Mika Häkkinen

[Sipio]

Been watching F1 from 1994 and Mika was the ONLY driver i really cared about!

(then later Kimi ofcourse)

[zoefrances]

I alsway's wanted to see kimi and mika has teammates. the two greatest driver's ever.

[YSP]

Do I remember Mika?

Every day, dear friends, every day. Even though I started with F1 before Mika came along, for me he is THE MAN forever. I had gotten to know the sport watching legends as Prost, Mansell and Senna do their magic on track, then this guy showed up.. my countryman, challenging the legends. During his first two season, back in 1991 and 92 with Lotus, I became certain that this dude was going to be the champion one day. I just knew. By finishing in points with that crappy car and beating the hell out of his team mates he made me a believer.

Transfer to McLaren was a dream come true in the end of season 1992. But then this Yankee came along, Michael Andretti, and took the other driver's seat along with Ayrton Senna. Mika was demoted to a test driver. But as the season proceeded, Andretti turned out to be an amateur. Finally he had had enough, headed back to America and Mika was given a chance.. and boy did he use it. In Portugal in his first qualifying with McLaren Mika grabbed the 3rd grid position beating the Magic, triple world champion Ayrton Senna, by 0,048 seconds! Mika crashed out in the GP though, but in the following GP in Japan he finished 3rd. Oh yeah, we'll hear from him in the future.

But then, a piece of typical Finnish luck. Honda quit F1 and McLaren was forced to seek another engine supplier. They ended up with Peugeot and lost the concept altogether. Senna abandoned the sinking ship and signed with Williams, ultimately with disastrous consequences as we all know. Mika was now the top dog in McLaren, but McLaren lost it's place among top dogs in F1. Peugeot's engine and the whole McLaren package was too unreliable, Mika scored 6 podium finishes but retired in 7 GP's. Season 1995 was even worse: 2 podium finishes, 9 retirements.. and then Adelaide..

I was watching the 1st qualifying session early in the morning (GMT +2) and having my breakfast. All was going as it used to, I rooted for Mika as he started his fast lap.. then suddenly TV broadcast showed Mika's McLaren crashed on tire wall. He had lost control, spinned and hit the tire wall. At first I didn't think much of it, these things happen, right..But he wasn't moving. The ambulance came carrying Syd Watkins, the race doctor at the time. Doctors began working around Mika's car.. it took ages. My mind went back to Imola, images of Ayrton's wrecked Williams mixed with images of Mika's wrecked McLaren. I felt nausea, this can't be happening, not again. Not Mika..
The following day felt like a year, finally news came. Mika was in coma but his condition was stable. I just hoped that he'll survive, wake up and continue his life. Racing was completely unimportant. Eventually he did wake up, he did recover. He lost some of his hearing, he lost some coordination of his body.. but, my God, four months after his horrific accident he came back to Australia, to Melbourne Albert Park, to season 1996 opening GP and finished 5th.
At that moment, I sold my soul to Mika Häkkinen. He had done the impossible.

McLaren's difficulties still haunted his career though. In 1997 McLaren was fast but unreliable. Numerous times I buried my face in my hands as I watched Mika stall on P1 in the closing laps of the race. It was like someone out there was determined to prevent Mika from winning a GP by all means necessary..
Until the last GP of the season in Jerez. On lap 48 title candidates Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve battled over GP win as well as the title, and crashed. Schumey was forced to retire but Villeneuve had to continue as he needed points. His damaged car wasn't a match against McLarens chasing him. On the last lap Mika did catch him and did get past and did win! (Here's a clip of it. Notice TV-commentator Matti Kyllönen almost crying in the aftermath, I felt the same).

[limit reached, continued below]
_________________
Reporter: It was raining, what kind of tires you had?
Juha Kankkunen: Black and round Pirelli.
------------------
Reporter: How is it possible that there's three Finns in top 5?
Timo Mäkinen: Because there was only three of us.

[YSP]

Still electricuted by Mika's first ever win in previous season final, I wanted season 1998 to begin so hard I almost lost my mind. For the whole winter I just wanted to get started. Eventually it did start, and boy was that a start. Mika continued where he had finished, winning the Australian GP.. then winning the Brazilian GP. I was in 7th heaven, but still I was wondering if it was true or just a dream. It was too great to be true. But it was true. The battle for the title was really on.
After colourful confrontations with Schumacher the battle was to be solved in the last race yet again, in Suzuka, Japan. Mika had a 4 points lead agaist Schumacher so Schumey would have to get 5 points more than Mika. Mika would be satisfied with a 2nd position even if Schumey had won. Schumey took the pole just ahead of Mika, but the problem was Schumey's team mate Eddie Irvine. He was in 4rd grid and had a chance of taking Mika out, which would mean an easy victory for Schumey.

The start was cancelled due to Jarno Trulli stalling his car. The second attempt was cancelled as well, as Schumey stalled his car. Schumey was forced to start from back of the grid and things looked very promising at that moment, but having been disappointed so many times in so many virtually impossible ways I just wouldn't count my chicken yet. Finally the race got started, Mika and Irvine took off and left rest of the group standing, Schumey began to clear his way from the back. He had done it before, mind you, I still would count the chicken.
Then on lap 31 something happened. Something I couldn't comprehend at that time and place. Something that hadn't happened before, something completely alien: Schumacher had a puncture. Schumacher was forced to retire. So.. this means that.. ehm.. uh.. this must mean that.. Mika is the World Champion!
For the rest of the GP I couldn't sit down. I paced around the livingroom in trance telling myself "he won.. we won.. he did win.. the title.. world championship title.. he did it!"
When Mika took the chequered flag winning the Japanese Grand Prix as the World Champion, I broke. I totally broke down. Everything came back to me. Years with Lotus, McLaren debut, struggle, Adelaide, miraculous comeback, more struggle, first win.. I dropped on my knees on the floor, buried my head in my hands and cried like a baby. Happy tears, loads of them.

I knew. I just knew.


---

Wow.. that turned out as an essay.
_________________
Reporter: It was raining, what kind of tires you had?
Juha Kankkunen: Black and round Pirelli.
------------------
Reporter: How is it possible that there's three Finns in top 5?
Timo Mäkinen: Because there was only three of us.

[zoefrances]

wow ysp, that was a lovely piece you wrote about mika. mika was a fantastic racer and I was so glad to see him come back from the crash in adeliade in 1995 and win two f1 world titles.

[Lilly]

Baby News, Marketa is pregnant

http://www.mtv3.fi/viihde/uutiset/muut.shtml/1136951/mika-hakkinen-vauvauutisesta-tama-kruunaa-suhteemme
_________________

[zoefrances]

thank you for the news lilly. in the u.k we don't get to hear alot about mika. the english press don't write about kimi either.

[YSP]

Earlier today I was in bar having a beer of two (or more), when the radio spat out Tina Turner's "Simply the best".
I might have shed a tear or two (or more) as it yet again reminded me of this old classic piece of art. (edit: Ecclestone's mafia has since forced Youtube to remove the vid due to copyright violation )

edit: Even though that vid is often seen around web being posted by numerous of people, it's actually compiled by F1F member Henkka about ten years ago. So don't give credit to fakes..
_________________
Reporter: It was raining, what kind of tires you had?
Juha Kankkunen: Black and round Pirelli.
------------------
Reporter: How is it possible that there's three Finns in top 5?
Timo Mäkinen: Because there was only three of us.

[zoefrances]

Ive seen that video, it is good. shame that too many people take credit for it.
mika was a brilliant racer just like kimi