This is great news ! ! ! guess time will tell what develops . . . Carol * * * * McLaren confirm Hakkinen F1 test Two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen will return to the cockpit of a Formula One car tomorrow when he drives a McLaren at the Barcelona circuit. The Finn will take to a Grand Prix track in a Formula One car for the first time since the 2001 Japanese GP. McLaren said the test will be part of the team's winter testing programme. "I'm really excited about driving a McLaren Mercedes Formula One car again and to be re-engaging with the team," said Hakkinen. "I have followed the Formula One World Championship closely since my retirement at the end of the 2001 season, but it was when I was at this year's Brazilian Grand Prix as a guest of the team that I really felt I would like to get a chance to drive a Formula One car again. "I have recently spent some time in McLaren Mercedes' simulator in Woking and to get the possibility to drive the MP4-21 is something I'm really looking forward to. I would like to thank Ron and Norbert for making this happen." Hakkinen, 38, asked for the opportunity to re-familiarise himself with a Formula One car, and the team will use this test to benefit from his experience. "We are delighted to provide Mika with the opportunity to drive a Formula One car again," said team boss Ron Dennis. "He is really looking forward to getting behind the wheel of a current Formula One car. "A driver of Mika's calibre and experience can only bring added value to our testing programme and his feedback after Thursday's running will be valuable to the team in our preparations for the 2007 season. "However at this stage there are no plans for Mika to conduct further tests for the team."
wow...never expected this. i wonder if he'll replace Lewis if he fails to live up to expectation...naa..i was just jokin
I think he is countering Schumacher's role at Ferrari...maybe they can have a behind-the-scenes-guy competition...see whose input yields a better result in the teams. Gripping!
Once a racer, always a racer! I'm glad he's back! I wouldn't at all be surprised of MS one day returned as a sort of test driver for Ferrari.
it will be interesting to see how fast MH goes compared to the other McLaren drivers after 5 years of F1 retiremet....
I would be very interested in some time comparison between him and de la rosa, hamilton etc. THE FLYING FINN IS BACK!!!!
It's been awhile since the last time I heard or read those words. The Flying Finn. I also would like to see how his unofficial lap times stack up with others' after his quite long absence from F1. I think it should be properly interesting.
Well..... 3.205 seconds off the pace in the afternoon after struggling in the morning. Not too bad I guess after 5 years According to Eddie jordan this was just a publicity stunt for McLaren.
3+ seconds are an eternity in F1. He has lost it. For context: He spent the last couple of weeks in Woking on the McLaren F1 sim to get used to it all. It was a PR stunt indeed, but not for McLaren, but for Johnny Walker. As I said earlier: Only Lauda managed a successful F1 comeback. Everybody else since then has just made a fool out of themselves.
he has the ability to get up to speed if he wants. today was about getting some laps and not breaking anything. he knows he can go fast again...let's see if he got the fire stoked...
I actually expected him to do worse. F1 cars are so intense, that for a 5 year layoff I think only being 3+ seconds off isn't bad. Obviously with some regular testing he can close the gap significantly, and probably be on pace. Your sounding a bit too critical of him man.
His laps times are probably the same, if not faster, than half a decade ago. Which sounds funny considering he's way off pace now.
It's exciting to hear that he got back in an F1 car, granted I didn't follow F1 when he was actually racing, but hearing about the duals that him and Schumacher took part in makes me want to see him back in the cockpit. I think if he got a few more practice sessions in he might be up to pace.
Too bad Schumacher is retiring would be pretty awsome to see hakkinen vs schumacher. http://youtube.com/watch?v=9YMC2_TfpsE
If Lewis or Alonso got hurt (heaven forbid) and couldn't drive? They'd have Mika in that seat in a heartbeat. If for nothing else then for the PR.
For those of you searching for any footage...very nice clip here. I would love to attend a practice like this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3Oq-EHeYg4
After 5 years off, only 3 seconds off the pace AFTER 1 DAY OF PRACTICE is outstanding!!! At age 38, Mika still has youth on his side. Its not too much of a stretch to believe that he can be on the pace after a few more practice sessions getting used to the car and rubber. Maybe McLaren needs someone like Mika to infuse some enthusiasm and PR into their tarnished image right about now. I can see this happening...
Richard, that is why they hired Alonso. By the way I think Hamilton and Alonso will add a lot of image to the team. Although I would love to see Hamilton back in action. MH can definately still drive (sorry Andreas, but Nigel was 39 and Fangio was 46 when they won their championships). However, I think it is more of a publicity stunt.
The trend in F1 currently and over the decades has always been younger and younger champions. I'm pretty sure MS' championship of 04 will stand as the last one of an "old" man. The champs are getting younger and younger, that's just fact. No driver ever looses talent, so I'm not surprised Mika can still be 3 seconds off the pace. But a) that's saying nothing about the ability to maintain it over an entire race (young guys like Webber can't even do that) and b) it is still 3 seconds off the pace putting him in at the back of the field. Not good. When Mika retired it wasn't because he run out of talent, but because he lost the motivation. Of course he is motivated to drive around for a day just for the sponsors. It is a different thing to go through the year round testing/racing season traveling and being away from his wife and kid(s?). Put him back in the grid and he'll be soon droning around again as in his last season. Motion: Didn't you read my statement about how he prepped himself? He spent weeks in the McLaren sim at Woking. And I'm quite sure that sim is a bit better than a PS3. So you can't say it was all new to him. Give him another week on the track and he'll still be 3 seconds off. Just for the record: I admire/d Mika and have nothing against him. Heck I actually get a kick out of the oldsters coming back for quick lap around the track. I loved it when I was watching an overweight Mansell doing it in the streets of London and I would have loved seeing Mika again. What ticks me off is the lack of honesty about it: It was a PR stunt from the getgo and why not say so? Why create all the media fuzz and hoopla about it as if there was a snowball's chance in hell that he'd actually come back. He sucked the last 2 years in DTM, lets be realistic and honest here.
