SAMI SELIÖ moved on from being crowned Rookie’ of the Year in his debut season in 1998 to becoming a two-time World Champion (2007 and 2010). The flying Finn has racked up 170 starts in his 27 years on the tour and finished 12th overall in the championship standings in 2022, passing the 1000 points mark in the process. In 2023, he finished the season ninth in the rankings and was the lead driver of the new Red Devil SMC-F1 Team in 2024 and finished sixth. He will again lead the team in 2025 with the new Sharjah-designed boat.
Known for his exceptional pace and qualifying prowess, he has won 13 Grand Prix, picked up 38 additional podium finishes and earned 26 career pole positions, which is third of all-time in the sport.
His first success came with a podium in Istanbul, Turkey in 1999, followed years later with his first qualifying pole in Portugal in 2006. A first career victory came in La Rochelle, France, during his first world championship winning year of 2007. The Finn’s last two podiums came in Indonesia (second place) at the start of 2023 and in Zhengzhou (third) in 2024.