Ove Andersson facts for kids
Ove Andersson at the Monaco Grand Prix 2002
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Quick facts for kids Personal information |
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| Nationality |  Swedish |
| Born | 3 January 1938 Uppsala, Sweden |
| Died | 11 June 2008 (aged 70) Oudtshoorn, South Africa |
| World Rally Championship record | |
| Active years | 1973–1982 |
| Co-driver |  Jean Todt Piero Sodano Gunnar Häggbom Geraint Phillips Arne Hertz Claes Billstam Martin Holmes Henry Liddon Robert Gröndahl |
| Teams | Toyota, Toyota Team Europe |
| Rallies | 28 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Rally wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 7 |
| Stage wins | 20 |
| Total points | 32 |
| First rally | 1973 Monte Carlo Rally |
| First win | 1975 Safari Rally |
| Last rally | 1982 Rallye Côte d'Ivoire |
Ove Andersson (born January 3, 1938 – died June 11, 2008) was a famous Swedish rally driver. People sometimes called him Påven, which means "the Pope". He also became the first leader of Toyota's Formula One racing team.
Contents
Early Life and His Love for Speed
Ove Andersson was born in Uppsala, Sweden. He grew up on a farm far from the city. His father bought a small 98cc motorbike. Ove said this was when he first fell in love with speed and machines.
He started studying engineering in Uppsala. He also helped out at ice races. But he soon left his studies. He became an apprentice to a blacksmith. Later, he worked at a car repair shop. The owner saw how good Ove was with motorbikes. He encouraged Ove to start racing cars.
After his military service, Ove wanted to join the United Nations again. But it was hard to do. A friend asked him to join a rally. They finished in 6th place. Other rally drivers saw his talent. But Ove did not have much money for racing. His friend Bengt Söderström became a factory driver for Saab. Ove could borrow parts to make his own car better. He decided to focus on his racing career.
Ove Andersson's Rally Career
In 1963, Ove Andersson drove for the first time as a factory-backed driver. This means a car company supported him. He drove a Mini in the Swedish Rally. He impressed the team boss, Stuart Turner. Because of this, he got a Mini Cooper S for the RAC Rally.
He drove for Saab in 1964 and 1965. But he felt that Erik Carlsson got better cars from Saab. In 1965, he raced for Lancia in three championships. He finished third in all of them. He also won the Swedish World Rally in a Lotus Cortina. In 1967, he won the famous Monte Carlo Rally with Lancia.
Ove signed with Ford for 1968. But he still raced for Lancia in other events. He drove in the Daytona 24 hours and the Monte Carlo Rally. In 1971, he joined Alpine. He won many races with an Alpine A110. These included the Monte Carlo Rally and Acropolis Rally. Alpine won the International Championship for Manufacturers title that year. In 1972, he finished second in the Monte Carlo rally. His co-driver was Jean Todt.
After the World Rally Championship started in 1973, Ove mainly drove a Toyota Celica. He finished on the podium seven times in 28 races. He won the 1975 Safari Rally in a Peugeot 504. His co-driver was Arne Hertz.
World Rally Championship Victories
| # | Event | Season | Co-driver | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  23rd Safari Rally |
1975 | Arne Hertz | Peugeot 504 |
Leading Toyota Team Europe
In the early 1970s, Ove Andersson started his own rally team. It was called Andersson Motorsport. This team later became known as Toyota Team Europe (TTE). In 1979, he moved the team from Uppsala to Cologne Germany. This was so they could compete in the World Rally Championship.
TTE started winning regularly in the 1980s. Drivers like Juha Kankkunen and Björn Waldegård helped them succeed. The 1990s were TTE's most successful years in World Rally. Drivers such as Carlos Sainz, Juha Kankkunen, and Didier Auriol brought many victories. In 1993, Toyota Motor Corporation bought TTE. They renamed it Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG).
In 1995, TMG faced a challenge. They were banned for twelve months from the WRC. This was because they used a special part on their Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205. This part helped the car go faster but was not allowed.
Besides rally racing, Toyota Motorsport also tried to win the Le Mans 24 Hours race. This is a very long endurance race. The team built the Toyota GT-One race car. They entered it in 1998 and 1999. Their best result was second place.
Moving to Formula One
After Le Mans, the Cologne factory began a new project. They wanted to create a Formula One racing team. Ove Andersson was chosen to lead this new team. They designed and built their first test car in 2001. This car, the Toyota TF101, was used for testing around the world. Toyota officially joined F1 in 2002. Mika Salo and Allan McNish drove the car in its first season.
Ove led the team during its first few years. He retired in 2003. But he stayed on as an advisor for Toyota Motorsport.
His Passing
Ove Andersson died on June 11, 2008. He was in a crash during a vintage rally. This happened near George, South Africa.
The Toyota F1 Team honored Ove in many ways. Tadashi Yamashina, who was the head of Toyota Motorsport at the time, said he was very sad. At the 2008 French Grand Prix, both Toyota cars had black stripes. This was a sign of respect. Jarno Trulli finished on the podium at that race. He dedicated his success to Ove Andersson.
