Just How Good Was...Tommi Mäkinen
Mäkinen rose to prominence not with dramatic scandi flicks, but through his own relentless and precise driving style—clean, controlled, and relentlessly effective. While the Subaru Impreza and its cult-hero drivers grabbed headlines, it was Mäkinen at Mitsubishi who racked up the trophies. Starting in 1996, he began an era of dominance, grabbing four consecutive WRC Drivers’ titles from 1996 to 1999—a record at the time, and something no other driver had achieved in sequence.
Key to Mäkinen’s success was his ability to read the stages and think strategically. On events like Rally Sweden, his local knowledge and measured approach paid off. When rivals gambled for outright speed at the risk of disaster, Mäkinen focused on finishing, racking up points even on difficult rallies where others ran into trouble. His tactical approach was evident throughout his championship years—victories mixed with smart, calculated points scoring when conditions demanded.
But his path was never simple. Early years included major setbacks, like a huge crash in his rallying start with the Lancia Delta, and a career that nearly ended before it truly began. Salvation came with drives for Ford, and then with Mitsubishi, where he finally found a team willing to bet on his talent. From 1996 onwards, Mäkinen proved unstoppable: winning in Sweden, Finland, Argentina, and showing grit even when forced to settle for second if that meant banking championship points. His rivalry with McRae, Sainz, and later with Richard Burns, pushed everyone to new levels in some of the WRC’s closest, toughest seasons.
The end of the 90s marked the last great phase of Mäkinen’s competitive edge, but his influence only grew. Even after a frightening crash in Corsica in 2001 that could have cost him his or his co-driver’s life, Mäkinen continued to compete before finally retiring in 2003.
One of the most remarkable chapters in his career came well after hanging up his helmet: in 2016, Tommi Mäkinen took over as Team Principal for Toyota Gazoo Racing’s WRC effort. Under his leadership, Toyota became a dominant force, clinching multiple manufacturers’ and drivers’ championships and cementing Mäkinen’s legacy not just as a champion driver, but as one of the only people to claim World Rally titles both in and out of the cockpit.
Tommi Mäkinen’s record for four straight championships, combined with his role in shaping Toyota’s modern rally dynasty, makes him more than just a star of his era—he’s a transformative figure in rally history. His achievements didn’t just push the boundaries of what one driver could do; they fundamentally changed how an entire sport approached competition, resilience, and strategy.