MIKA  PAULI  "HAKA" HAKKINEN  (FIN)

By Seppo Pitkanen

Updated 04.03.2000

The Career

1974 F Karting starting year with the same Zip-car that the famous Formula and rally driver Henry Toivonen had driven before.

1978 FK 85 cc Formula Mini class. Keimola Club (FIN) champion at the age of ten.

1979 F K 85 cc Formula Mini class. At the opening race of Finnish Cup Championship in Lappeenranta Mika won beating Turku girl Taru Rinne. They both were the same age. Rinne won the Finnish Cup championship. During the same year another special event was to take place: Mika Häkkinen, Jyrki Järvilehto and Mika Salo were competing in the same classes and races. Eighth place in Kuopio Race. Winner was Mika Salo. Mika Hakkinen took the third position in the Swedish Lapland Cup (he won once). Keimola club champion.

1980 F K Fourth position in class 85 cc Formula Mini (Finnish Cup championship) after Mika Salo and Taru Rinne, champion from the previous season. His car Finnkart was built by Pekka Pirkola. Overall Champion in the Swedish Lapland Cup. His victory in the last race of the Cup brought him the championship Gold. During the season he  took third places in Kuopio after Mika Salo and Marko Mankonen, as well as in Espoo and Uumaja (S). He was fourth in Östersund, Sweden.

1981 F K  85 cc Formula Mini class. He won the Finnish Cup championship before Taru Rinne and Mika Rinta-Jaskari. His car was Finnkart Partner by Pirkola again. His mechanic was now Taisto Laine from Lahti (FIN). In the opening race of the season in Lahti Häkkinen was beaten by Taru Rinne, and this couple had really tough competition during the rest of the season. At the end of the year Mika won a few races more, at Lappeenranta, Lahti, Ruukki, Espoo, Kouvola and Riihimäki  (the autumn race). In the previous race in Riihimaki Mika was being pushed out from the track and in the first race in the Salpausselka Cup he did loose the track himself. In Lappeenranta he was beaten not only by Taru Rinne but also by another young girl Ninna Österholm. These girls really gave a lot of headache to Mika during the season to come.

1982 F K 85 cc Formula Mini class. Mika won Cup silver after Taru Rinne. He raced with Finnkart Partner by Pirkola. The bronze was won by Ninna Osterholm. Mika won the Ronnie Peterson Memorial Race in Sweden and the Salpausselka Cup in Lahti just before Osterholm and Mika Rinta-Jaskari. He also won Formula Mini Cup in Ruukki before Rinne and Osterholm. Win in Kuopio race.

The Finnish Karting Association chosed Mika Häkkinen as the FK Junior of the year.

1983 F K 100 cc Formula Nordic-class. Mika won the Finnish championship with Finnkart Parilla built by Pekka Pirkola. The car was tuned by Taisto Lainefrom Lahti City and sponsored by Restaurant Allun Grilli from Vantaa City.  In fact Taru Rinne won the championship but her last race was rejacted later due to forbidden gasoline. She was disqualifid to race for a year. Silver was won by Jukka Savolainen and Bronze by Timo Palenius. Rinne was dropped till fourt endposition. Due to this judgement Rinne moved into international tracks as an Road Racing driver. She never came back to fourwheelers.

Being an outsider Mika won in Espoo the Formula Nordic class before Jukka Savolainen and Mika Rinta-Jaskari.

In the Nordic Championships (Lahti, FIN) Mika became sixth in FN-class. European Champion in A Junior team races in Horrem, Germany ( Beating France and West-Germany). The team consisted of Mika, Taru Rinne, Marko Mankonen from Porvoo and Janne Nyman. In Horrem Mika raced with Birel Parilla car.

1984 F K 100 cc Formula Nordic class. Finnish Champion before Jari Laine and Jukka Savolainen. The car italian Birel Parilla was imported and maintened by Pirkola. The engine was tuned by young driver Sami Pensala, later Formula VW 1600 champion. The race took place in Pori, Viasvesi Track. In the opening race in Lappeenranta fifth place. Race won by Ninna Österholm. In Kuopio third place after Marko Timonen and Mika Rinta-Jaskari. At Vihti track opening race in Nummela Mika won the Nordic class race before Minna Kuoppala and Janina Österholm. Mika won in Pori.

A Junior class Cup i Laval, France: 14. position.

First experiments and tests with Formula Ford car at Ahvenisto track in Hämeenlinna. . The car was owned by Arno Kotilainen.

1985 F K 100 cc A-class. Finnish Champion before Jukka Savolainen and Mika Salo. Car Birel Parilla by Pirkola. The race took place at Mikas favourite track in Vihti Nummela. Nordic Championships A class silver after Tom Kristensen, Denmark. Bronze went to Sweden, Jonas Karlsson. Mika Salo was seventh. In the WC race in Italy, Parma Hakkinen did not get to the final due to some technical problems. Mika Salo was 14. At the OsWe-ring race in Sweden, close to Stockholm, Mika shared the fourth place with Robert Koistinen.

Win in Kuopio race in FN class.

In the 135 cc  Formula K-class Mika was driving the Birel Komet car fixed by Pekka Pirkola. Victory in Lappeenranta before Mika Rinta-Jaskari and Ari Loivanne. He dropped out of the race in Jesolo, Italy. In EC a Class race in Denmark, Voijens not success to reach the final. EC won by Jukka Virtanen from Helsinki. In Formula K-class in Gothenburg 11. place.

Mika did some test  at Kemora track in Formula Ford 1600 class driving the Van Diemen RF 83 car owned by Arno Kotilainen.

1986 F K 100 cc A-class. Finnish Champion before Mika Utria and Kauhajoki girl Minna Kuoppala. Car was Birel Parilla. The Race took place at Lahti circuit. In Vihti Viuhahdus race in Nummela fourth place. In the following Vihti race Mika was third after Utria and Jukka Savolainen. F K-class in Spain Zaragoza fourth place after Bonanno, Wilson and Tom Kristensen. Car Birel Komet. Same class in EC lots of misfortune. In  Germany, Liedolsheim Mika was 28., in Sweden Gothenburg 11. and in Italy Jesolo 18.

1987 Formula Ford Kent 1600 class. Finnish, Swedish and Nordic Champion.The Finnish championship was won only with one point advantage to Mika Salo, who took silver. Three victories and one third place. Bronze to Pertti Kurki-Suonio .Outside series one second place in Artukainen, Turku, after Harri Lumivirta.

In Swedish series gold before Svend Hansen from Denmark and Mika Salo. Five victories, one second place and one sixth place. Nordic series gold before Svend Hansen and Mika Salo. Two victories and one sixth place. In EFDA Euroseries, run by Dan Partel, one seventh place. Häkkinen participated only in two races, in the first one in Zandvoort Mika lost the track and broke his car. In the other in Zolder Belgium he won.

For FF Festivals in Brands Hatch track Mika got a new works car from Reynard. Through concentration and tests at british tracks were lost as Mikas race in Brands did end by hitting another competitor and loosing the track.

During the season 1987 Mika Hakkinen won nine out of 15 competitions, always with the same Reynard 86 FF car that Jyrki Jarvilehto (= JJ Lehto) drove the previous season and won many championships. The car was rebuilt during the winter by Taisto Laine from Lahti. Mika also participated the work  (being professional in welding).

His first sponsor in big car classes was a small family enterprise, lunch-restaurant Allun Grilli from Vantaa City and Mika Sohlberg brought the connection to GWS funding. Before Mika got his license he was able to train with Arno Kotilainens FF 1600 class Van Diemen RF 83 car.

In the FF 2000 tests in Donington Mika clearly was the fastets driver. He beat scotsman Allan McNish, his codriver tobe at the Dragon team, with almost a second and was half a second faster than the fastest time during the previous race, achieved by JJ Lehto, new European Champion. However for the season to come, Mika chose new Formula Opel Lotus class as the Ford factory announced to stop sponsoring the old Formula Ford 2000 class. Dan Partel draw the conclusion necessary and EFDA switched Fords to Opel Lotus class.

1988 Formula Opel/GM Lotus class European Championship (EFDA Euroseries). Champion before Henrik Larsen from Denmark and Allan McNish from Scotland. German Heinz Harald Frentzen became sixth. Mika drove the Reynard cars of british Dragon Motorsport team. Team owners were Hywel Absalom and Doug Bebb. His codriver was Allan McNish. Four victories, one second and one third place. Two pole positions and six fastest laps. Ten races in the series.

In British Formula Vauxhall series silver after Allan McNish. Bronze to Derek Bells son Justin Bell. Three victories, three seconds and one third place. Four pole positions and seven fastest laps. Ten races in the series.

Military service in Lahti Sports Military school.

1989 Formula 3-class in Britain with Dragon team (Hywel Absalom) Reynard 893 TOM's Toyota cars. Seventh final position in the series. One second and one third place. Two pole positions and one fastets lap. 16 races in the series. In Monaco 16. place. In Macao out. In Brands Hatch after GB Series victory in an important Superprix race with Dick Bennetts West Surrey Racing Ralt RT 33 Honda Mugen car. Visiting with Dragons car the french Formula 3 series, resulting third place at Le Mans Bugatti track.  Victory to Eric Helary before Laurent Daumet.

1990  Formula 3 class in UK with Dick Bennetts West Surrey Racing Ralt RT 34 Mugen Honda cars. In the team Christian Fittipaldi from Brazil.  British Champion before Mika Salo. 9 victories, five seconds and one third place. 12 pole positions and 11 fastest laps. Visiting once the German Formula 3 series final in Hockenheimring and won easily the local champion Michael Schumacher. In the series shared 14. final position. Won also the Imola race in Italian Formula 3 series before Domenico "Mimmo" Schiattarella and Fabrizio Bettini. However Mika was not given points from the Italian series race, Formula 1 champion-to-be Jacques Villeneuve was fifth in Imola race. Häkkinen actually beat both Schumacher and Villeneuve in the same season in their own territories. Villeneuve drove that year the Italian Formula 3 series.

Lost the track in second heat in Macau. Won the first set in same city race. Did not make the final in Fuji Formula 3 race.

The first Formula 1 test in Silverstone with Benetton team.

1991 Formula 1 class with Lotus Judd team. First with Julian Bailey anf then with Johnny Herbert. In the series  he shared 15. final position with two WC points. Did not make it to final in France.

Nordic  Champion in A class with Tuisku Urpiala's darkblue BMW M 3 car before two Ford Sierra Cosworth drivers, finnish Kalle Sarlin and Lennart Bohlin from Sweden. The autumn race took place in Alastaro  (FIN) with only one start.

1992 Formula 1 class with Lotus Ford Cosworth codriving Herbert again. Eight final position in the series with 11 points. Not fast enough for the Gran Premio di San Marino in Imola.

1993 Formula 1 class with McLaren Ford Cosworth as third driver. 15. final place in the series with four pionts. One trid place. Only test driving the beginning of the year. After Michael Andretti quit in the middle of the season after the Italian GP, Mika got to drive with Senna. In Suzuka he was third. This was the first time to race within the podium group in Formula 1.

Visitor in Monte Carlo and Hungaroring in Porsche 911 Supercup. Won both races.

1994 Formula 1 class in McLaren Peugeot team with Martin Brundle. Fourth place in the series with 26 points. One second and five third places. As FIA's penalty forbidden to race in Hungary. Race weight in Sao Paulo 72 kilos.

1995 Formula 1 class in McLaren Mercedes Benz Ilmor team with british Mark Blundell and Nigel Mansell. Seventh final position in the series with 17 points. Two second places. Race weight in Sao Paulo 75 kilos. Did not drive in Aida due to operation for appendicitis. Replaced by test driver Jan Magnussen from Denmark. Severe injuries in an accident in season last race in Adelaide, Australia. The accident was due to an empty rear tire. It took several months for him to recover from the accident.

1996 Formula 1 class in McLaren Mercedes Benz Ilmor team with scotsman David Coulthard. Fifth in the series with 31 points. Four third places. Race weight in Melbourne 70,5 kilos.

1997 Formula 1 class in McLaren Mercedes Benz Ilmor team with David Coulthard. Shared fifth final place in the series. Two third places. Race weight in Melbourne 70,5 kg. Was disqualified in Belgium (lost place three). FIA's decision was that team had used wrong kind of fuel in his car. Got his first Formula 1 pole position in Luxemburg GP, Nürburgring. Got his first fastest lap and finally first Grand Prix victory in Spain, at Jerez de la Frontera track.

When the season ended he had raced altogether 96 WC races and gained 118 WC points.

1998 Formula 1 class in McLaren Mercedes Benz Ilmor team with Coulthard. Sixth consecutive season with McLaren. Car number 8. WORLD CHAMPION. Eight Grand Prix wins (AUS+BR+E+MC+A+D+LUX+J), nine poles (AUS+BR+E+MC+F+GB+D+H+B) and six fastets laps (AUS+BR+E+MC+I+LUX). 100. Grande Epreuve-race in Imola. Race weigth in Melbourne 71 kg.

Photo Morry Barmak (CDN)

1999 Formula 1 class in McLaren Mercedes Benz Ilmor team with Coulthard as teammate. Car number 1. Race weight in Melbourne 73,5 kg. WORLD CHAMPION SECOND TIME IN ROW. Five Grand Prix wins (BR-E-CDN-H-J), two seconds and three third places, eleven poles (AUS+BR+RSM+MC+E+GB+A+D+H+B+I). Six fastets laps (BR+MC+GB+A+B+EUR).

2000 Formula 1 class in McLaren Mercedes Benz Ilmor team with Coulthard. Eighth consecutive season in this team.

Updated 07.04.2000

Copyright 1976-2001 Seppo Pitkanen. All rights reserved.