Double World Champion Hakkinen on Lando and Verstappen’s rivalry, McLaren’s recent surge and Piastri’s role

“What McLaren is doing at the moment, I think, is perfect,” said Mika Hakkinen referring to his former team eyeing its first Constructors’ title since 1998.

“Being a McLaren brand ambassador, first of all, I’m very happy to see how the team has been developing over the years, not just this year but the last 5-6 years,” said the 55-year-old. 

Hakkinen weighed in on the championship fight that is beginning to brew between McLaren’s Lando Norris and defending champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull). 

“Mathematically, he (Lando) still has a chance to win the World Championship. So, it’s great that the team is giving him a chance to achieve that goal,” he said.

“They (McLaren) are leading the construction championship, but there is still a chance for the driver’s championship.”

But it would be difficult for Lando to fight for the crown without the support of his teammate, which Hakkinen feels is quite crucial. “Being a racing driver myself, and also being in a position where I needed support from my teammate, I didn’t get that until the very last minute.

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“There are fans of Lando and fans of Piastri, and all this may be challenging to understand,” he said, adding that McLaren now has a chance to clinch both titles.   

“There have been new drivers coming in and they have shown their potential,” he added, addressing the fresh blood in the drivers’ roster.

“I am very happy about that because young drivers need to get the chance to prove themselves. They have been working hard and investing a lot of money,” he said. 

“Formula One has had many (seven so far) different winners (this season). I think that’s very exciting, particularly for the fans.”

The two-time F1 champion was in the city to inaugurate the Madras International Karting Arena (MIKA) at the Madras International Circuit on Thursday. 

Hakkinen’s F1 journey lasted a decade (1991-2001) but what set his legacy in stone was his intense rivalry with seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher. It was during this period that the Finnish driver won both his world titles (1998,1999). 

His career also saw memorable partnerships with several greats including Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansel, both at McLaren. 

Not only does Hakkinen share the same name as the newly-opened track but he also has a strong bond with karting. He raced in karts for 10 years before climbing the ladder, which he deemed a pivotal experience in learning how to adapt and deal with the pressure of competing. 

The Flying Finn – as he was called in his heyday – hails from a nation that to date does not have an F1 track but has a robust karting ecosystem which has produced three F1 World Champions (the others being Keke Rosberg, 1982; Kimi Raikkonen, 2007).