Tommi Mäkinen
Tommi Mäkinen is a Finnish rally driver, born in Jyväskylän maalaiskunta on 1964-06-26. Four wrc world titles is the short version of the record; the long version, season by season, is below.
Tommi Mäkinen: Career Record And Results At A Glance
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Tommi Mäkinen |
| Born | 1964-06-26 — Jyväskylän maalaiskunta |
| Nationality | Finland |
| Discipline | rally driver |
| Stories in the last 30 days | 0 |
Those fields are Wikidata claims. Each carries its own item identifier, so any of them can be re-checked at source. A missing field means neither source holds it. Nothing here is estimated.
Tommi Mäkinen Career Wins On Record
41 wins are listed on the career record. Those 41 wins are given as they appear in the source — event, season and co-driver where a co-driver applies — rather than summarised into a career total, because a summarised total is the kind of number that goes quietly out of date. The results below are the record itself — each win, the season it was won in, and the co-driver alongside him for it. A career of 41 wins reads differently depending on how many starts it took, which is why the season results follow rather than a standalone win total.
| 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 |
| Season | Team | Starts | Victories | Podiums | Stage wins | DNF | Points | Final result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Private | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | NC |
| 1988 | Private | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | NC |
| 1989 | Private | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | NC |
| 1990 | Pro Sport Rally Team | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 24th |
| 1991 | Promoracing Finland | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31st |
| 1992 | Nissan Motorsports Europe | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 40th |
| 1993 | Astra | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 10th |
| 1994 | Nissan F2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 10th |
| 1995 | Mitsubishi Ralliart | 7 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 3 | 38 | 5th |
| 1996 | Mitsubishi Ralliart | 9 | 5 | 6 | 70 | 2 | 123 | 1st |
| 1997 | Mitsubishi Ralliart | 14 | 4 | 9 | 78 | 4 | 63 | 1st |
| 1998 | Mitsubishi Ralliart | 13 | 5 | 7 | 41 | 6 | 58 | 1st |
| 1999 | Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart | 14 | 4 | 7 | 56 | 3 | 62 | 1st |
| 2000 | Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart | 14 | 1 | 5 | 27 | 5 | 36 | 5th |
| 2001 | Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart | 14 | 3 | 4 | 21 | 6 | 41 | 3rd |
| 2002 | 555 Subaru World Rally Team | 14 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 7 | 22 | 8th |
| 2003 | 555 Subaru World Rally Team | 14 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 30 | 8th |
Tommi Mäkinen Career Results, Season By Season
Tommi Mäkinen season by season from 1987 to 2003: which team, which car, and where each campaign finished. On the rally side the columns are the individual rounds, so a blank means he did not start that event and a number means he did. Wins, podiums and championship positions are in the same table rather than summarised above it.
| Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Tommi Mäkinen | Lancia Delta HF 4WD | MON | SWE | POR | KEN | FRA | GRC | USA | NZL | ARG | FIN Ret | CIV |
| 1988 | Tommi Mäkinen | Lancia Delta HF 4WD | MON | SWE | POR | KEN | FRA | GRC | USA | NZL | ARG | FIN Ret | CIV |
| 1989 | Tommi Mäkinen | Lancia Delta Integrale | SWE Ret | MON | POR | KEN | FRA | GRC | NZL | ARG | FIN Ret | AUS | ITA |
| 1990 | Pro Sport Rally Team | Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 | MON | POR | KEN | FRA | GRC | NZL 6 | ARG | FIN 11 | AUS 7 | ITA 13 | CIV |
| 1991 | Promoracing Finland | Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4 | MON | SWE 13 | 31st | 8 | |||||||
| 1992 | Nissan Motorsports Europe | Nissan Sunny GTI-R | MON 9 | SWE | POR Ret | KEN | FRA | GRC | NZL | ARG | FIN Ret | AUS | ITA |
| 1993 | Astra | Lancia Delta HF Integrale | MON | SWE 4 | POR | KEN | FRA | GRE 6 | ARG | NZL | FIN 4 | AUS | ITA |
| 1994 | Nissan F2 | Nissan Sunny GTI | MON | POR Ret | KEN | FRA | GRE | ARG | NZL | GBR 9 | 10th | ||
| 1995 | Mitsubishi Ralliart | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo II | MON 4 | SWE 2 | 5th | 38 | |||||||
| 1996 | Mitsubishi Ralliart | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III | SWE 1 | KEN 1 | IDN Ret | GRE 2 | ARG 1 | FIN 1 | AUS 1 | ITA Ret | ESP 5 | 1st | |
| 1997 | Mitsubishi Ralliart | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV | MON 3 | SWE 3 | KEN Ret | POR 1 | ESP 1 | FRA Ret | ARG 1 | GRE 3 | NZL Ret | FIN 1 | IDN Ret |
| 1998 | Mitsubishi Ralliart | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV | MON Ret | SWE 1 | KEN Ret | POR Ret | 1st | 58 | |||||
| 1999 | Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI | MON 1 | SWE 1 | KEN DSQ | POR 5 | ESP 3 | FRA 6 | ARG 4 | GRE 3 | NZL 1 | FIN Ret | CHN Ret |
Early career and WRC breakthrough
Tommi Mäkinen, born in Jyväskylän maalaiskunta in 1964, began his professional rally career in Finland. He secured the Group N Finnish Rally Championship in 1988, driving a Lancia Delta HF 4WD. This early success established his presence in national rallying.
Mäkinen’s entry into the World Rally Championship's top tier was a gradual process. His first WRC victory came on home soil, at the 1994 1000 Lakes Rally, driving a Ford Escort RS Cosworth. This performance showcased his potential on the international stage. In 1995, Mäkinen secured a full-time manufacturer seat with Mitsubishi, campaigning a Group A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution alongside Kenneth Eriksson. This marked a significant step in his WRC trajectory, leading to immediate and sustained success.
Dominance and multiple championships
Mäkinen’s WRC career peaked with an unprecedented run of four consecutive World Rally Drivers' Championships. He achieved this feat from 1996 to 1999, each title secured with the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. His 1996 Safari Rally win provided the foundation for his first championship, which he clinched in Australia, ahead of Colin McRae of Subaru.
His consistent performance not only yielded individual success but also contributed significantly to Mitsubishi’s constructor efforts. In 1998, with Mäkinen as a key driver, Mitsubishi won its sole Manufacturers' Championship. Mäkinen's ability to consistently deliver victories across varied rally conditions defined this period of dominance. In 2000, he began the season with a win at the Monte Carlo Rally but ultimately finished behind Marcus Grönholm in the championship standings. Mitsubishi commemorated his achievements with a 'Tommi Mäkinen edition' of the Lancer Evolution VI road car, featuring specific aerodynamic and aesthetic modifications.
Post-Championship years and legacy
Mäkinen remained with Mitsubishi until the end of the 2001 season, finishing third in the drivers' standings. This season saw challenges, including the introduction of Mitsubishi's first World Rally Car and a significant incident in Corsica where his co-driver Risto Mannisenmäki sustained an injury. Mäkinen then moved to the Prodrive-run Subaru World Rally Team for the 2002 season.
His final WRC victory occurred at the 2002 Monte Carlo Rally. This win was secured after a technical infringement by Sébastien Loeb, elevating Mäkinen to the top step. He retired from rallying after the 2003 season, concluding his WRC career with a third-place finish at Rally Great Britain. In total, Mäkinen accumulated 24 WRC wins and four World Rally Drivers' Championships, placing him among the most successful drivers in the sport's history. Following his retirement from driving, he established Tommi Mäkinen Racing Oy Ltd in 2004, focused on rally car preparation. From 2016 to 2020, Mäkinen served as Team Principal for Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT. Under his leadership, Toyota won the Manufacturers' title in 2018, making Mäkinen the first person to win a WRC championship as both a driver and a team principal. He transitioned to a role as Toyota's motorsport advisor at the end of 2020. As of August 2026, Mäkinen continues to influence the sport from this advisory position.
Every Driver From The Same Country Racing In 2026
11 of them are contesting a professional championship this season. This is the field a driver is measured against at home, and where his own career sits in it. The bars are 30-day story counts from our own tracking: they show how much attention a driver is getting, not how quick he is.
| Driver | Series | Team | Stories, 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sami Pajari | WRC | Toyota | 39 |
| Valtteri Bottas | F1 | Cadillac | 28 |
| Teemu Suninen | ERC/WRC2 | Hyundai | 16 |
| Kalle Rovanperä | single-seaters/GT | – | 9 |
| Esapekka Lappi | WRC | Hyundai | 9 |
| Tuukka Taponen | FIA F3 | Ferrari Driver Academy | 7 |
| Jari-Matti Latvala | WRC | Toyota (team principal) | 5 |
| Roope Korhonen | WRC junior | – | 2 |
| Marcus Amand | Porsche Supercup | – | 2 |
| Lauri Joona | WRC2 | – | 2 |
| Emil Lindholm | WRC2 | – | 1 |
Finland's World Rally Champions
Finland has produced more World Rally Championship drivers' titles than any other country, and the list is short enough to give in full. Every name here has a page on this site.
| Driver | Titles | Record on this site |
|---|---|---|
| Juha Kankkunen | 4 (1986, 1987, 1991, 1993) | four WRC world titles |
| Tommi Mäkinen | 4 (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999) | four WRC world titles |
| Marcus Grönholm | 2 (2000, 2002) | two WRC world titles |
| Kalle Rovanperä | 2 (2022, 2023) | two WRC world titles |
| Ari Vatanen | 1 (1981) | 1981 WRC world champion |
| Timo Salonen | 1 (1985) | 1985 WRC world champion |
Tommi Mäkinen holds 4 titles on that list. Six drivers are on it against one Finn currently in Formula 1, and six more are contesting the World Rally Championship this season. That is the ratio this site has to be built around, and it is why the rally desk is not a sideline to the F1 desk.
Teams Tommi Mäkinen Has Driven For
The structured record here does not carry a team list for this driver, so none is given rather than assembled from memory. The season-by-season results table above names the entrant for each of his campaigns, which is the same information in a form that can be checked.
Following Tommi Mäkinen Through The 2026 Season
Our Finnish drivers desk covers every round he contests. The 2026 calendar carries each session in Helsinki time. His results land in the results archive.
Tommi Mäkinen is one of the drivers tracked on the driver index. Start there for the whole picture: one on the Formula 1 grid and six in the World Rally Championship — a ratio that would have looked absurd twenty years ago. The junior ladder is where the next ones come from.
Every driver page here is generated from the same record, so the figures are comparable across them. The method is set out in the editorial policy, and the desk that maintains these pages is the Finnish Desk.
Career fields are Wikidata claims (birth date, birthplace, teams, honours) and the results tables are the career-statistics tables from the same entity's reference article, source. Formula 1 career totals are from our own Finnish F1 dataset; 2026 finishes are the official classification via the Jolpica Ergast mirror. Checked 26 August 2026. Where a figure is absent it is because the record does not carry it.