from FIA Karting
The presidency of AKK Motorsport changed hands on 1 January 2026, and the Finnish FIA Member Club is now led by an accomplished driver who was one of the key figures in international karting championships in the 1990s and 2000s: Toni Vilander.
Born in 1980, Vilander started karting at a young age, winning the national junior championship title in the JICA category (100cc piston-port engines) in 1995. In the following years, he competed more frequently in international championships and even became an official driver for various Italian karting manufacturers, including PCR and CRG. In addition to competing in the CIK-FIA European Championships, World Championships and World Cups in Japan, Vilander also turned his attention to the German Championship, winning the coveted DKM in Formula A in 1999.
After his last full season in karting in 2001, in the CIK-FIA Formula Super A World Championship which then consisted of five races, he logically continued his career in single-seaters, progressing to GP2 (2005). He later focused on GT racing and began a long association with AF Corse and Ferrari, which proved particularly fruitful and successful, including winning two FIA GT2 Cup titles (2007 and 2008) and a world title in the FIA World Endurance Championship (LMGTE category, 2014) which was complemented in the same year by a GT victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with his teammates Bruni and Fisichella.
Renowned for his achievements behind the wheel, Toni Vilander is also more recently well known in his native Finland for providing Finnish commentary on Formula 1 Grand Prix races.
Building on this popularity and with a desire to continue serving the interests and development of the sport in Finland, he stood for election to the AKK-Motorsport (the country’s National Sporting Authority) last autumn and was duly elected Chairman for the next two years (2026 and 2027).
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Toni Vilander, Chairman of the Board, AKK-Motorsport said:
“Karting was the starting point of my career and a truly meaningful period in my life. From that time, I carry many valuable memories and friendships that have remained with me to this day. My professional career as a racing driver was successful, but also an exceptionally busy phase of life. Twenty years as a Ferrari driver is a long time and represents a significant part of my career.
“As Chairman of AKK-Motorsport, I want to have an impact especially at the national level. Grassroots participants, clubs, and maintaining a low entry threshold to the sport are important to me, and I see them as the foundation of the future of Finnish motorsport.
“Looking ahead, I want to see AKK become a more active and influential organisation within the FIA and CIK-FIA. Our aim is to be involved in shaping and deciding key policies for the disciplines that are important to us. Hosting international events in Finland is also an important priority.”
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