Aaro Vainio was born in the mid nineties, at a time when Finland was just starting to light up the auto racing world on the track, following two decades of rally domination. From an early age, Aaro was immersed in a tradition of competitive auto racing by Finland’s devotional and cultural heritage, but there was also a strong family influence, as he quite naturally followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, getting behind the wheel of a go-kart when he was knee-high to a June bug. “My father, Kimmo, was a kart and rally driver and he wanted to know if I had what it takes for auto racing. I was just three and I loved my first ride!” Aaro says, smiling… although he adds that although it had a lasting effect on his future career choice, he has no specific memory of the event. “Three, that’s very young! My first memories still go way back because I have flashes of driving a kart at four and a half.”

In the nineties, Finland's economic and sporting culture, spurred by the international success of its best ambassadors on four wheels, helped to foster a social and political climate that promoted racing, which, along with traditional winter sports, had been king in Finland for as long as anyone can remember. Young athletes, and Aaro in particular, naturally developed their skills on Finland’s popular sporting terrains: ski slopes, or driving on ice or snow in the lake-dotted open spaces just a short drive from his hometown of Espoo.

His start in racing was quickly accompanied by a taste for confrontation with his trackmates, and Aaro soon got hooked on the spirit of competition. He won the Championship of Finland in 2007, and the European KF3 championship, as well as the Junior Monaco Kart Cup the following year.

In 2009, he raced in two series and was runner-up in the prestigious CIK-FIA Karting World Championship and he was crowned European Champion in SuperKF/KF1, the highest category in the WSK Euro Series. He also finished 8th in overall in SuperKF class. Unfortunately, in 2010 CIK-FIA didn’t include SKF/KF1 category in their European Championships anymore, and 2010 WSK changed so that they now have Euro series, World series, and so on. Unlike Kimmo, who was an outstanding rally driver, Aaro was naturally drawn to track racing. “It wasn't intentional,” the young man says, reassuringly, “The opportunities that came my way pulled me more toward track racing than to rally, but one thing is sure, I will be a rally driver some day! I love the feeling of sliding and when I have to control a car that is starting to go sideways.”

At age 16, the young Finn decided to enter the world of auto racing and cut his teeth in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, which has gradually become a leading way to break into the highest level of auto racing. Aaro’s schedule with French team Tech 1 Racing included 16 races contested on some of Europe’s most selective circuits, like Spa-Francorchamps, Silverstone, and Barcelona. “Looking back, I can see now that the choice was ambitious but a good one,” Aaro explains, “I owe it to my manager, Nicolas Todt, who I started to work with late in my karting career. His contacts and expertise enabled us to put together a solid project.” Learning to handle a 210 hp racecar with a weight-to-power ratio just over 2 is not something you can do in a bare-bones winter season. But Aaro’s progress, which was gradual and steady early in the season, grew exponentially late in the year, when he got his first pole position and climbed the podium five times in eight races. “It’s not like anything clicked, rather it was just a matter of gaining experience I did not have earlier in the season. Once I was comfortable in the car, I managed to focus solely on driving. The car, the team, and the driver, all of the pieces of the puzzle finally came together.”

With 78 points scored in the second half of the 2010 season, Aaro had the second best points total in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, behind the championship winner (93 points), several lengths ahead of his teammate (61 points) and other more experienced drivers. His rise in power was rewarded with a 4th place overall finish, opening the doors to the GP3 Series in 2011 which, from their first year of existence in 2011 became a springboard for reaching the gateway to Formula 1, the GP2 Series. 2011 has been a learning year for Aaro who showed a true speed allowing him to often qualify in the top 5. However, youth and lack of experience prevented Aaro to score more points.

Therefore, doing a second year in the GP3 Series is an obvious choice for Aaro and his management. He will race for the double championship winning team Lotus GP with the aim to fight for the title. “I’m extremely happy to join ART Grand Prix. This is the best team out there and I will give my very best to bring great results. To do so, I look forward to improve my driving skills and my technical approach, winter testing will be very important.”

To focus at best on his task and to grow as a man and a driver, Aaro moved to France during the winter. This new life will allow him to stay in close contact with the team and to use its facilities in the best possible way.