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 60) 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 Antero Mäkinen (born 26 June 1964) is a famous Finnish racing expert and a former rally driver. Rallying is a type of car racing where drivers race on public or private roads using special cars.

Mäkinen is one of the most successful World Rally drivers ever. He has won 24 rallies, which puts him fifth in history. He also won four championships, tying with another great driver, Juha Kankkunen. Only Sébastien Ogier (8 wins) and Sébastien Loeb (9 wins) have won more championships. In 2018, Tommi Mäkinen made history. He became the first person to win a World Rally Championship as both a driver and a team boss for Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT.

He won the World Rally Championship four times in a row. He won in 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999. For all these wins, he drove a Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. He also helped Mitsubishi win the team championship in 1998. In 2000, he won the Race of Champions, a special event where top drivers from different racing types compete. His co-drivers, who help him navigate during races, included Seppo Harjanne, Kaj Lindström, and Risto Mannisenmäki.

Tommi Mäkinen's Racing Journey

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III that Mäkinen drove in the 1996 Rally Finland.

Tommi Mäkinen started his career by winning the Group N Finnish Rally Championship in 1988. He drove a Lancia Delta HF 4WD. His first big win in a world rally came in 1994 at the 1000 Lakes Rally (now called Rally Finland). He was driving a Ford Escort RS Cosworth then.

Mäkinen became a top driver a bit later than some others. He got his first full-time spot with a car manufacturer, Mitsubishi, in 1995. He drove a Group A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. After that, his success came very quickly.

Becoming a Champion with Mitsubishi

In 1996, Mäkinen won the tough Safari Rally. This win helped him build a big lead in the championship. He then secured the title in Australia, beating his rival, Colin McRae from Subaru. He continued to win every drivers' championship for Mitsubishi from 1996 to 1999.

The Mitsubishi team, with Mäkinen and Richard Burns as drivers, also won their only team championship in 1998. Later that year, a video game called Tommi Mäkinen Rally was released. In 2000, Mäkinen started the year with a win at the Monte Carlo Rally. However, he finally lost his championship title to fellow Finn, Marcus Grönholm.

To celebrate his past wins, Mitsubishi even made a special 'Tommi Mäkinen edition' of the road version of the Lancer Evolution VI car. This car looked different at the front, and some even had red and white paint like his rally car.

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

Mäkinen stayed with Mitsubishi until the end of the 2001 season. He finished third in the standings that year. During this time, Mitsubishi introduced their first ever World Rally Car. Mäkinen and his teammate Freddy Loix had trouble with the new car. Mäkinen's crash in Corsica even caused his co-driver, Mannisenmäki, to break his back. This accident sadly ended Mannisenmäki's top-level career. Mäkinen had to use different co-drivers for the last races of the season.

Moving to Subaru and Retirement

Mäkinen achieved his last victory with Subaru.

For the 2002 season, Mäkinen moved to the Prodrive-run Subaru World Rally Team. He replaced Richard Burns, who went to drive for Peugeot. At Subaru, Mäkinen won one more rally, his last career victory. This happened at the 2002 Monte Carlo Rally. He won after another driver, Sébastien Loeb, had a technical problem with his car. After this win, Mäkinen's performance dropped, and he didn't win any more world titles.

He decided to retire from rally driving after the 2003 season. He finished his World Rally Championship career with a great result, taking third place at the final rally of that season, Rally Great Britain.

Life After Driving

In 2004, Tommi Mäkinen started his own company called Tommi Mäkinen Racing Oy Ltd. His company's goal was to prepare rally cars and help other drivers.

In 2016, Mäkinen became the team principal (the boss) of Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT. This is Toyota's official team in the World Rally Championship (WRC). In 2018, his team won the World Rally Championship. This was Toyota's first team title since 1999, and it showed Mäkinen's amazing skill as a leader.

About Tommi Mäkinen's Life

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.

Tommi Mäkinen's World Rally Championship Wins

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

Summary of WRC Career

See also

• International Rally Championship