TEAM BEHIND TUUKKA
JUSSI KOHTALA
The owner of Kohtala Sports - Jussi Kohtala - is responsible for all contract agreements in Tuukka. Jussi has 23 years of experience running his own team and his own successful 16-year career behind him.
AARO VAINIO
Aaro acts as Tuukka's mentor both on and off the track. Since season 2024 Aaro has toured all the tests and races alongside Tuukka. Driving, racing and working with the team are areas where Aaro supports Tuukka, based on his own racing career and working as a race engineer.
CFAcademy
CFAcademy, based in Seinäjoki, has built a high-quality formula simulator, which Tuukka has also used over the years. The simulator's chief architect, Andy Symonds, is known for several F1 team driving simulator projects. And the driving engineer has been Ossi Oikarinen, who has solid F1 experience.
FLYING FINN ACADEMY
The Flying Finn Academy national team has been involved in Tuukka's coaching since 2019. Flying Finn Academy's coaching program has included e.g. Kimi Räikkönen, Valtteri Bottas, Heikki Kovalainen, Esapekka Lappi and Teemu Suninen.
FINNISH OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
Tuukka has been one of the athletes supported by the Finnish Olympic Committee's Top Sports Unit since 2022. The Ministry of Education and Culture has also awarded Tuukka an athlete grant since the season 2023.
Art Grand Prix
Tuukka drives for the French ART Grand Prix team in the FIA Formula 3 series. More than 25 drivers have made it to the F1 series from the ART GRAND PRIX team, the most successful of whom have been Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg, Charles Leclerc, Valtteri Bottas and George Russell. The team boss is the experienced Sebastien Philippe and Tuukka's engineer is Joffrey Guillemat.
Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy
Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy is the Scuderia Ferrari F1 team's young driver training program, which aims to help and develop talented young drivers from its own academy to advance in their careers. So far, five of the academy's former drivers have made it to the Formula 1 series. The most famous of them is currently Charles Leclerc. Tuukka Taponen has been a member of the FDA Academy since 2023. The academy's other drivers are FIA F2 driver Dino Beganovic and FIA F3 drivers Rafael Camara and Tuukka Taponen. The academy also has two female drivers, Aurelia Nobels and Maya Weug, both of whom compete in the women's F1 Academy series.