On the occasion of Yamaha's 65th anniversary, let's look back at six riders, who, in six different decades, made the tuning fork brand shine. Here is the continuation of the story dedicated to Teuvo Länsivuori, representative of the 1970s.
Thanks to these convincing results, he was contacted by Yamaha through the Finnish importer, Arwidson. This clearly takes Finnish to another dimension. He joins his friend, also riding Yamahas from the same group. Isn't destiny incredible?
The start of the season is going wonderfully for the two thieves, entered in 250cc and 350cc. While Jarno shines brightly in both categories, Teuvo performs honorably and even manages to get on the podium in Germany, alongside his friend.
Then comes the Grand Prix des Nations, at Monza. The departure, the fall of Renzo Pasolini. Screams. The fear. The stopping of the world. Two great pilots had just left the world, provoking reactions all over the globe. Jarno Saarinen considered a future legend, succumbed to his injuries leaving his friend with whom it all started alone. While Yamaha showed all its respect to the deceased and their families, Länsivuori questioned himself. A part of him had just died, right there, before his eyes. For a while, he went into a dark period and seriously considered stopping all forms of competition. And so what ? Why not try to honor the memory of your friend?
The atypical Yamaha YZR500 OW20 used by the Finn in 1974.
With barely credible determination, he decides to finish the season by remaining loyal to Yamaha. He was a different man from that moment on. Victory in Belgium, Czechia, Sweden regardless of the category: he's running for something bigger.
But there comes a round like no other. That of Imatra, in Finland, where it all began. Teuvo puts his emotions aside, and flies to one of the most symbolic victories in Grand Prix history. Everyone is behind him, including Dieter Braun, winner of a title he could have done without. A moment filled with emotions like few others during the Yamaha epic. “Tepi” finished second in the two championships in which he participated, punctuating this dark season with a good statistical record.
Freed from weight, he raced again in the following years and managed to accumulate good results for Yamaha. In 1974, he even placed third in the 500cc championship. Subsequently, he decided to go to Suzuki's heyday in 500cc, continuing to perform despite the change of machine. But his six years of good and loyal service, coupled with an extraordinary fraternal history make him a character apart in the history of Yamaha.
