{"id":26779,"date":"2020-12-05T14:56:34","date_gmt":"2020-12-05T14:56:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.motorsportmagazine.com\/database\/drivers\/mika-hakkinen\/"},"modified":"2023-11-08T17:25:52","modified_gmt":"2023-11-08T17:25:52","slug":"mika-hakkinen","status":"publish","type":"driver","link":"https:\/\/www.motorsportmagazine.com\/database\/drivers\/mika-hakkinen\/","title":{"rendered":"Mika Hakkinen"},"content":{"rendered":"    \n<section class=\"hero hero--small-image\">\n    \n            \n<section class=\"c-site-breadcrumbs site-breadcrumbs proxima \">\n    <div class=\"container\">\n        <nav class=\"breadcrumbs\"><span><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.motorsportmagazine.com\/database\/\">Home<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/nav>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n    \n    <div class=\"hero__content\">\n        <div class=\"container\">\n                            <div class=\"circular-image\">\n                                            <picture>\n            <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"\" >\n            <img decoding=\"async\" height=\"200\" width=\"200\" alt=\"maus9826\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.motorsportmagazine.com\/database\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/01\/maus9826-200x200.jpg\" srcset=\"\"  loading=\"lazy\"  \/>\n        <\/picture>\n                                    <\/div>\n                        <h1 class=\"hero__title sanomat\"><\/h1>\n                                        <p class=\"hero__text\">A double Formula 1 world champion, Mika H\u00e4kkinen earned his &#8216;Flying Finn&#8217; nickname as he took on and beat Michael Schumacher<\/p>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"anchor-menu container-no-breakpoints proxima\">\n    <ul>\n                    <li><a href=\"#biography\" data-behaviour=\"scroll-to\">Biography<\/a><\/li>\n                    <li><a href=\"#championship-seasons\" data-behaviour=\"scroll-to\">Championship Seasons<\/a><\/li>\n                    <li><a href=\"#non-championship-races\" data-behaviour=\"scroll-to\">Non-Championship Races<\/a><\/li>\n                    <li><a href=\"#teams\" data-behaviour=\"scroll-to\">Teams<\/a><\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"container\" id=\"biography\">\n            <div class=\"post__item\">\n                <div class=\"js-react\" data-behaviour=\"driver-data-box\" data-driver-id=\"26779\"><\/div>\n                <\/div>\n        <aside class=\"sidebar\" data-target=\"ad-container\">\n            <aside class=\"broadcast-space \">\n            <div class=\"broadcast-space__element\" id=\"div-gpt-ad-1563288058060-3\" data-behaviour=\"ad-target\"><\/div>\n    <\/aside>\n        <\/aside>\n    <\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\" id=\"full-biography\">\n    \n        \n        <section class=\"c-expanding-content expanding-content expanding-content--expandable content-section toggle\">\n            <p>Mika H\u00e4kkinen was one of those drivers who created a buzz from the moment he started racing in the sport\u2019s junior categories. He recovered from serious injuries to emerge as Michael Schumacher&#8217;s greatest rival of the late 1990s \u2013 a double World Champion with McLaren-Mercedes-Benz.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Multiple champion in the junior categories<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Successful in karts in his homeland, he acquired JJ Lehto\u2019s Reynard 86FF to graduate to Formula Ford 1600 in 1987 and immediately won the Finnish, Swedish and Scandinavian Championships. He showed further promise in a couple of appearances in that year\u2019s FF1600 Euroseries but crashed out of the Brands Hatch Festival at the semi-final stage.<\/p>\n<p>H\u00e4kkinen had already completed a successful FF2000 test for Marlboro by that time and the cigarette manufacturer backed his move to the new GM-Lotus category in 1988. Racing for the newly formed Dragon Motorsport team, H\u00e4kkinen won seven times and clinched the inaugural European title while team-mate Allan McNish was British Champion.<\/p>\n<p>Rather than join an established team for the 1989 British Formula 3 Championship, H\u00e4kkinen drove Dragon\u2019s singleton Reynard 893-Toyota as it also stepped up a level. Unfortunately, the car was no match for that year\u2019s Ralt-Mugens and the Finn could only finish seventh overall after a frustrating campaign. He switched to West Surrey Racing\u2019s Ralt RT33-Mugen for the non-championship Cellnet SuperPrix at Brands Hatch and promptly beat all the regular contenders.<\/p>\n<p>He remained with WSR for the 1990 F3 season and beat childhood friend Mika Salo to the British title thanks to 10 race wins. In addition, H\u00e4kkinen travelled abroad to win rounds of the German and Italian F3 Championships and seemed on course for victory at Macau as well. Already winner of the first heat and in control of the overall result, he attempted to pass Michael Schumacher for the lead of heat two. Their cars collided with H\u00e4kkinen losing certain victory in the barriers.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Graduation to Formula 1 with Lotus<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>With Keke Rosberg guiding his career, H\u00e4kkinen was announced as driver of the restructured Lotus Grand Prix team \u2013 central to Peter Collins\u2019 efforts to save the cash-strapped team. H\u00e4kkinen&#8217;s Lotus 102B-Judd was a lapped fifth at Imola as he scored points in just the third start of an impressive maiden F1 campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Lotus secured Ford-power for 1992 and introduced the Chris Murphy-designed 107 from the Monaco GP. Both H\u00e4kkinen and team-mate Johnny Herbert showed promise and the Finn finished six GPs in the points (including coming fourth in France and Hungary) to secure eighth in the World Championship.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Making the most of his move to McLaren<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>However, rather than stay with Lotus for another year, H\u00e4kkinen joined McLaren as test and reserve driver in 1993 \u2013 giving up a guaranteed race seat to be included in one of F1\u2019s top teams. That decision proved inspired when Michael Andretti failed to live up to expectations and was dropped after the Italian GP. H\u00e4kkinen was drafted in as his replacement from the Portuguese GP and promptly out-qualified team-mate Ayrton Senna. He crashed out of third position at Estoril but then finished in that position in the wet Japanese GP to record his first F1 podium.<\/p>\n<p>Senna left for Williams-Renault at the end of the season and H\u00e4kkinen was now effectively McLaren\u2019s lead driver. Unfortunately, the team started an ill-feted partnership with Peugeot in 1994 that would last just one season. Despite the disappointing V10 engine, H\u00e4kkinen finished third on five occasions and was promoted to second when Schumacher was disqualified in Belgium. Fourth in the final championship standings was a fine return considering the machinery at his disposal. However, there were moments when his frustration boiled over and he was banned for a race after causing an accident on the first lap at Hockenheim.<\/p>\n<p>Mercedes-Benz replaced Peugeot as McLaren\u2019s engine supplier in 1995 and H\u00e4kkinen responded with second place finishes at Monza and Suzuka \u2013 that Japanese GP result achieved having missed the previous race to have his appendix removed. However, the season ended with the worst accident of H\u00e4kkinen\u2019s career that almost cost him his life. He suffered a puncture during qualifying for the Australian GP at Adelaide and crashed at approximately 125mph. Only saved by an emergency tracheotomy by the trackside and with severe head injuries, he made a surprisingly fast recovery and was back on the grid at the start of 1996.<\/p>\n<p>There were steady signs of improvement for the Woking-based team during the next two seasons and H\u00e4kkinen developed into a regular points\u2019 scorer during 1996. He finished third in the British, Belgian, Italian (storming through the field from 17th after an unscheduled stop to change his front wing) and Japanese GPs although a hoped-for breakthrough victory did not materialise.<\/p>\n<p>McLaren sported a new silver livery at the start of 1997 with West joining as title sponsor. The team began that new era by finally winning again but it was team-mate David Coulthard who led a 1-3 for the team in Australia. H\u00e4kkinen&#8217;s summer was spent waiting for the cards to fall in his favour as engine failures at Silverstone, Spielberg and the N\u00fcrburgring (having qualified on pole position for the first time) denied certain victory. That success finally came after 96 attempts at the dramatic Jerez finale when title contenders Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve crashed into each other. With Schumacher out of the race and his rival keen to protect his damaged car, Coulthard slowed to allow H\u00e4kkinen to win for the first time.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>World Champion<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>McLaren enticed Adrian Newey away from Williams during 1997 and his new McLaren MP4-13-Mercedes proved all-conquering during 1998. H\u00e4kkinen led a 1-2 on its debut in Australia after Coulthard respected a pre-race agreement and let the Finn, who had been delayed in the pits, take the lead. Less controversial victories followed in Brazil, Spain, Monaco, Austria, Germany, Luxembourg (a brilliant win at the N\u00fcrburgring) and Japan as H\u00e4kkinen beat Schumacher and Ferrari to the title at the final round.<\/p>\n<p>On pole position for 11 of the 16 World Championship races showed that H\u00e4kkinen and McLaren-Mercedes remained the fastest combination of 1999. However, reliability issues and crashing out of the lead at both Imola and Monza put his title defence in question. That latter mistake prompted a very public display of emotion as the championship appeared to slip from his grasp. Schumacher missed six races after breaking his leg at Silverstone and it was Ferrari team-mate Eddie Irvine that challenged H\u00e4kkinen all season. Trailing the Irishman by four points, H\u00e4kkinen dominated the final race in Japan to score his fifth victory of the season and clinch a hard-won second world title.<\/p>\n<p>No driver since Juan Manuel Fangio had won the championship for three years in a row and H\u00e4kkinen began 2000 by retiring from the lead of the Australian and Brazilian GPs. Victory in Spain apart, he appeared marginally outpaced by team-mate Coulthard at the start of the season before he returned from holiday to dominate the Austrian GP. Further victories in Hungary and Belgium gave him the points lead \u2013 H\u00e4kkinen winning at Spa-Francorchamps thanks to his audacious pass of Schumacher as they lapped Ricardo Zonta\u2019s BAR-Honda. However, Schumacher won the Japanese GP to beat H\u00e4kkinen to the title, his first for Ferrari, with a race to spare.<\/p>\n<p>H\u00e4kkinen won the British and United States GPs during 2001 but it was evident that his motivation was wavering. Married to television personality Erja Honkanen and a father for the first time, he decided to take a year off in 2002 to enjoy life with his young family. Rather than return after a year away, H\u00e4kkinen eventually announced that he was retiring from GP racing.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>DTM with Mercedes-Benz<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>There were rumours of an F1 return but when he raced again it was in the 2005 German Touring Car Championship (DTM) with a works AMG Mercedes C-Klasse. He won his third race at Spa-Francorchamps as he finished fifth in the standings. Without a win during a frustrating second season in the category, he tested a McLaren MP4-21-Mercedes at Barcelona in November 2006 but was two seconds slower than the team\u2019s new recruit Lewis Hamilton. H\u00e4kkinen then won the Lausitzring and Mugello rounds of the 2007 DTM Championship in what was an inconsistent final season as a professional racing driver.<\/p>\n\n                            <div class=\"expanding-content__buttons\">\n                                            <a href=\"#\" class=\"button button--outline button--chevron-down expanding-content__more\" data-behaviour=\"toggle\">Read full bio<\/a>\n                        <a href=\"#\" class=\"button button--outline button--chevron-up expanding-content__less\" data-behaviour=\"toggle\">Read Less<\/a>\n                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/section>\n\n                                \n   <\/div>\n\n<section class=\"content-section content-section--no-padding-bottom database-table-collapsible toggle open\" id=\"championship-seasons\">\n    <div class=\"container\">\n        <div class=\"js-react\" data-behaviour=\"driver-seasons-table\" data-driver-id=\"\"><\/div>            <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"content-section content-section--no-padding database-table-collapsible toggle open\" id=\"non-championship-races\">\n    <div class=\"container\">\n        \n<header class=\"content-header content-header--alt\">\n\n    <h2 class=\"content-header__small-title sanomat u-bold \">\n                Non Championship Races\n    <\/h2>\n\n    <div class=\"content-header__dropdown database-table-collapsible__toggles proxima\">\n        <a href=\"#\" class=\"database-table-collapsible__more\" data-behaviour=\"toggle\">Show<\/a>\n        <a href=\"#\" class=\"database-table-collapsible__less\" data-behaviour=\"toggle\">Hide<\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/header><div class=\"js-react\" data-behaviour=\"driver-races-table\" data-driver-id=\"\"><\/div>            <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"content-section content-section--no-padding database-table-collapsible toggle open\" id=\"teams\">\n    <div class=\"container\">\n        \n<header class=\"content-header content-header--alt\">\n\n    <h2 class=\"content-header__small-title sanomat u-bold \">\n                Teams\n    <\/h2>\n\n    <div class=\"content-header__dropdown database-table-collapsible__toggles proxima\">\n        <a href=\"#\" class=\"database-table-collapsible__more\" data-behaviour=\"toggle\">Show<\/a>\n        <a href=\"#\" class=\"database-table-collapsible__less\" data-behaviour=\"toggle\">Hide<\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/header><div class=\"js-react\" data-behaviour=\"driver-teams-table\" data-driver-id=\"\"><\/div>            <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n                            <section class=\"c-broadcast-space content-section block_5fc172d85c387_leaderboardtop div-gpt-ad-1563288058060-1\" data-target=\"ad-container\">\n            <div class=\"container container--full-mobile\">\n                <aside class=\"broadcast-space \">\n            <div class=\"broadcast-space__element\" id=\"div-gpt-ad-1563288058060-1\" data-behaviour=\"ad-target\"><\/div>\n    <\/aside>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/section>\n    \n\n    <section\n        class=\"c-latest-products latest-products content-section\"\n        data-behaviour=\"tag-automation\"\n        data-automation-type=\"related-products\"\n        data-tags=\"[&quot;Mika Hakkinen&quot;]\"\n        data-current-post=\"26779\"><\/section>\n\n\n        <section class=\"c-article-listing article-listing content-section\">\n        <div class=\"container\">\n            <header class=\"content-header\">\n    <div class=\"content-header__intro user-content\">\n        <h1 class=\"content-header__title sanomat\">Related articles<\/h1>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"content-header__button\">\n            <a class=\"button button--outline button--full\"\n               href=\"https:\/\/www.motorsportmagazine.com\">\n                View all\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/header>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"content-section__inner-content container\">\n            <div class=\"article-grid article-grid--no-ads\">\n                <div class=\"article-grid__wrapper\">\n                    <div class=\"article-grid__nested-grid\">\n                        <div class=\"article-grid__column\">\n                                                            \n\t\n\n<article class=\"article-item \">\n\n\t\n\t\t<a class=\"article-item__link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.motorsportmagazine.com\/articles\/single-seaters\/f1\/too-old-to-race-the-age-myth-formula-1-is-now-having-to-question\/\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"article-item__image article-item__image--cropped\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<picture>\n            <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.motorsportmagazine.com\/database\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GP2309_135238_U1A7897-450x253.jpg.webp 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" height=\"253\" width=\"450\" alt=\"Too old to race? 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Mark Hughes tells Bryn Lucas why the double world champion still has the pace to take on the best on the grid in our latest podcast episode<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"article-item__meta proxima\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"article-item__date\" datetime=\"2026-04-30\">30th April 2026<\/time>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"article-item__author\">By\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMotor Sport<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n<\/article>                                                                                            \n\t\n\n<article class=\"article-item \">\n\n\t\n\t\t<a class=\"article-item__link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.motorsportmagazine.com\/articles\/single-seaters\/f1\/why-lightning-not-just-rain-could-stop-the-miami-grand-prix\/\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"article-item__image article-item__image--cropped\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<picture>\n            <source type=\"image\/webp\" 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class=\"article-item__title article-item__title--cropped sanomat\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhy lightning &#8211; not just rain &#8211; could stop the Miami Grand Prix\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"article-item__excerpt\" data-cf-ignore>\n\t\t\t\t<p>As thunderstorms threaten Sunday&#8217;s race, a uniquely American legal framework means lightning could bring the Miami Grand Prix to a halt<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"article-item__meta proxima\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"article-item__date\" datetime=\"2026-04-30\">30th April 2026<\/time>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"article-item__author\">By\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPablo Elizalde<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n<\/article>                                                                                            \n\t\n\n<article class=\"article-item \">\n\n\t\n\t\t<a class=\"article-item__link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.motorsportmagazine.com\/articles\/single-seaters\/f1\/not-even-in-the-same-galaxy-what-really-separates-stroll-from-alonso\/\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"article-item__image article-item__image--cropped\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<picture>\n            <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.motorsportmagazine.com\/database\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2268701137-450x253.jpg.webp 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" height=\"253\" width=\"450\" alt=\"&#8216;Not even in the same galaxy&#8217; &#8211; what really separates Stroll from Alonso\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.motorsportmagazine.com\/database\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2268701137-450x253.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.motorsportmagazine.com\/database\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2268701137-450x253.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>\n        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2026<\/time>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"article-item__author\">By\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMotor Sport<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n<\/article>                                                                    <\/div>\n                                    <div class=\"article-grid__column\">\n                                                                                    <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n\n\n    <section\n        class=\"c-article-listing article-listing content-section\"\n        data-behaviour=\"tag-automation\"\n        data-automation-type=\"related-issue-articles\"\n        data-tags=\"[&quot;Mika Hakkinen&quot;]\"\n        data-current-post=\"26779\"\n        data-count-override=\"8\"><\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"c-database-cats database-cats content-section\">\n    <div class=\"container\">\n        <div class=\"database-cats__content\">\n  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           <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"author":849,"featured_media":51124,"menu_order":0,"template":"","tags":[24505],"series":[68,82,24,126,150],"country":[781],"gender":[28],"class_list":["post-26779","driver","type-driver","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-mika-hakkinen","series-british-f3","series-dtm","series-f1","series-german-f3","series-italian-f3","country-finland","gender-male"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Mika Hakkinen \u2022 Career &amp; Character Info | Motorsport Database<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Find out about British F3 driver, Mika Hakkinen, their career, history and character information incl. races, teams and much more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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