Hiroki Arai, ahead of Australia’s Harry Bates. This marked Arai’s fourth consecutive victory in the Japanese Rally Championship.
