Henry Toivonen 1956-1986
Autosport's 40th anniversary supplement looked at the event in this way:
"Mystery surrounded the death of Henri Toivonen and Sergio Cresto on the 1986 Tour de Corse: no one saw the Lancia plunge from the hillside into the trees, and such was the intensity of the subsequent fire, there were no clues from the charred remains of the car's spaceframe.
The date, May 4 (May 2nd - I believe this is a mis-print in the article), was already etched in the memory of rally fans, for one year earlier Attilio Bettega had been killed during the Corsican road race. The consequences of Toivonen's accident were sudden and far-reaching. Within hours FISA President Balestre cancelled the Group B supercar era.
Henri broke onto the World scene in 1980, winning the RAC Rally in a Talbot Sunbeam Lotus. The raw talent was there, but a curious blend of impatience and a youthful, agressive will-to-win had denied him a frontline ride until he signed for Lancia. The character remained, but there was now maturity.
A debut win for the Delta S4 on the RAC was followed by victory on the Monte. And in Corsica, car no 4 was utterly dominant, more than 2 minutes clear during the second day and still attacking, this despite Henri being stricken by severe flu prior to the rally start. At rest halts, the 29-year-old appeared almost in a daze. How he produced such speed, was almost beyond belief. It was a mystery which could have only been solved after the rally finish when the Finn would typically have relaxed and produced his background stories which journalists loved.
Instead, the mystery was compounded. There was never such a dark day as that May morning. The news of the accident was received in almost stunned silence by the Lancia mechanics waiting at the end of the stage. Garbled messages crossed the air waves and, as the truth dawned, Henri's friends openly wept. A dear friend had been lost to us all. The following day, FISA killed his reason for being there at all. Things would never be the same again....."
After the accident, a memorial stone was set up at the corner where Henri and Sergio lost their lives. Inevitably, there are always fresh flowers there, which prove that Henri will never be forgotten. Only recently did they put a guardrail there, but the stage is still used for the Tour de Corse.
In 4 may 1985 died Attilio Bettega in the same rallies
Moments before tragedy
No hope in hell
He was very fast and very very spectacular!!!