Tommi MAKINEN
Born : 1964 in Puupola, Finland
Lives in Finland
First rally : 1985
Tommi Makinen started competing on farm tractors, winning the Finnish national ploughing title in 1982 and 1985. His first rally was in 1985, and he tackled his first World Rally Championship event only two years later, when he entered the 1000 Lakes Rally. By 1989, he was winning European Championship rallies.
His career was transformed in 1990, when he teamed up with a vastly experienced co-driver - Seppo Harjanne, winner of the 1985 World Rally Championship with Timo Salonen - to drive a Group N Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 in five World Rally Championship events. They finished twice in the top ten places overall and won Group N three times. In 1994, he joined the official Ford team for two events - the Mantta Rally and the 1000 Lakes - and won them both. Then he made his debut for Team Mitsubishi Ralliart in 1995.
Because of his incredible performance and potential Mitsubishi again retained the services of the ÒFlying FinnÓ to lead the team in the 1996 World Rally Championship season with the Lancer Evolution III. Makinen surprised the rally world with his spectacular performance and speed winning 5 out of 9 rounds of the World Rally Championship. He stormed his way to the top, taking the prestgious FIA World Rally Championship DriverÕs title in 1996. With the introduction of the new restyled Lancer Evolution IV in 1997, Makinen will surely repeat his sensational performace of 1996.
Results :
| 1986 | Finnish Junior Championship |
| 1987 | Finnish Championship |
| 1988 | 1st Group N,Finnish Championship |
| 1989 | 1st overall, Arctic Rally (European Championship) |
| 1st overall Conca d'Oro Rally (Italian Championship) |
| 1990 | 6th overall & 1st Group N New Zealand Rally (Mitsubishi Galant VR-4) |
| 11th overall & 1st Group N 1000 Lakes Rally (Mitsubishi Galant VR-4) |
| 7th overall & 1st Group N Rally Australia (Mitsubishi Galant VR-4) |
| 1991 | 5th overall 1000 Lakes Rally |
| 1992 | 9th overall Monte Carlo Rally |
| 8th overall RAC Rally |
| 1993 | 4th overall Swedish Rally |
| 6th overall Acropolis Rally |
| 4th overall 1000 Lakes Rally |
| 1994 | 1st overall 1000 Lakes Rally |
| 1995 | 4th overall Monte Carlo Rally |
| 2nd overall Swedish Rally |
| 8th overall Corsica Rally |
| 3rd overall Rally of Indonesia |
| 2nd overall Rally of Malaysia |
| 1st overall 1000 Lakes Rally |
| 4th overall Rally Australia |
| 1st overall Thailand Rally |
| 1996 | 1st overall Swedish Rally |
| 1st overall Safari Rally |
| 2nd overall Acropolis Rally |
| 1st overall Argentina Rally |
| 1st overall 1000 Lakes Rally |
| 1st overall Rally Australia |
| 5th overall Catalunya Rally |
| 1996 FIA World Rally Champion |
| 1997 | 3rd overall Monte Carlo Rally |
| 3rd overall Swedish Rally |
| 1st overall Portugal Rally |
| 1st overall Catalunya Rally |
| 1st overall Rally Argentina |
| 3rd overall Acropolis Rally |
| 1st overall Rally Finland |
| 3rd overall Rallye Sanremo |
| 2nd overall Rally Australia |
| 6th overall RAC Rally |
| 1997 FIA World Rally Champion |
Seppo Harjanne is enjoying his "second"! career at the top in international rallying. The laid back Finnish co-driver first rose to fame with Timo Salonen, with whom he scored most of his victories, included the 1985 World Rally Championship.
However, at the beginning of the Nineties, as Salonen entered the twilight of his career, Harjanne started again, this time nurturing the talent of rising young star, Tommi Makinen. Taking a step back to sit along Makinen in a Group N car, Harjanne provided the youngster with the benefit of his many years of experience , culminating in a first WRC victory for the Finnish pair on home soil in 1994. Harjanne moved with Makinen when they joined Team Mitsubishi Ralliart for the 1995 season.
After taking victory on the first round of the 1996 World rally Championship in Sweden, Harjanne looks set to lift his second World crown in over a decade, this time in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III.
The 1996 World Rally Championship marked HarjanneÕs 2nd WRC title with Tommi Makinen in the Lancer Evolution III. The paring of Harjanne and the young talented Finn proved to be a potential combination. The vastly experienced Harjanne provided precious advice to the talented Finn. With the introduction of the Lancer Evolution IV for the 1997 World Rally Championship, this dynamic duo may once again prove that the previous season was certainly not a fluke! With 14 rounds on this yearÕs calendar, Harjanne is prepared to give his young teammate plently of advice.
| 1980 | 1st overall New Zealand Rally |
| 1981 | 1st overall Ivory Coast Rally |
| 1985 | 1st overall Portugal Rally |
| 1st overall Acropolis rally |
| 1st overall New Zealand Rally |
| 1st overall Rally Argentina |
| 1st overall 1000 Lakes Rally |
| 1985 FIA World Rally Champion Co-driver |
| 1986 | 1st overall 1000 Lakes Rally |
| 1st overall RAC Rally |
| 6th overall & 1st Group N New Zealand Rally (Mitsubishi Galant VR-4) |
| 7th overall & 1st Group N Rally Australia (Mitsubishi Galant VR-4) |
| 1987 | 1st overall Swedish Rally |
| 1994 | 1st overall 1000 Lakes Rally |
| 8th overall RAC Rally |
| 1995 | 4th overall Monte Carlo Rally |
| 2nd overall Swedish Rally |
| 8th overall Corsica Rally |
| 3rd overall Rally of Indonesia |
| 2nd overall Rally of Malaysia |
| 1st overall 1000 Lakes Rally |
| 4th overall Rally Australia |
| 1st overall Thailand Rally |
| 1996 | 1st overall Swedish Rally |
| 1st overall Safari Rally |
| 2nd overall Acropolis Rally |
| 1st overall Argentina Rally |
| 1st overall 1000 Lakes Rally |
| 1st overall Rally Australia |
| 5th overall Catalunya Rally |
| 1996 FIA World Rally Champion Co-driver |
| 1997 | 3rd overall Monte Carlo Rally |
| 3rd overall Swedish Rally |
| 1st overall Portugal Rally |
| 1st overall Catalunya Rally |
| 1st overall Rally Argentina |
| 3rd overall Acropolis Rally |
| 1st overall Rally Finland |
| 3rd overall Rallye Sanremo |
| 2nd overall Rally Australia |
| 6th overall RAC Rally |
| 1997 FIA World Rally Champion Co-driver |
Copyright 1997 by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation.
