Valle Mäkelä

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Valle Mäkelä
NationalityFinland Finnish
Born (1986-02-02) 2 February 1986 (age 38)
Laitila (Finland)
Previous series
2016
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2003-2004
2002
Baltic Touring Car Championship
24H Series
Formula Le Mans
Star Mazda
Formula BMW UK
Formula Renault UK
WTCC
British Formula Ford
Nordic Formula Ford
Finnish Formula Ford
Championship titles
2002
2004
Finnish Formula Ford Zetec
British Formula Ford

Valle Mäkelä (born 2 February 1986, Laitila, Finland) is a Finnish motor racing driver.

Valle Mäkelä driving the Hope PoleVision ORECA FLM09

Career[edit]

Mäkelä began his kart racing career at the age of five. In 2000 he became Finnish Champion in the ICA-J class.[1]

In 2002, he began racing in Formula Ford in both the UK and Nordics with some success. In 2003, he finished 3rd in the British Formula Ford Championship class, winning one race and securing a further seven podiums. Remaining with Nexa Racing, Mäkelä won the 2004 British Formula Ford title with 506 points scored over the season, including ten victories.[2][3][4] For 2005, he joined GR Asia in the World Touring Car Championship racing a Seat Toledo alongside Tom Coronel.[5] His best result was a 10th place finish at Silverstone. In 2006, he returned to open wheel racing driving for Manor Motorsport in British Formula Renault. He ended the season in 13th position.[6] In 2007, he returned to Nexa Racing in the Formula BMW UK series and finished 5th in the championship, winning the first race at Brands Hatch.[7][8]

After completing three races in Star Mazda in the USA in 2008, Mäkelä joined the Finnish GT3 Championship winning three races in the No Brakes Motorsport Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S.[9][10] He would also race Hope PoleVision Racing's Oreca FLM09 in the Formula Le Mans Cup. Over 12 races, he scored two wins and finished 4th in the championship.[11] In 2010 he competed in one race of the 24H Series, finishing 3rd for Westend Racing at the Hungaroring.[12] Mäkelä competed in his first race in 6 years at the 2016 Riga Summer Race in Baltic Touring Car Championship driving a Lamborghini Gallardo.[13]

Racing record[edit]

Career summary[edit]

Season Series Team Car No. Races Poles Wins FLaps Points Position
2009 Formula Le Mans Switzerland Hope PoleVision Racing 17 10 0 2 0 140 4th

Complete World Touring Car Championship results[edit]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 DC Points
2005 GR Asia SEAT Toledo Cupra ITA
1

Ret
ITA
2

13
FRA
1

16
FRA
2

Ret
GBR
1

16
GBR
2

10
SMR
1
SMR
2
MEX
1
MEX
2
BEL
1

19
BEL
2

Ret
GER
1

18
GER
2

Ret
TUR
1
TUR
2
ESP
1
ESP
2
MAC
1
MAC
2
NC 0

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Finnish driver, Valle Mäkelä joins Hope PoleVision Racing to be BECHE's Teammate in the Formula Le Mans this year". mathiasbeche.com. Mathias Beche. 2007-03-24. Archived from the original on 2020-07-04. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
  2. ^ "Open Wheel Racing the Next Generation". AtlasF1. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Formula Ford Great Britain 2004 standings". driverDB. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  4. ^ "Formula Ford Festival at 50: Dwindling grids and controversy blight the 2000s". Autosport. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  5. ^ "Valle Mäkelä joins GR Asia". touringcartimes.com. 4 April 2005. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Formula Renault: Mäkelä vaihtoi Manorille" (in Finnish). mtvuutiset.fi. 26 April 2006. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  7. ^ "UK: Brands Hatch race one, two notes". Motorsport. 2 April 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  8. ^ "Formula BMW UK 2007 standings". driverDB. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  9. ^ "Makela joins Andersen Racing". Motorsport. 4 May 2008. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Finnish GT3 Championship 2009". driverDB. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  11. ^ "Formule Le Mans : Le Finlandais Valle Mäkelä s'associe à Hope PoleVision Racing" (in French). autonewsinfo.com. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  12. ^ "Hungary 12H: Event race report". Motorsport. 9 October 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  13. ^ "LAMBORGHINI TAKES THE BALTIC TOURING CAR CLASS VICTORY IN RIGA". batcc.eu. Retrieved 30 August 2022.

External links[edit]

Sporting positions
Preceded by Finnish Formula Ford
Champion

2001
Succeeded by
Preceded by British Formula Ford
Champion

2004
Succeeded by