Risto Mannisenmäki

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Risto Mannisenmäki (born on May 28, 1959) was a rally co-driver and two-times world champion. Mannisenmäki started his career in 1982 and was co-driving for example with Tommi Mäkinen, Sebastian Lindholm and Ari Mökkönen in local rallies. In 1996 and 1997 Risto was permanent co-driver of Tapio Laukkanen and did rallies in Finnish and British local rally series, and a few WRC-rallies.

For the 1998 season Mannisenmäki moved on to co-driver of Tommi Mäkinen, replacing the old one, Seppo Harjanne, because Seppo ended his career. This pair won the world championships in 1998 and 1999 and was 5th in WRC in 2000. Rally Corsica In 2001 there was an accident where Mannisenmäki broke his back and Risto's active career as a co-driver came to an end.

However, after a two years hiatus, Mannisenmäki returned to a WRC rally, the last in his career, at the Wales GB, in 2003, as the co-driver for the Juuso Pykälistö. Both finished in 9th position in this rally.

Mannisenmäki won the Vuoden Moottoriurheilija title (engl. Motorsport athlete of the year) in 1999 with Tommi Mäkinen and Mika Häkkinen. Mannisenmäki has been actively in rally coaching programs before, and after his co-driver career, and he was chosen in 2004 as AKK-Motorsport's rally coachingmaster.