Tommi Mäkinen

Mäkinen's unshakable pace and focus redefined consistency at the top level and gave Finland another dominant rally hero.

• Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III–VI: The backbone of his championship years—robust, responsive, and continually refined to match his driving style.
• Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI GSR: His 1999 title-winning car, showcasing the pinnacle of Group A-era engineering before the WRC regulation shift.

Mäkinen’s synergy with Mitsubishi’s engineers created a package that was near-unbeatable in the late ’90s rally landscape.

Tommi Mäkinen blended aggression with mechanical sympathy, rarely pushing beyond the car’s limits but always extracting top pace. His approach was deceptively calm—often letting others falter while he delivered flawless runs under pressure. His legacy is forever tied to Mitsubishi’s golden era, and his influence extended into the next generation when he became a successful WRC team principal for Toyota in the 2010s.

Throughout his championship run, Mäkinen worked closely with co-driver Seppo Harjanne, and later Risto Mannisenmäki. Both partnerships were characterized by quiet precision and deep trust, with Mannisenmäki sharing in his final two titles. Their seamless communication helped deliver some of the cleanest and fastest stage performances of the decade.