Four-Time World Rally Champion · WRC

Tommi Mäkinen

Four consecutive world titles for a manufacturer that had never won one, then a second career building the team that beat everyone else. The official Mäkinen collection: Jyväskylä, the Lancer, and Toyota.

Nationality
Finnish
Born
26 June 1964 · Puuppola, Jyväskylä, Finland
Teams
Mitsubishi · Subaru · Nissan · Ford
Championships
4 (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999)
WRC starts
139
After driving
Team principal, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT (2016–2020)
Shop the Collection Watch highlights
Graphic illustration of legendary four-time World Rally Champion Tommi Mäkinen wearing his red Ralliart racing suit, featuring his red Mitsubishi rally car.
Four-Time World Champion
1987 — 2003
4
World Championships
24
WRC Victories
45
Podium Finishes
361
Stage Wins

Who is Tommi Mäkinen?

Tommi Mäkinen (born 26 June 1964) is a Finnish rally driver who won four consecutive World Rally Championship titles from 1996 to 1999, all with Mitsubishi. He took 24 world rally wins and 45 podiums from 139 starts. After retiring in 2003 he ran Toyota's works rally team, leading it to the 2018 manufacturers' championship.

Full name
Tommi Antero Mäkinen
Nationality
Finnish
WRC career
1987–2003
Best known for
Four straight world titles with Mitsubishi

By KozmozInspire Editorial Published Updated 7 sources

Rider Profile

Tommi Mäkinen: Full Biography

Tommi Mäkinen is a Finnish rally driver who won four consecutive World Rally Championship titles between 1996 and 1999, all with Mitsubishi. He later ran Toyota’s works rally team.

A Late Developer He first entered a world championship rally in 1987 and won the Group N Finnish championship in a Lancia Delta in 1988, but did not take a world win until the 1000 Lakes Rally of 1994, in a Ford Escort RS Cosworth. He was thirty, and still without a full works seat.

Four in a Row Mitsubishi signed him for 1995. A win on the Safari Rally in 1996 built the lead he converted into a title in Australia, ahead of his long-time rival Colin McRae, and he then won the drivers’ championship every year to 1999. Mitsubishi took its only manufacturers’ title in 1998, and built a road-going Lancer Evolution VI named after him.

Toyota He moved to Subaru for 2002, took a final win on the Monte Carlo Rally that year and retired after 2003. He founded Tommi Mäkinen Racing in 2004, became team principal of Toyota Gazoo Racing’s world rally team in 2016, and led it to the 2018 manufacturers’ championship — Toyota’s first since 1999.

The Career

Three Chapters That Defined Tommi Mäkinen

Chapter 01

The Late Developer

He had entered his first world championship rally in 1987 and spent seven years in privateer and part-season drives, taking the Group N Finnish title in a Lancia Delta along the way. The first world win came at the 1000 Lakes Rally in 1994, on home roads, in a Ford Escort RS Cosworth run for a single event. He was thirty years old and still did not have a full works contract.

Tommi Mäkinen in Subaru overalls and helmet during Rallye Deutschland in 2002 Tommi Mäkinen · Rallye Deutschland, 2002 Photo: Tommi Mäkinen — Rallye Deutschland, 2002 by Lancer WRC / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized) · licence
Chapter 02

Four in a Row

Mitsubishi gave him a works seat for 1995. A measured win on the Safari Rally the following year built a lead he converted into the title in Australia, ahead of Colin McRae, and he did not let it go again until 2000 — four consecutive drivers' championships, all with the same manufacturer. Mitsubishi won its only constructors' title in 1998, and put his name on a road car, the Lancer Evolution VI Tommi Mäkinen Edition.

Tommi Mäkinen's 1996 1000 Lakes Rally-winning Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III · 1000 Lakes Rally, 1996 Photo: Tommi Mäkinen's 1996 1000 Lakes Rally by TTTNIS — CC0. Cropped and resized. · licence
Chapter 03

Toyota

A move to Subaru brought one last win, on the 2002 Monte Carlo Rally, and he retired after the 2003 season with a podium on his final event. He set up Tommi Mäkinen Racing in 2004 to prepare rally cars, and in 2016 took charge of Toyota's return to the World Rally Championship as team principal. The team won the manufacturers' championship in 2018, Toyota's first since 1999. He moved to a motorsport advisory role from January 2021.

Tommi Mäkinen's Toyota Gazoo Racing team featuring Ott Tänak driving the Toyota Yaris WRC at Ruuhimäki on Rally Finland in 2018. Toyota Yaris WRC · Rally Finland, 2018 Photo: Tommi Mäkinen's Toyota Gazoo Racing team by Antti Leppänen — CC BY 4.0. Cropped and resized. · licence
Career Timeline

Tommi Mäkinen Career Timeline: 1964–Present

Born near Jyväskylä

Tommi Antero Mäkinen is born on 26 June in Puuppola, on the roads that host the Finnish round.

First World Rally

Enters the 1000 Lakes Rally, his first world championship event.

Finnish Champion

Wins the Group N Finnish Rally Championship in a Lancia Delta HF 4WD.

First World Win

Wins the 1000 Lakes Rally in a Ford Escort RS Cosworth, aged thirty.

Mitsubishi

Takes his first full works seat, alongside Kenneth Eriksson.

World Champion

Wins the Safari Rally and clinches the title in Australia ahead of Colin McRae.

Second Title

Four wins and nine podiums from fourteen starts.

Third Title

Five wins, and Mitsubishi's only manufacturers' championship.

Fourth Title

A fourth consecutive drivers' championship, still with Mitsubishi.

Last Win

Wins the Monte Carlo Rally for Subaru, his twenty-fourth and final victory.

Retirement

Ends his career with third place on Rally Great Britain.

Toyota

Becomes team principal of Toyota Gazoo Racing's world rally team.

Manufacturers' Title

Leads Toyota to its first manufacturers' championship since 1999.

By the Numbers

Tommi Mäkinen WRC Record, Season by Season

Tommi Mäkinen season-by-season record: team, wins, stage wins, podiums, points and final standing.
SeasonTeam Wins Stage Wins Podiums Points Pos.
1987 Private 0 0 0 0 NC
1988 Private 0 0 0 0 NC
1989 Private 0 0 0 0 NC
1990 Pro Sport 0 0 0 10 24
1991 Mazda · Private 0 0 0 8 31
1992 Nissan 0 1 0 5 40
1993 Astra 0 3 0 26 10
1994 Ford · Nissan · Mitsubishi 1 14 1 22 10
1995 Mitsubishi Ralliart 0 24 1 38 5
1996 Mitsubishi Ralliart 5 70 6 123 1
1997 Mitsubishi Ralliart 4 78 9 63 1
1998 Mitsubishi Ralliart 5 41 7 58 1
1999 Mitsubishi Ralliart 4 56 7 62 1
2000 Mitsubishi Ralliart 1 27 5 36 5
2001 Mitsubishi Ralliart 3 21 4 41 3
2002 Subaru 1 16 3 22 8
2003 Subaru 0 10 2 30 8

Championship seasons are highlighted. Career totals: 24 wins · 45 podiums · 361 stage wins · 544 points from 139 world championship starts. Points are not comparable across the table, as the scoring system and the number of rounds both changed over his career. The juwra.com database records 362 stage wins rather than 361; the figure here is the one the season table sums to. Figures verified 14 August 2026.

Tommi Mäkinen in his own words

In His Own Words
It is also important to me that operations will still stay in Jyväskylä and Tallinn.
Tommi Mäkinen · on handing Toyota's rally team over, 2020
Frequently Asked

Tommi Mäkinen: Frequently Asked Questions

How many World Rally Championships did Tommi Mäkinen win?

Four, in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999, all with Mitsubishi. They were consecutive, and every one of them came with the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

How many rallies did Tommi Mäkinen win?

Twenty-four world championship rallies from 139 starts, along with 45 podium finishes and 361 stage wins. His first win came on the 1000 Lakes Rally in 1994 and his last on the Monte Carlo Rally in 2002.

Which cars did Tommi Mäkinen drive?

He won his first world rally in a Ford Escort RS Cosworth, took all four of his titles in the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, and finished his career with Subaru. He also drove for Nissan and Mazda earlier on.

What is the Lancer Evolution Tommi Mäkinen Edition?

A road-going version of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI, produced in 2000 to mark his four championships. It had a different front bumper from the standard car, and some examples carried a red and white scheme resembling his rally car.

What did Tommi Mäkinen do after retiring?

He founded Tommi Mäkinen Racing in 2004 to prepare rally cars, then became team principal of Toyota Gazoo Racing's world rally team in 2016. The team won the manufacturers' championship in 2018, and he moved to a motorsport advisory role at Toyota from January 2021.

Who was Tommi Mäkinen's main rival?

Colin McRae, whom he beat to the 1996 title in Australia. Richard Burns and Marcus Grönholm were the others; Grönholm ended his run of titles in 2000.

When did Tommi Mäkinen start rallying?

He entered his first world championship rally in 1987, at the 1000 Lakes Rally, and won the Group N Finnish Rally Championship in a Lancia Delta HF 4WD in 1988.

Why is Tommi Mäkinen called a late developer?

He was thirty when he took his first world rally win in 1994, and did not have a full works contract until Mitsubishi signed him for 1995. Every one of his championships came after that.

Shop His Gear

Tommi Mäkinen Collection

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References

Sources & Further Reading

Every statistic on this page is drawn from the following records.

  1. Tommi Makinen — WRC career statistics · juwra.com rally database
  2. Toyota Gazoo Racing — World Rally Championship · Toyota Gazoo Racing (official)
  3. Toyota announces Tommi Mäkinen as a Motorsport Advisor · Toyota Motor Corporation (official)
  4. Rally Finland — official site · AKK Sports (official)
  5. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile · FIA, governing body records
  6. Tommi Mäkinen · Wikipedia
  7. Tommi Mäkinen (Q217260) · Wikidata entity record

How this page is made

Rider profiles are compiled from official series records and cross-checked against independent statistical databases before publication.

Commercial disclosure. This page links to merchandise sold by KozmozInspire. Products are fan-made tributes inspired by motorsport history and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or licensed from the rider, their estate, or any team.

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