Tommi Mäkinen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tommi Mäkinen

Mäkinen in 2016
Personal information
Nationality	Finnish
Born	(1964-06-26) 26 June 1964 (age 61) Puuppola, Jyväskylä, Finland
World Rally Championship record
Active years	1987–2003
Co-driver	Jari Nieminen Risto Mannisenmäki Rodney Spokes Timo Hantunen Seppo Harjanne Kaj Lindström
Teams	Mitsubishi, Subaru, Nissan
Rallies	139
Championships	4 (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999)
Rally wins	24
Podiums	45
Stage wins	361
Total points	544
First rally	1987 1000 Lakes Rally
First win	1994 1000 Lakes Rally
Last win	2002 Monte Carlo Rally
Last rally	2003 Rally Great Britain

Tommi Mäkinen is a famous Finnish rally driver and racing executive. He was born on June 26, 1964. He is known as one of the most successful rally drivers ever.

Tommi Mäkinen is one of the top rally drivers in history. He has won 24 rallies, which puts him fifth all-time. He also won four World Rally Championships, tying him for third place. In 2018, he made history by becoming the first person to win a World Rally Championship both as a driver and as the head of a team.

He won the World Rally Championship four times in a row. This happened in 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999. Each time, he was driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution car for the Ralliart team. He also helped Mitsubishi win the team championship in 1998. In 2000, he won the Race of Champions, which is a special event where top drivers compete. His co-drivers, who helped him navigate, included Seppo Harjanne, Kaj Lindström, and Risto Mannisenmäki.

Racing Career Highlights

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III, which Mäkinen used in the 1996 Rally Finland

Tommi Mäkinen started his career by winning the Group N Finnish Rally Championship in 1988. His first big win in a world rally event was in 1994 at the 1000 Lakes Rally (now called Rally Finland). He was driving a Ford Escort RS Cosworth then.

He joined the Mitsubishi team in 1995. This is where he really started to shine. In 1996, he won the Safari Rally, which helped him build a big lead in the championship. He then won the title in Australia, beating his rival Colin McRae. Tommi Mäkinen continued to win every drivers' championship for Mitsubishi from 1996 to 1999.

In 1998, the Mitsubishi team, with Tommi and Richard Burns as drivers, also won their only team championship. A video game called Tommi Mäkinen Rally was released that same year. In 2000, he won the Monte Carlo Rally, but he didn't win the overall championship that year. Mitsubishi even made a special 'Tommi Mäkinen edition' of their Lancer Evolution VI road car to celebrate his wins. This car had a unique front bumper and sometimes a red and white paint job, just like his rally car.

Mäkinen with a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo at the 2001 Rally Finland.

Tommi Mäkinen stayed with Mitsubishi until the end of the 2001 season. He finished third in the standings that year. During this time, his co-driver Risto Mannisenmäki was injured in a crash, which affected their racing.

Mäkinen achieved his last victory with Subaru.

In 2002, Tommi Mäkinen moved to the Subaru World Rally Team. He won one more rally, the 2002 Monte Carlo Rally. This was his last victory in the World Rally Championship. He retired from the sport after the 2003 season. He finished his career with a third-place finish at the Rally Great Britain.

After retiring as a driver, Tommi Mäkinen started his own company in 2004 called Tommi Mäkinen Racing Oy Ltd. This company helps prepare rally cars and supports other drivers.

In 2016, Tommi Mäkinen became the team principal for Toyota Gazoo Racing. This is Toyota's official team in the World Rally Championship. In 2018, his team won the World Rally Championship, which was Toyota's first team title since 1999.

Personal Life

Tommi Mäkinen was born in Puuppola, a town near Jyväskylä, Finland. Since 1999, he has lived in both Jyväskylä and Monte Carlo, Monaco. He is married and has two children.

World Rally Championship Victories

Here are all of Tommi Mäkinen's wins in the World Rally Championship:

Number	Event	Season	Co-driver	Car
1	44th 1000 Lakes Rally	1994	Seppo Harjanne	Ford Escort RS Cosworth
2	45th International Swedish Rally	1996	Seppo Harjanne	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3
3	44th Safari Rally Kenya	1996	Seppo Harjanne	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3
4	16º Rally Argentina	1996	Seppo Harjanne	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3
5	46th Neste 1000 Lakes Rally	1996	Seppo Harjanne	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3
6	9th API Rally Australia	1996	Seppo Harjanne	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3
7	30º TAP Rallye de Portugal	1997	Seppo Harjanne	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4
8	33º Rallye Catalunya-Costa Brava (Rallye de España)	1997	Seppo Harjanne	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4
9	17º Rally Argentina	1997	Seppo Harjanne	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4
10	47th Neste Rally Finland	1997	Seppo Harjanne	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4
11	47th International Swedish Rally	1998	Risto Mannisenmäki	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4
12	18º Rally Argentina	1998	Risto Mannisenmäki	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5
13	48th Neste Rally Finland	1998	Risto Mannisenmäki	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5
14	40º Rallye Sanremo - Rallye d'Italia	1998	Risto Mannisenmäki	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5
15	11th API Rally Australia	1998	Risto Mannisenmäki	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5
16	67ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo	1999	Risto Mannisenmäki	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6
17	48th International Swedish Rally	1999	Risto Mannisenmäki	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6
18	29th Rally New Zealand	1999	Risto Mannisenmäki	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6
19	41º Rallye Sanremo - Rallye d'Italia	1999	Risto Mannisenmäki	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6
20	68ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo	2000	Risto Mannisenmäki	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6
21	69ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo	2001	Risto Mannisenmäki	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6.5
22	35º TAP Rallye de Portugal	2001	Risto Mannisenmäki	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6.5
23	49th Safari Rally Kenya	2001	Risto Mannisenmäki	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6.5
24	70ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo	2002	Kaj Lindström	Subaru Impreza WRC2001

Tommi Mäkinen's WRC Career Summary

This table shows a quick overview of Tommi Mäkinen's career in the World Rally Championship:

See also

In Spanish: Tommi Mäkinen para niños

• International Rally Championship