Q&A: Tommi Makinen - 100th WRC start.

Four-times World Rally champion, Tommi Makinen, answered questions on his illustrious career as he prepares to make his 100th WRC start in Portugal.
Q: Does it feel like you've been around long enough to have competed in 100 World Championship rallies?
Makinen: Well, it's hard to say. Of course the feeling is that I've been doing this for a long time, but does it feel like 100 events? I don't know.... In some ways it doesn't feel like that long because time has run very quickly and much has happened, but if I look back on how things have changed and how different things are now, then yes, maybe it does feel like a long time.
Q:You don't think you're too old now...?
Makinen: "I don't know - am I! At the moment the speed is still there!
Q: What are your memories of your first World Championship event in Finland in 1987?
Makinen:"Of course my biggest memory is that everything was very very amateur, not like it is now, that is a very big difference. It was a new step for me and it ended with an accident! Maybe this is not the best event to remember!
Q: Back then, did you ever truly believe you would be World Champion not just once, but four times?
Makinen: "No, I didn't think that way at all. All the time I've just been looking forward, hoping for good things and that's it. Not at all.
Q: You must have noticed some incredible changes in the series over the years. What are the main differences with the cars?
Makinen: "It seems to be that there have been some improvements with everything, all the time. Now we have engineers who have computers to analyse, control and adjust the cars - everything is electronic and much much more professional than in the early days. I think the cars are faster now and still very exciting to drive because the potential is so much greater. Maybe on gravel they definitely look more exciting as well. To be honest I think the cars are very good now, very enjoyable for us to drive and for the engineers to work on because there is much they can do to make developments.
Q: And what about the events?
Makinen: There has been a big big change in the events. They are much quicker and more compact now. For me this is very good, I much prefer this to the time when we had days and days of recce and very long hours in the rally car.
Q: Do you still have the motivation to fight for another World title - what more do you have to achieve?
Makinen: Of course! It is a very similar situation to how it was at the beginning. I always just try to do my best all the time and try to win. That is all the motivation I need. My aim is to conquer the events I have not won and become the most successful rally driver ever with the greatest number of victories.
Q:What would a fifth World title mean to you?
Makinen: Good question! I don't know, but it would be nice to find out! Of course it has some sort of meaning but it's difficult to put into words. It would obviously be a big achievement, but maybe not so much as winning the first time, I don't know. Doing my work as well as I can is more important to me.
Q: You've spent the largest proportion of your professional career with Seppo Harjanne sitting alongside you. What sort of influence do you think he had?
Makinen: Of course he has taught me the way of everything, how it's all working and whatever - he has done quite a bit of work I think. It's hard to tell if things would have been different without him, but I think maybe he had quite a bit of influence. It was difficult in the beginning, but it is still hard now.

Having Seppo as my co-driver was the best idea at the time when things got a bit more serious, he had much experience and I learned a lot.
Q: And now you're with Risto again. Do you think it was inevitable that the two of you would get back together, being that your first rally together was in Finland in 1988?
Makinen: Well it was in my mind for a long time. Yes, I think it is very much like that. The World Championship programme is now so big that having a good relationship is one of the most important things. We are good friends and have been for many years. It was very natural when we started working together again.

Risto and I had already talked about what would happen when Seppo retired, we knew each other well, were good friends, and it was no problem at all to change co-drivers after so many years. It was quite clear we would work well together. We are similar ages and enjoy the same sort of things, there are many different things to talk about and this is good and important. I don't think he felt under pressure, it was no problem.
Q: Your first association with Mitsubishi was back in 1990 when you drove the Galant VR-4 and, since then, you have driven Mitsubishi cars more than any other. Why?
Makinen: It has always been a case of which has been the best solution and it is a very good team and everything has always been working well. Of course my target has always been to try and find the best car and the best team and I have never had any complaints with Mitsubishi. We have won many titles together; it has been very very good. Has it been the best? I don't know because I can't say, but I think our success says a lot.
Q: Would it be difficult now, after seven consecutive years with Mitsubishi, to move somewhere else?
Makinen: I don't know, I haven't thought about that. We have a very good relationship. Maybe it would be difficult to change, and it might be nice to see something new, but the most important thing is to feel you have the best chance and I have always thought that with Mitsubishi, that is why I have stayed.
Q: Is there one particular event that means something very special to you?
Makinen: There are many of them in some way, but it's difficult to say. The events I have won are obviously special, but more so are the ones that I have won many times. These mean a lot to me.
Q: Of the 100 World Championship rallies, which one stands out the most?
Makinen: Winning the Championship in 1996 was of course very special for me. Probably RAC in 1998 was quite unbelievable. To retire on the first day and then hear the news about Carlos on the last stage... it is difficult to describe how I felt over that event. I had both bad and good feelings. I have been lucky, there have been so many good moments. Hopefully more to come.
Q: What would you say has been the biggest disappointment in your career?
Makinen: The middle of 1992. At the beginning of that year I had many options but decided to move to work with Nissan. They then told us in the middle of the season that they were pulling out and this made my life very very difficult. We had been talking to Andrew Cowan and Mitsubishi, but they decided to go with Armin Schwarz and so I had two years with many different cars. Then in 1995 I joined Mitsubishi and things started to go well, but it was a while coming.
Q: Which is your favourite event?
Makinen: There are many of them, but of course Finland and Monte Carlo are very special. Why? Finland because it is home and Monte Carlo, just because it's Monte Carlo! It's a very challenging event, like nothing else, and at the start of a new season. It also makes a difference that I can stay at my home during both of these rallies. Living all the time in different hotels, away from the family, is hard. This makes life so much more comfortable for everyone.