Tommi Mäkinen traveled to Austria for the Kitzbühel classic race and was impressed.
Tommi Mäkinen is himself a representative of the wild sport, but the skydiving made an impression on the man. AOP, Vesa Pöppönen / AOP
Four-time rally world champion and former Toyota team manager Tommi Mäkinen has started to financially support the skydiving Finnish comet Elian Lehto23.
Lehto’s name came up in Finnish coffee table discussions, when the youngster twice finished in 11th place in the legendary Kitzbühel competition. Andreas Romarin 14th from 2012.
The Kitzbühel grandstand is traditionally full of eye-catchers, and this year there were, among others, in the grandstand Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sebastian Vettel, Bernie Ecclestone – and Mäkinen.
Mäkinen, who has made a fortune in the millions, says that there has been talk of supporting Lehto before, but in connection with the Kitzbühel race, the matter was “taken a second look”.
Mäkinen was impressed by skydiving as a sport, the Kitzbühel competition event and Lehto as an athlete.
– He is a calm, straightforward guy. I said that a bit similar to Kalle of Rovanperä, calm. One could imagine that the future lies ahead, says Mäkinen.
Elian Lehto did well in Kitzbühel. EPA / AOP
– I was in Kitzbühel for the first time to watch. Yes, the Austrians know how to build it. It was a great event.
Mäkinen says that he has skied and been on skis quite a lot, but when skiing next to the legendary race slope, the ferocity of the downhill became concrete.
– It was the same steepness as the ice slope and mirror ice. The edges had to be in order, says Mäkinen.
– Yes, it’s wild, what a good time! It gave perspective that there will be so much friction that the plastics on the bottoms of the skis will melt. A little harder work. Skis don’t smoke in normal skiing.
Both rally and skydiving are high-risk sports. Even fatalities have been seen in both species.
Norwegian Alexander Kilde was injured in a skydiving competition in January and will probably have to be in a wheelchair for weeks.
– An incredibly hard sport. Even when there is a huge risk of injury. There is absolutely no room for any kind of error. There is no safety bar if you happen to jolt a little wide somewhere, Mäkinen updates and refers to the safety of rally cars.
Elian Lehto is training with the Swiss speed sports national team. Skisport Finland bought the talent a place on the high-level Swiss team.
– Especially in the early stages of a career, all support is necessary. If only he could get peace of mind and be able to continue training and other things, says Mäkinen.
– It’s a great thing that they got him into the Swiss program. Absolutely great stuff. It enables and gives much more.
The collaboration between Mäkinen and Lehto was first told Over.