Jani Paasonen Sumar
Jani Paasonen is no stranger to the Škoda Motorsport World Rally Team having contested the 2004 Rally Finland and Rally GB for the team. His performance on his home event brought the Fabia WRC home in sixth place and earned Jani the Inmarsat Star of the Rally Award. He joins the team for 2005 to contest a selected events programme of gravel rallies.
The former Finnish Group N champion has shown both speed and determination while retaining a relaxed humour
that quickly endeared him to the team during 2004.
Last season Jani contested the Production Car World Rally Championship. He won two events and was leading going into the final round, only to suffer a mechanical failure that cost him the title. However his experience of that series will be invaluable to the Škoda Motorsport World Rally Team on several long haul events missed out of the team’s development programme in 2004.
