Valle Mäkelä | |
Nationality: | Finnish |
Birth Date: | 2 February 1986 |
Birth Place: | Laitila (Finland) |
Prev Series: | 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 |
Prev Series Years: | 2016 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2003-2004 2002 |
Titles: | Finnish Formula Ford Zetec British Formula Ford |
Title Years: | 2002 2004 |
Valle Mäkelä (born 2 February 1986, Laitila, Finland) is a Finnish motor racing driver.
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]
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)