Behind the helmet

Meet Vilho

Born: 2009
Hometown: Turku, Finland
Indy Junior Academy: Lead driver
USF Juniors Team: DEForce Racing Team
Series: USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire (USF Pro Championships)
Development Teams: JTL Racing, KSB Racing Team
Home Club: South West Karting Fin ry
Started Karting: 2017
Family: Mother, father and younger brother

Grounded routines that keep the engine running:

NATURE • FISHING • SAUNA • FAMILY • SPORTS

Splitting time between Finland and the U.S.
while staying on top of training and education.

Vilho Aatola is a Finnish racing driver from Turku, Finland and a rising IndyCar prospect on the Road to Indy ladder. Born in 2009, he began karting in 2017 and quickly built a reputation as one of Finland’s most promising young talents.

A Finnish champion in Finnish Junior Championship series as well as Rotax and IAME series, Vilho has raced across Europe against elite international fields, earning podium finishes and showcasing consistent front-running pace. His performances in Junior and Senior categories demonstrated not only speed, but race intelligence and technical maturity beyond his years.

As the first Indy Junior Academy Finland–USA driver, Vilho represents the new generation of Finnish drivers targeting professional single-seater racing in the United States. In 2025, he competed in the USF Juniors Championship with DEForcer Racing, taking a decisive step toward Indy NXT and ultimately IndyCar.

Focused, fearless, and internationally experienced, Vilho Aatola is building his career with one clear objective: reaching the top level of American open-wheel racing.

Racing History

2025

  • Finished 7th in his rookie season of USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire with two podium finishes, seven top-fives, one fastest race lap and one front row qualifying effort.

  • Finished 13th in the YACademy Winter Series for USF Juniors at Homestead-Miami Speedway and NOLA Motorsports Park with a best finish of sixth.

2024

  • Senior Max – Rookie Year

  • Central European Rotax Max Challenge, Senior Max – P3/78 (Bronze)

  • Rotax Max Challenge Euro Trophy, Senior Max – 3 races

  • First Indy Junior Academy Finland–USA Drive

2023

  • Central European Rotax Max Challenge, Junior Max – P4/57

  • Rotax Nordic Challenge, Junior Max – P4/26

  • 16 races in 9 different countries

  • 3 podiums (1 win, 2 second-place finishes), 1 pole position

2022

  • OKJ Class – 18th place in the Finnish Championship series

  • 8th place in the Rotax Max Challenge Finland, Junior Max series

2021

  • Mini60 Finnish Junior Championship – Gold

  • IAME Series Finland Mini Championship – Gold

  • Rotax Max Championship Finland, Mini Max – 3rd place (Bronze)

  • WSK Final Cup, Adria, Italy

    Perpetual Trophies:

  • Kimi’s Can (AKK)

  • Junior Driver of the Year (Finnish Karting Association)

  • Heikki’s Trophy (Finnish Karting Association)

  • Team of the Year (SWK Fin ry)

  • X30 Mini Perpetual Trophy (IAME Series Finland)

2020

  • Rotax Max Challenge Finland, Micro Max – 1st place (Gold)

    • Qualified for the World Grand Final in Portugal (cancelled due to COVID-19)

  • RMC Euro Trophy Winter Cup, Campillos, Spain – Micro Max, P6/28

2019

  • Rotax Max Challenge Finland, Micro Max – 3rd place (Bronze)

  • Career-first pole position, 4 podium finishes

  • First international race – 6th place and second-fastest Finnish driver

2018

  • First racing season, Cadet

  • 2nd place in the Regional Championship race

  • Rookie of the Year Perpetual Trophy, South West Karting Fin ry

2017

  • My first karting car, testing at the Paimio circuit on July 6, 2017