Toni Vilander
Toni Markus Vilander ( born July 25, 1980 in Kankaanpää ) is a Finnish racing driver. He will start in 2012 in the FIA GT1 World Championship.
Career
With five years Vilander began his career in karting and won several championships. In 2002 he moved to Formula racing and was fifth in the Italian Formula Renault. He also competed in a race of the Formula Renault 2.0 Euro Cup and was second in the Winter series of Italian Formula Renault. Also in 2003 drove Vilander in the Italian Formula Renault and this time attracted the third place in the overall standings. He also drove in the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup, where he eventually finished 14th in the overall standings. Furthermore, the Vilander started in a race the Italian Formula 3 Championship He scored a podium placement.
2004 Vilander drove a full season in the Italian Formula 3 Championship and was runner-up with six wins this series. In addition Vilander participated in several races of the Formula 3 Euro Series for Coloni. 2005 Vilander was active in the Italian Formula 3000 Championship and finished the season in fourth place in the overall standings. Also Vilander made his debut in the GP2 series. Coloni had separated from Gianmaria Bruni and Vilander was committed as a substitute. He participated in two race weekends and had no points. For the last race of the season Vilander was replaced by Ferdinando Monfardini. In addition, he raced in the Italian GT Championship and won the GT2.
In 2006, Vilander in GT racing. He was champion in the GT1 of the Italian GT Championship and also participated in races in the American Le Mans Series ( ALMS), the FIA GT Championship and the Spanish GT Championship part. Started in 2007 together with Dirk Müller Vilander for AF Corse in a Ferrari 430 GT2 in the GT2 class of the FIA GT Championship. The two won six of ten races and decided the GT2 for themselves. A season later, he repeated the title win in the GT2 class of the FIA GT Championship. This time, Gianmaria Bruni was his team mate. In addition Vilander debuted for AF Corse at the 24 - hour race at Le Mans. 2009 failed Vilander and Bruni on the title defense and were 54 to 56 points behind runner-up Richard Westbrook. In addition Vilander took part in a race in the Le Mans Series.
After the FIA GT Championship had been adjusted, Vilander entered 2010 in the Le Mans Series and the ALMS. In both series, he scored podium finishes. In the Le Mans Series, he and Jean Alesi and Giancarlo Fisichella Second in the LMGT2 rating. In the ALMS he came eleventh in the GT2. In addition, he launched the 24- hour race at Le Mans and in the FIA GT2 European Cup. 2011 Vilander was again parallel in the ALMS and the Le Mans Series active. In both series, he won a race in his class. He finished fourth in the LMGTE -Pro - rating the Le Mans Series and sixth in the GT2 ALMS. At the 24 - hour race in Le Mans he took second place in the LMGTE -Pro - rating together with Bruni and Fisichella.
2012 is Vilander for AF Corse in the FIA GT1 World Championship at the start. His team mate Filip Salaquarda. In addition Vilander took part in a race in the FIA World Endurance Championship ( WEC). In this he took after the first race in 35th place in the drivers' standings. He also competed in one race in the Rolex Sports Car Series.
Personal
Vilander met the former Formula 1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen 1991 know in kart racing. Both have been close friends since their common karting days. In addition Vilander is a friend of Robert Kubica.
Statistics
Career stations
- 2005: GP2 Series (No. 25)
- 2005: Italian GT Championship GT2 (Master)
- 2006: ALMS, GT2 ( 18th place)
- 2006: FIA GT Championship GT1
- 2006: FIA GT Championship GT2 ( 24th place )
- 2006: Italian GT Championship GT1 (Master)
- 2006: Spanish GT Championship, GTA ( 17th)
- 2007: FIA GT Championship GT2 (Master)
- 2008: FIA GT Championship GT2 (Master)
- 2009: FIA GT Championship GT2 (2nd place)
- 2009: Le Mans Series, LMGT2 ( 25th place )
- 2010: Le Mans Series, LMGT2 (2nd place)
- 2010: ALMS, GT2 (11th )
- 2011: Le Mans Series, LMGTE Pro ( 4th place)
- 2011: ALMS, GT ( 6th place)
- 2012: FIA GT1 World Championship
- 2012: WEC
- 2012: Rolex Sports Car Series GT