FORMULA ONE DRIVER WORLD CHAMPIONS - THE GREATS
Mika Hakkinen
Mika Pauli Häkkinen was born on 28th of September 1968. Mika is nicknamed; 'The Flying Finn', he is from Finland, and is ranked by fans and drivers alike as one of the greatest Formula One drivers to grace this great sport, plus he's an all round nice, top guy.
Hakkinen won the Drivers World Championship two times in 1998 and 1999, both driving for McLaren. Mika began his racing career, like so many future F1 champs, in karting. He stareted early, at the age of five and achieved success by winning both regional and national kart championships. He progressed to Formula Ford, after his karting days, and soon after on to the Formula Three series, where he competed in The UK and in Italy achieving instant success. It was in 1991 when Mika progressed to Formula One, he started his F1 career with the Lotus team, where he stayed for 2 seasons. It was in 1993 when Hakinnen moved to McLaren, where he first joined the team as their test-driver, before being promoted to the race team following Michael Andretti's departure from the team. He had little success in the first four seasons at McLaren, as the team were off the pace throughout the field. Mika scored his first Grand Prix victory in 1997, and in 1998 he went on to win eight races, and secure his first Drivers World Championship, at the final race of the season at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan. His dominating season also helped his team clinch the Constructors title that year. In the 1999 season Mika repeated his World Championship success, taking five victories and beating Michael Schumacher to the Drivers title. He then went on to finish as runner-up in the 2000 season, this time behind Schumacher. Hakinnen went on to win two more Grand Prix in 2001, before announcing a sebbatical from the sport at the end of that season, which then became full-time retirement in mid-2002. |
F1 CAREER: 1991 - 2001
NATIONALITY: Finnish
GRAND PRIX RACE STARTS: 161
CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 2
RACE WINS: 20
PODIUMS: 51
POLE POSITIONS: 26
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