Tommi Mäkinen was born in Puuppola, near Jyväskylä, Finland. From 1999, he resided in both Jyväskylä and Monte Carlo, Monaco, and is married with two children.
Mäkinen won the Group N Finnish Rally Championship driving a Lancia Delta HF 4WD in 1988. His first WRC victory came at the 1994 1000 Lakes Rally (now Rally Finland) in a Ford Escort RS Cosworth. In 1995, he secured a full-time manufacturer seat with Mitsubishi, alongside Kenneth Eriksson, driving a Group A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.
Mäkinen’s success was immediate after joining Mitsubishi, winning the Safari Rally in 1996 and ultimately the championship in Australia, defeating Subaru’s Colin McRae. He then won every drivers’ title from 1996 to 1999, all while driving the Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. The Mitsubishi team also secured its sole manufacturers’ championship in 1998 during this period. In 2000, Mäkinen won the Monte Carlo Rally, but ultimately lost the title to fellow Finn Marcus Grönholm. That year, Mitsubishi released a ‘Tommi Mäkinen edition’ of the Lancer Evolution VI, featuring a unique front bumper and, on some models, a red and white paint job mirroring his rally car livery.
During the 2001 San Remo Rally, Mitsubishi introduced its first World Rally Car, which proved problematic for both Mäkinen and teammate Freddy Loix. A crash on the mountainside roads of the following round in Corsica resulted in co-driver Risto Mannisenmäki breaking his back, effectively ending his top-line career. Mäkinen was forced to use substitute co-drivers for the remaining events, including Timo Hantunen in Australia and retiring from the final rally in Great Britain, where he aided Richard Burns in claiming the championship.
In 2002, driving for the Prodrive-run Subaru World Rally Team, Mäkinen achieved one final career victory at the Monte Carlo Rally, benefiting from a technical infringement committed by Sébastien Loeb.
Mäkinen retired from the sport after the 2003 season, finishing his WRC career with a third-place result at Rally Great Britain.
In 2004, Mäkinen established Tommi Mäkinen Racing Oy Ltd, focusing on preparing rally cars and supporting drivers. In 2016, he became the team principal of Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, leading them to the World Rally Championship title in 2018, marking Toyota's first manufacturers’ title since 1999. He later transitioned to the role of Toyota's motorsport advisor at the end of 2020.
Mäkinen aided Mitsubishi to the 1998 world constructors' title and won the 2000 Race of Champions. He was also the subject of the licensed Tommi Mäkinen Rally video game released in 1998.
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