12-year-old Finnish racer wins Swedish championship ahead of home event

Twelve-year-old Iivari Männistö has spent half his life behind the wheel in competitive racing, telling Finnish public broadcaster Yle that the best part of the sport is “the friends and the feel of the steering wheel.”

This weekend, the international Rally X series arrives at Honkajoen Pesämäki motor sports center in western Finland, where Männistö will compete in the Cross Kart 600cc class—his car powered by a motorcycle engine, identical in specification to others in the division. Over 60 drivers across five classes are set to race in the event, the first Rally X round ever held at the track.

Männistö enters on the back of a double victory in Sweden last weekend, adding to his four Finnish national titles in different categories. Despite his age, he balances racing with schoolwork, often completing assignments and studying for exams while traveling to competitions. “English is especially important,” he said, noting its necessity for interviews abroad.

Racing runs in the family: his father, Paavo-Petteri Männistö, maintains the team’s equipment, while his older sister Iida-Maria also competes under the Männistö Motor Sport banner. The sport demands all their free time, Paavo-Petteri Männistö admitted, with international travel stretching both schedules and budgets. Sponsorship deals have become essential—without them, he said, competing at this level would be impossible.

Organizers expect around 5,000 spectators for the Honkajoen event, hosted by the local motor sports club.