118-489: Mika Pauli Häkkinen ( Finnish pronunciation: [ˈmikɑ ˈhækːinen] ; born 28 September 1968) is a Finnish former racing driver , who competed in Formula One from 1991 to 2001 . Nicknamed " The Flying Finn ", Häkkinen won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles , which he won in 1998 and 1999 with McLaren , and won 20 Grands Prix across 11 seasons. Häkkinen began his career in karting at
236-555: A McLaren MP4-21 for one day at the Circuit de Catalunya where he completed 79 laps. To prepare himself, Häkkinen spent time at the McLaren Technology Centre to acquaint himself with Formula One's revised regulations. In a 2017 retrospective interview Häkkinen revealed that he had been in advanced talks with McLaren for a return in the 2007 season . He had however been frustrated by problems with McLaren's car in
354-474: A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution WRC 2 with his co-driver Arto Kapanen . He also stated that he would not move full-time into rallying and learn about driver control, although he later stated he would enter more rally events if he finished within the top two. Making his debut in the Arctic Rally , Häkkinen was delayed by four minutes as his team changed a tyre and eventually finished 30th. He once again entered
472-406: A transformative shift, echoing past pivots. The industry, much like the cars it champions , has had to navigate through a global pandemic and a persistent chip shortage, each threatening to derail production schedules . At the same time, a new course is being charted towards an electric future, a dramatic change in direction that is challenging the old guard of gasoline engines. There is also
590-631: A "manufacturer's" logo and "vehicle name", yet use components produced by another automobile manufacturer. There are also other stock car governing bodies, most notably the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). In the UK, British Stock car racing is also referred to as "Short Circuit Racing". UK Stock car racing started in the 1950s and grew rapidly through the 1960s and 1970s. Events take place on shale or tarmac tracks – usually around 1/4 mile long. There are around 35 tracks in
708-615: A Formula One car again because as time passes my reactions become slower and my eyesight gets worse – that's life". On 6 November 2004, it was announced that Häkkinen would make his debut in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) series for the HWA Team in the 2005 season . He was partnered by Gary Paffett , Jean Alesi and Bernd Schneider . Häkkinen had previous experience of driving touring cars in July 2001 at
826-713: A brake pipe failure in Australia . Häkkinen concluded the season with 15th in the Drivers' Championship, scoring 4 points. In December, McLaren confirmed that Häkkinen would remain with the team on a three-year contract from the 1994 season onwards. During 1993, Häkkinen, along with Senna, tested the Lamborghini V12 engine in a modified version of the McLaren MP4/8 race car dubbed the "MP4/8B" at both Estoril and Silverstone . Both drivers were impressed with
944-460: A brand ambassador for Mercedes-AMG . Since 2022, Häkkinen has been a commentator and pundit for Viaplay . Häkkinen was born in Helsingin maalaiskunta , Finland , on 28 September 1968 to Harri, a shortwave radio operator and a part-time taxi driver, and Aila Häkkinen, who worked as a secretary. He has one sister, Nina, who ran a fan site for him until its closure in 1998. Häkkinen lived in
1062-623: A critical condition under care of the Trauma Service, the Neurosurgical Unit, and the Intensive Care Unit and remained in the hospital for approximately two months. He eventually made a remarkable recovery. As an expression of thanks for the elite class medical attention he received, Häkkinen donated a substantial undisclosed sum of money to help build a much-needed helipad for The Royal Adelaide Hospital, and made
1180-574: A dip in race form as he encountered consecutive retirements in the next two races—his car suffered from an oil leak in Monaco and spun out in Canada . Before Canada, Bailey lost his seat at Lotus due to a lack of funding, so Häkkinen was partnered by Johnny Herbert and Michael Bartels throughout the remainder of the season. Although Häkkinen secured a ninth-place finish in Mexico , he did not qualify for
1298-666: A failure with his car's suspension resulting in his car spinning violently into a tyre barrier. The McLaren cars were off the pace in Malaysia , with Häkkinen managing to end at the 6th place. He retired from the following race in Brazil when his car stalled on the starting grid, Further points came at the San Marino Grand Prix . At the Spanish Grand Prix , Häkkinen looked on course to win his first victory of
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#17327799154181416-547: A further points finish with a 5th place at San Marino , before suffering from consecutive retirements in the next three races. For the French Grand Prix , McLaren introduced a revised version of their car, the McLaren MP4/10B . This did not revive Häkkinen's fortunes as he did not finish in the points scoring positions, and later suffered consecutive retirements in the next four races, but got second place at
1534-734: A growing number of events for electric racing cars, such as the Formula E , the Eco Grand Prix or the Electric GT Championship . In single-seater ( open-wheel ) racing, the wheels are not covered, and the cars often have aerofoil wings front and rear to produce downforce and enhance adhesion to the track. The most popular varieties of open-wheel road racing are Formula One (F1), the IndyCar Series and Super Formula . In Europe and Asia, open-wheeled racing
1652-707: A lap at 388 km/h (241 mph). The series' biggest race is the Indianapolis 500 , which is commonly referred to as "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" due to being the longest continuously run race in the series and having the largest crowd for a single-day sporting event (350,000+). The other major international single-seater racing series is Formula 2 (formerly known as Formula 3000 and GP2 Series ). Regional series include Super Formula and Formula V6 Asia (specifically in Asia), Formula Renault 3.5 (also known as
1770-482: A much easier time following and passing than in open-wheel racing . It often features full-contact racing with subtle bumping and nudging due to the small speed differentials and large grids. The major touring car championships conducted worldwide are the Supercars Championship (Australia), British Touring Car Championship , Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), World Touring Car Championship and
1888-742: A one-race ban, suspended for three races. The ban was enforced after the German Grand Prix , where Häkkinen collided with Williams driver David Coulthard with the Finn's car sliding into another group of cars. He was replaced by Philippe Alliot for the next race in Hungary . Häkkinen returned for the Belgian Grand Prix , initially coming third but was later promoted to second after the disqualification of Benetton driver Michael Schumacher. He got consecutive 3rd-place podium finishes in
2006-528: A prescribed route occurred at 4:30 A.M. on August 30, 1867, between Ashton-under-Lyne and Old Trafford , England, a distance of 8 mi (13 km). It was won by the carriage of Isaac Watt Boulton . Internal combustion auto racing events began soon after the construction of the first successful gasoline -fueled automobiles. The first organized contest was on April 28, 1887, by the chief editor of Paris publication Le Vélocipède , Monsieur Fossier. It ran 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Neuilly Bridge to
2124-404: A sabbatical for the 2002 season, citing the reason to spend more time with his family. His seat was taken by fellow countryman Kimi Räikkönen in 2002. Häkkinen later stated that fear after crashes during practice for the 1995 Australian Grand Prix and the 2001 Australian Grand Prix as well as a loss of a desire to compete for race victories were factors. He was forced into another retirement during
2242-552: A secret test at the Paul Ricard Circuit . In the event that Häkkinen was not prepared, McLaren had Magnussen to replace him should the need arise. The season started well for Häkkinen: He earned consecutive points-scoring positions in the opening two rounds, before he suffered his first retirement of the season in Argentina as his car developed a throttle problem. He later finished the next two races, albeit outside of
2360-426: A small, low-cost machine on small tracks. Many of the current top drivers began their careers in karts. Formula Ford represents the most popular first open-wheel category for up-and-coming drivers stepping up from karts. The series is still the preferred option, as it has introduced an aero package and slicks, allowing the junior drivers to gain experience in a race car with dynamics closer to F1. The Star Mazda Series
2478-643: A special trip to Australia for the official opening ceremony in March 1997. Häkkinen finished the 1995 season seventh in the Drivers' Championship, with 17 points. The 1996 season was the first in which Häkkinen was the more experienced driver in his team and was partnered by David Coulthard. Häkkinen was confident going into the season and set himself a target of winning races. To ensure his fitness, Häkkinen spent time training in Bali and in February, McLaren conducted
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#17327799154182596-611: A turning point as Häkkinen took consecutive second-place finishes in the next two rounds, and later reached his first victory of the season in Spain . Häkkinen finished in second position at the European Grand Prix , having traded the lead position with Schumacher throughout the race. He followed up the result by taking sixth place at Monaco , fourth in Canada and a podium finish with second position in France . The day after
2714-614: A turning point in Häkkinen's season as he finished the next three races, including consecutive third-place finishes in Belgium and Italy . In September, it was announced that Häkkinen would remain at McLaren for 1997, having previously been linked to Williams and Benetton . He retired from the penultimate round in Portugal resulting a collision with teammate Coulthard, damaging Häkkinen's front wing and eventually led to his retirement on
2832-602: A €20,000 fine, received a ten-place grid penalty for the next round and was disqualified from the race. He finished the season with a 17th-place finish at the Hockenheimring. Häkkinen finished the season 7th place in the Championship, with 22 points. Häkkinen announced his retirement from competitive motorsport in November 2007. He was quoted as saying that the decision "was not an easy one", but added that "racing
2950-823: Is NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing). NASCAR's premier series is the NASCAR Cup Series , its most famous races being the Daytona 500 , the Southern 500 , the Coca-Cola 600 , and the Brickyard 400 . NASCAR also runs several feeder series, including the Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series (a pickup truck racing series). The series conduct races across the entire continental United States . NASCAR also sanctions series outside of
3068-719: Is a worldwide series that runs only street circuit and race tracks . These cars are heavily based on technology and their aerodynamics. The speed record was set in 2005 by Juan Pablo Montoya hitting 373 km/h (232 mph). Some of the most prominent races are the Monaco Grand Prix, the Italian Grand Prix , and the British Grand Prix . The season ends with the crowning of the World Championship for drivers and constructors. In
3186-650: Is another entry-level series. Indy Lights represent the last step on the Road to Indy , being less powerful and lighter than an IndyCar racer. Students at colleges and universities can also take part in single-seater racing through the Formula SAE competition, which involves designing and building a single-seater car in a multidisciplinary team and racing it at the competition. This also develops other soft skills, such as teamwork, while promoting motorsport and engineering. The world's first all-female Formula racing team
3304-615: Is commonly referred to as 'Formula', with appropriate hierarchical suffixes. In North America, the 'Formula' terminology is not followed (with the exception of F1). The sport is usually arranged to follow an international format (such as F1), a regional format (such as the Formula 3 Euro Series), and/or a domestic, or country-specific, format (such as the German Formula 3 championship, or the British Formula Ford). F1
3422-442: Is still in my blood and this decision does not mean that this will prevent me from racing for pleasure". Racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing , motor racing , or automobile racing ) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non-racing disciplines. Auto racing has existed since
3540-923: Is the FIA World Endurance Championship . The main series for GT car racing is the GT World Challenge Europe , divided into two separate championships: the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup and the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup . This series has formed after the folding of the various FIA GT championships. The prevailing classes of GT cars are GT3 , GT4 and GT2 class cars. GT2 cars have powerful engines, often exceeding 600 horsepower. However, they have less downforce than GT3 cars and also have less driver aids. GT3 cars are far and away
3658-522: Is undergoing a period of transition, but is still the longest-running road racing series in the U.S. The National Auto Sport Association also provides a venue for amateurs to compete in home-built factory-derived vehicles on various local circuits. In sports car racing, production-derived versions of two-seat sports cars , also known as grand tourers (GTs), and purpose-built sports prototype cars compete within their respective classes on closed circuits. The premier championship series of sports car racing
Mika Häkkinen - Misplaced Pages Continue
3776-533: The 1994 standings. After further winless seasons for McLaren in 1995 and 1996 , he achieved his maiden win at the 1997 European Grand Prix . Amidst a fierce title battle with Michael Schumacher in 1998 , Häkkinen won his first championship at the final race of the season , becoming the first Finnish Formula One World Champion in 16 years . He successfully defended his title in 1999 , beating Eddie Irvine by two points in lieu of an injured Schumacher. Häkkinen won several races during his 2000 campaign, but
3894-733: The 24 Hours of Le Mans , begun in 1923. It is run by the Automobile Club of the West (ACO). Team Ferrari won the race in 2023. With auto construction and racing dominated by France, the French automobile club ACF staged a number of major international races, usually from or to Paris, connecting with another major city, in France or elsewhere in Europe. Aspendale Racecourse , in Australia,
4012-634: The 24 Hours of Le Mans , the Rolex 24 at Daytona , 24 Hours of Spa -Franchorchamps, the 12 Hours of Sebring , the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen , and the 1,000-mile (1,600 km) Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta . There is also the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring on the famed Nordschleife track and the Dubai 24 Hour , which is aimed at GT3 and below cars with a mixture of professional and pro-am drivers. Production-car racing, otherwise known as "showroom stock" in
4130-827: The Brno Circuit alongside Schneider. In January, Häkkinen once again participated in the Arctic Rally driving a Toyota Corolla with co-driver Risto Pietiläinen. Häkkinen retired when he slid off the road on the eleventh stage. His debut season started well: He secured eighth position in his first race at the Hockenheimring ; and in the following race at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz , held his first podium in his DTM career. Two weeks later at Spa-Francorchamps , Häkkinen qualified on pole position and later took his first DTM win after only three starts. Despite
4248-499: The European Grand Prix , and was unable to start the French Grand Prix as his car developed a gearbox problem. However, this marked a brief turning point for Häkkinen as he gained a victory in the British Grand Prix . He was forced into another retirement in Germany when his engine failed, later managing fifth position in Hungary and fourth place in Belgium . Before the Italian Grand Prix , Häkkinen announced that he would be on
4366-473: The French Grand Prix . Over the remainder of the season, he did not finish four of the nine races he entered. Häkkinen finished his debut season sixteenth in the Drivers' Championship, scoring two points. Häkkinen remained at Lotus for 1992 and was partnered by Herbert. At the opening round of the season in South Africa , Häkkinen finished in ninth position, which he followed up with his first points of
4484-401: The German Grand Prix , it was announced that Häkkinen would remain at McLaren for 2000. Häkkinen encountered further bad fortunes in the race when his car's right rear tyre exploded at high speed, forcing his car into a 360° spin before resting on a tyre wall. He managed his fourth victory of the year at Hungary , and followed up the result with a second place in Belgium . Häkkinen retired from
4602-566: The Italian Grand Prix . He was forced to miss the Pacific Grand Prix due to an operation for appendicitis and was replaced by Jan Magnussen . He returned for the Japanese Grand Prix , with a second-place finish. At the season finale held in Australia , Häkkinen's car suffered a tyre failure during the event's first qualifying session on Friday, which resulted in his car becoming airborne and crashing sideways into
4720-779: The Keimola Motor Stadium where he raced in the regional karting championships in 1978 and 1979, winning the Keimola Club Championship in both years. Häkkinen found further success in 1980 when he won the Swedish Lapland Cup and finished fourth in the 85cc class of the Lapland Karting Championship. Around this time, Häkkinen also drove a Volkswagen Beetle on the frozen lakes of Finland with friend Mika Sohlberg. In 1981, Häkkinen won his first major karting title,
4838-698: The Macau Grand Prix where he drove to pole position and won the first heat of the event. He retired from the second heat due to a last-lap collision with German Formula Three driver and future Formula One rival Michael Schumacher , who was classified as the overall winner. Häkkinen made his first test in a Formula One car with the Benetton team driving 90 laps around the Silverstone Circuit and set quicker lap times than regular driver Alessandro Nannini . He found it difficult to fit into
Mika Häkkinen - Misplaced Pages Continue
4956-469: The McLaren MP4/10 , was not wide enough to fit in, resulting in their hands and elbows striking the sides of the cockpit. Mansell was forced to miss the opening two rounds, so Häkkinen was partnered with Mark Blundell . Häkkinen started off the season by finishing fourth in Brazil , and later retired in Argentina due to a collision which punctured his left rear tyre that followed a spin. He took
5074-436: The Pacific Grand Prix which included a collision with Senna on the first lap. He later reached his first podium finish of the season at the San Marino Grand Prix , although he suffered a dip in form as he was forced into consecutive retirements in the next four races. Häkkinen raced to a further podium finish at the British Grand Prix , despite a last-lap collision with Jordan driver Rubens Barrichello for which he received
5192-493: The Royal Adelaide Hospital . Cockings performed an emergency tracheotomy on the track, delivering oxygen to enable Häkkinen to breathe. Watkins later arrived in the medical car, allowing the doctors to continue, restarting Häkkinen's heart twice. Häkkinen was immediately transported by ambulance to the nearby Royal Adelaide Hospital which was located about half a kilometre from the circuit. There he remained in
5310-607: The United States Grand Prix . After two seasons with little success at Lotus, Häkkinen moved to McLaren as a test driver in 1993 , replacing Michael Andretti for the final three rounds of the season to partner Ayrton Senna . Häkkinen was immediately successful at McLaren, achieving his maiden podium at the 1993 Japanese Grand Prix . Despite the poor reliability of the Peugeot-powered MP4/9 , Häkkinen scored six podiums and finished fourth in
5428-553: The WeatherTech SportsCar Championship starting in 2014. These races are often conducted over long distances, at least 1,000 km (621 mi), and cars are driven by teams of two or more drivers, switching every few hours. Due to the performance difference between production-based sports cars and purpose-built sports prototypes, one race usually involves several racing classes, each fighting for its own championship. Famous sports car races include
5546-518: The World Touring Car Cup . The European Touring Car Cup is a one-day event open to Super 2000 specification touring cars from Europe's many national championships. While Super GT traces its lineage to the now-defunct JGTC , the cars are much more similar to GT3 race cars than proper touring cars, and also have much more aggressive aerodynamics. The Sports Car Club of America 's SPEED World Challenge Touring Car and GT championships are dominant in North America. America's historic Trans-Am Series
5664-409: The 1980s and 1990s all over the United States. In North America, stock car racing is the most popular form of auto racing. Primarily raced on oval tracks , stock cars vaguely resemble production cars, but are in fact purpose-built racing machines that are built to tight specifications and, together with touring cars, also called Silhouette racing cars . The largest stock car racing governing body
5782-461: The 1993 season, and Häkkinen was unable to join the team when he learnt that Lotus team principal Peter Collins would veto the Williams team entry if they had signed Häkkinen. Häkkinen later approached Ligier although his contract contained a clause of which his manager Keke Rosberg disagreed. He later approached McLaren team principal Ron Dennis for a contract with the team, which was drafted at Courchevel Airport . The dispute eventually went to
5900-417: The 1998 World Championship, with 100 points, ahead of nearest rival Schumacher. Häkkinen was awarded the Autosport International Racing Driver Award for 1998. He was also named the Finnish Sports Personality of the Year by journalists. The Finnish Post Office issued stamps to commemorate Häkkinen's World Championship in January 1999. Häkkinen remained at McLaren for 1999 , with Coulthard partnering him for
6018-407: The 2001 Monaco Grand Prix and agreed a sabbatical, then returned to Monaco the following year to discuss and agree full-time retirement with Dennis. In October, Häkkinen made his first appearance as a commentator for pay-for-view channel Canal Digital at the United States Grand Prix . In December 2002, it was announced that Häkkinen would be participating in the Finnish Rally Championship driving
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#17327799154186136-462: The 24 hours of Le Mans (held annually since 1923) and in the (European) Le Mans series , Asian Le Mans Series and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship . These cars are referred to as LMP (Le Mans prototype) cars with LMH and LMDh cars being run mainly by manufacturers and the slightly less powerful LMP2 cars run by privateer teams. All three Le Mans Series run GT cars in addition to Le Mans Prototypes; these cars have different restrictions than
6254-456: The 52nd lap of the race. He rounded off the season with a third-place finish in season finale held in Japan . Häkkinen finished the season fifth in the Drivers' Championship, scoring 31 points. Häkkinen again remained at McLaren for 1997 and Coulthard remained his teammate. Häkkinen's season got off to a good start: In the season-opening race in Australia , he drove up to the third position and later scored further consecutive finishes inside of
6372-452: The 85cc class of the Finnish Karting Championship. The following year, he finished runner-up in the 85cc class of the Formula Mini series and later won the Ronnie Peterson Memorial event and the Salpauselka Cup in Lahti. Häkkinen moved to the Formula Nordic 100cc class for 1983, where he became the champion on his first attempt and also participated in the A Junior Team Races for Finland alongside Taru Rinne , Jaana Nyman and Marko Mankonen, with
6490-544: The Benetton but liked the steering and throttle response. Häkkinen expected not to be offered a seat at Benetton and he decided to sign with the Lotus team for the 1991 season . Making his debut in the United States Grand Prix alongside teammate Julian Bailey , Häkkinen qualified thirteenth on the grid and suffered an engine failure on the sixtieth lap and was classified thirteenth. The next race in Brazil saw him finish ninth, and scored his first Formula One points by reaching fifth place in San Marino . Häkkinen suffered from
6608-410: The Bois de Boulogne. On July 22, 1894, the Parisian magazine Le Petit Journal organized what is considered to be the world's first motoring competition, from Paris to Rouen. One hundred and two competitors paid a 10- franc entrance fee. The first American automobile race is generally considered to be the Thanksgiving Day Chicago Times-Herald race of November 28, 1895. Press coverage of
6726-409: The FIA GT cars. Another prototype and GT racing championship exists in the United States; the Grand-Am , which began in 2000, sanctions its own endurance series, the Rolex Sports Car Series , which consists of slower and lower-cost Daytona Prototype race cars compared to LMP and FIA GT cars. The Rolex Sports Car Series and American Le Mans Series announced a merger between the two series forming
6844-420: The Finnish, Swedish and Nordic Formula Ford Championships, winning each title on his first attempt and won nine races combined. Häkkinen also entered two races of the EDFA 1600 Championship and raced in the Formula Ford Festival held at Brands Hatch , where he finished in seventh position. In 1988, Häkkinen entered the GM Vauxhall-Lotus Challenge with the Dragon team, where he secured three victories and finished
6962-489: The Formula One Contract Recognition Board, who ruled in favour of McLaren after two days of deliberation. For 1993 , Häkkinen joined McLaren, originally as a race driver, although he became the team's official test driver when CART driver Michael Andretti was hired by the team. Apart from regular testing duties, Häkkinen entered two Porsche Supercup races, held as a support race for the Monaco Grand Prix , where he started at pole position and took victory in both races. He
7080-404: The French Grand Prix, it was announced that Häkkinen would remain at McLaren for 2001. Häkkinen won the following race held in Austria , although his team were stripped of constructors' points due to a missing seal on the electronic control unit in Häkkinen's car. He took another podium finish with a second place in Germany , and later had another victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix where he took
7198-625: The UK and upwards of 7000 active drivers. The sport is split into three basic divisions – distinguished by the rules regarding car contact during racing. The most famous championship are the BriSCA F1 Stock Cars . Full-contact formulas include Bangers , Bombers, and Rookie Bangers – and racing features Demolition Derbies, Figure of Eight, and Oval Racing. Semi Contact Formulas include BriSCA F1, F2, and Superstox – where bumpers are used tactically. Non-contact formulas include National Hot Rods, Stock Rods, and Lightning Rods. Mika Salo Too Many Requests If you report this error to
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#17327799154187316-532: The UK, the major club series are the Monoposto Racing Club , BRSCC F3 (formerly ClubF3, formerly ARP F3), Formula Vee and Club Formula Ford. Each series caters to a section of the market, with some primarily providing low-cost racing, while others aim for an authentic experience using the same regulations as the professional series (BRSCC F3). The SCCA is also responsible for sanctioning single-seater racing in much of North America. There are other categories of single-seater racing, including kart racing , which employs
7434-401: The US, is an economical and rules-restricted version of touring-car racing, mainly used to restrict costs. Numerous production racing categories are based on particular makes of cars. Most series, with a few exceptions, follow the Group N regulation. There are several different series that are run all over the world, most notably, Japan's Super Taikyu and IMSA 's Firehawk Series, which ran in
7552-409: The United States, including the NASCAR Canada Series , NASCAR Mexico Series , NASCAR Whelen Euro Series , and NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race . NASCAR also governs several smaller regional series, such as the Whelen Modified Tour . Modified cars are best described as open-wheel cars. Modified cars have no parts related to the stock vehicle for which they are named after. A number of modified cars display
7670-438: The United States, the most popular series is the IndyCar Series . The cars have traditionally been similar to, though less technologically sophisticated than, F1 cars , with more restrictions on technology aimed at controlling costs. While these cars are not as technologically advanced, they are faster, in part due to their lower downforce compared to F1 cars, and also because they compete on oval race tracks, being able to average
7788-477: The World Kart Championship where he retired before the event's final heat due to a mechanical problem. In 1986, he reached his third consecutive Formula Nordic 100cc title and also took part in karting events across Europe. To further fund his career, Häkkinen got a job with a friend repairing bicycles. In 1987, Häkkinen made the transition from karting to car racing when he purchased a 1986 Reynard Formula Ford 1600 from fellow Finn JJ Lehto . In that year, he entered
7906-490: The World Series by Renault, succession series of World Series by Nissan ), Formula Three , Formula Palmer Audi and Formula Atlantic . In 2009, the FIA Formula Two Championship brought about the revival of the F2 series. Domestic, or country-specific, series include Formula Three and Formula Renault, with the leading introductory series being Formula Ford . Single-seater racing is not limited merely to professional teams and drivers. There exist many amateur racing clubs. In
8024-444: The age of five, winning several regional and national championships before graduating to junior formulae in 1987. A protégé of 1982 Formula One World Champion Keke Rosberg , Häkkinen won his first championship in Nordic Formula Ford before winning the 1990 British Formula Three Championship with West Surrey Racing . A member of the Marlboro driver academy, Häkkinen signed for Lotus in 1991 , making his Formula One debut at
8142-503: The crash barrier on the outside of Brewery corner, the fastest corner of the Adelaide Street Circuit , at an estimated speed of 120 mph. The session was suspended with Häkkinen being critically injured due to sustaining a skull fracture , internal bleeding and a blockage of his airway. His life was saved by the efforts of the trackside medical team, including the President of the FIA Institute for Motor Sport Safety, Sid Watkins , and volunteer doctors Jerome Cockings and Steve Lewis, from
8260-401: The early success, he did not score points in the next three races which included consecutive retirements at Oschersleben and the Norisring . He later scored a further points position at the race held at the Nürburgring , before further consecutive 12th-place finishes in the next two races. Häkkinen ended the 2005 season by taking a second-place finish at Istanbul Park and finished outside of
8378-445: The end of a long day, despite protests by Hunt who had already made plans to head to a pub for a beer. Häkkinen performed strongly in his test and went on to secure Marlboro's sponsorship. That same year, therefore, Häkkinen left Dragon and moved to the West Surrey Racing team and won the British Formula 3 series, by taking nine victories en route to the Championship, with 121 points, ahead of fellow Finn Salo. In November, Häkkinen entered
8496-680: The engine, with Häkkinen reportedly lapping Silverstone some 1.4 seconds faster in the MP4/8B with its V12 engine than he had with the team's race car fitted with the Ford V8. Häkkinen stayed at McLaren for 1994 and was partnered by experienced driver Martin Brundle . He endured a torrid start: at the first two races of the season, Häkkinen retired as his car developed engine problems in the Brazilian Grand Prix and gearbox issues in
8614-482: The event first aroused significant American interest in the automobile. The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily , Italy near the island's capital of Palermo . Founded in 1906 , it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973. The oldest surviving sports car racing event is
8732-552: The event in 2004 driving a Toyota Corolla with co-driver Risto Pietiläinen [ fi ] and finished seventh. During 2004, rumors circulated that Häkkinen was making a possible return to Formula One to fill in the vacant Williams seat left by Juan Pablo Montoya . In May, McLaren team principal Ron Dennis dismissed the rumors, stating that Häkkinen was not prepared for a comeback. Häkkinen held talks with BAR and Williams and later decided against returning to Formula One saying in 2005: "It's impossible to think that I would race
8850-658: The event. He secured a ninth-place finish in Italy and later suffered from consecutive retirements in the next two races—engine failures in the Austrian Grand Prix and the Luxembourg Grand Prix while leading both races. Häkkinen ended the season with a fourth position in the penultimate round in Japan and raced to his first Formula One victory at the season closing European Grand Prix . Häkkinen ended
8968-438: The following race held in Belgium when Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher collided with the Finn and was also hit by Sauber driver Johnny Herbert . He later managed a fourth position in Italy despite suffering from brake problems resulting from a spin. Häkkinen finished the season by taking victory in the final two rounds at the Luxembourg Grand Prix and the Japanese Grand Prix , which ensured he took enough points to clinch
9086-411: The following race held in Italy , due to a spin while leading the race. He finished further with fifth place at the European Grand Prix , and achieved a podium finish with third place in Malaysia . At the season finale held in Japan , Häkkinen took victory, which ensured he took enough points to win the 1999 World Championship, with 76 points, ahead of nearest rival Eddie Irvine . In November, Häkkinen
9204-554: The invention of the automobile. Races of various types were organized, with the first recorded as early as 1867. Many of the earliest events were effectively reliability trials , aimed at proving these new machines were a practical mode of transport, but soon became an important way for automobile makers to demonstrate their machines. By the 1930s, specialist racing cars had developed. There are now numerous different categories, each with different rules and regulations. The first prearranged match race of two self-powered road vehicles over
9322-783: The last step up to premier GT-class racing. Other major GT championships include the GT World Challenge America , GT World Challenge Asia , Super GT , and the International GT Open . There are minor regional and national GT series using mainly GT4 and GT3 cars featuring both amateur and professional drivers. Sports prototypes, unlike GT cars, do not rely on road-legal cars as a base. They are closed-wheel and often closed-cockpit purpose-built race cars intended mainly for endurance racing. They have much lower weight, more horsepower and more downforce compared to GT cars, making them much faster. They are raced in
9440-421: The latter race, he had seemed set for his first win, but his engine blew while he was holding off eventual winner Jacques Villeneuve . Häkkinen secured another podium finish with third place in Germany and later retired from an hydraulic problem in Hungary . He later secured third place in the Belgian Grand Prix but was later disqualified when it was discovered that his car used an illegal type of fuel during
9558-638: The lead of the World Drivers' Championship from Schumacher. Häkkinen raced to his second consecutive victory in Belgium , which included a simultaneous pass on Schumacher and Ricardo Zonta in the Kemmel straight . Häkkinen later took second place in Italy , and retired with an engine failure in the United States . He rounded off the year with a second place in Japan where he conceded the World Championship to Schumacher, and held fourth position in
9676-640: The line-up taking the championship. In 1984, Häkkinen won the 100cc Formula Nordic title and later participated in the World Kart Championship race held in Liedolsheim . He took his second consecutive 100cc Formula Nordic Championship in 1985 ahead of Jukka Savolainen. He took part in the Nordic Championship A-Class in the same year, finishing runner-up to Tom Kristensen . Häkkinen went to Parma to participate in
9794-442: The most popular class of GT cars, with premier racing series such as the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA both using GT3 as their top class of GT car. GT3 cars have more significant aero than a GT2 car, but also have less horsepower, typically falling in between 500 and 550 horsepower. GT4 class cars have very little aerodynamics and less horsepower than GT3 machinery, typically around 450 horsepower. GT4 typically serves as
9912-400: The next three races, before rounding off the season by finishing the final two races in Japan and Australia , albeit outside of the points scoring positions. Häkkinen managed a fourth place in the Drivers' Championship, scoring 26 points. Häkkinen remained at McLaren for 1995 , and was partnered by Nigel Mansell . During pre-season testing, Häkkinen and teammate Mansell complained the car,
10030-470: The next three races, which was broken when he finished fifth in Portugal and suffered a retirement at the penultimate round of the year in Japan . Häkkinen concluded the season with a seventh-place finish in Australia . During the season, Häkkinen became embroiled in a contract dispute. Häkkinen, who was under contract to Lotus, opted to join Williams . However, Williams had not submitted their entry for
10148-580: The next two consecutive races, although he later held another podium position with third place at the Norisring. In the next three races, he was unable to score more points, although he had another podium position at the Bugatti Circuit. Häkkinen concluded his season with a retirement at the Hockenheimring when his car's diffuser became damaged. Häkkinen ended the year sixth in the Drivers' Championship, scoring 25 points. In November, Häkkinen tested
10266-536: The next two rounds, which was followed by a retirement from the race in Canada as his car suffered another gearbox failure. Häkkinen followed this up by taking consecutive podiums in the next two rounds—third in France and second in Britain . He managed further consecutive victories in the next two rounds, and followed this up with a sixth-place finish in Hungary . In August, it was announced that Häkkinen and Coulthard would be retained for 1999. Häkkinen retired from
10384-464: The oldest car racing series still active in the world. The first TC competition took place in 1931 with 12 races, each in a different province. Future Formula One star Juan Manuel Fangio (Chevrolet) won the 1940 and 1941 editions of the TC. It was during this time that the series' Chevrolet-Ford rivalry began, with Ford acquiring most of its historical victories. Over the last few years, auto racing has seen
10502-574: The oldest existing purpose-built and still in use automobile race course in the United States is the 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km) Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana . It is the largest capacity sports venue of any variety worldwide, with a top capacity of some 257,000+ seated spectators. NASCAR was founded by Bill France Sr. on February 21, 1948, with the help of several other drivers. The first NASCAR " Strictly Stock " race ever
10620-566: The pit lane by an engineer by mistake. Coulthard later revealed a pre-race agreement by the team that whoever led into the first corner on the first lap would be allowed to win the race. Despite this, Häkkinen took back-to-back victories by winning the next race in Brazil . He maintained his good form at the Argentine Grand Prix where he finished second, although he retired from the San Marino Grand Prix when his car's gearbox failed. However, Häkkinen managed consecutive victories in
10738-511: The points scoring positions in the next three races. He suffered his first retirement of the season at the Monaco Grand Prix when he was involved in a collision with Benetton driver Jean Alesi . Häkkinen later took ninth position at the Spanish Grand Prix , but later suffered three consecutive retirements in the next three races—a collision with Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine in Canada and engine failures in France and Britain . At
10856-431: The points scoring positions with 15th place at Hockenheim. Häkkinen finished the season fifth in the Drivers' Championship, with 30 points. On 15 November 2005, it was announced that Häkkinen would remain with HWA for the 2006 season , and was partnered by Alesi, Spengler and Jamie Green . For the upcoming season, Häkkinen set his target of winning the championship, although he believed the competition from Audi would make
10974-404: The points scoring positions, before returning consecutive finishes inside of the points in the following four races. In the following race held in Britain where McLaren brought a revised version of the car, their McLaren MP4/11B , Häkkinen reached his first podium finish of the season with third place. However, he retired from the next race held in Germany due to a gearbox failure. This marked
11092-474: The race due to a gearbox issue. He raced to his final victory of his career in the United States despite incurring a grid penalty, and ended the season with a fourth-place finish in Japan . Häkkinen finished the season fifth in the Drivers' Championship, with 37 points. In July 2002, nine months into his sabbatical, Häkkinen announced that he would be retiring from Formula One. It was later revealed that Häkkinen approached McLaren team principal Ron Dennis during
11210-569: The reduction of the schedule from 56 to 34 races a year, established 1972 as the beginning of NASCAR's "modern era". The IMSA GT Series evolved into the American Le Mans Series , which ran its first season in 1998. The European races eventually became the closely related European Le Mans Series , both of which mix prototypes and GTs. Turismo Carretera (TC) is a popular touring car racing series in Argentina, and one of
11328-511: The result with a ninth-place finish at the Norisring. Häkkinen had his second victory of the season at Mugello, after starting from 15th position. He later managed 7th place at Zandvoort and later finished with a 10th-place finish at the Nürburgring. At the race held at the Circuit de Catalunya, Häkkinen was involved in a collision with Audi driver Martin Tomczyk . Häkkinen was penalised with
11446-421: The results by having consecutive victories in the races held in Spain and Canada . Häkkinen took a second-place finish in France , and was forced into another retirement in Britain , as a result of a wheel failure. During the Austrian Grand Prix , Häkkinen who started from pole position , was hit by Coulthard from behind and rejoined at the back of the field. Häkkinen eventually finished in 3rd place. During
11564-635: The runner-up in the championship, behind Allan McNish . He later entered the Opel-Lotus EDFA Euroseries in the same year, taking four victories and became Champion with 126 points, ahead of nearest rival Henrik Larsen . Going into 1989, Häkkinen moved from the Euroseries into the British Formula 3 Championship driving a Reynard 893 chassis for Dragon. He finished seventh position in the championship, scoring 18 points. He
11682-443: The same street as Mika Salo with the two later becoming friends. As a child, Häkkinen played ice hockey and football . When Häkkinen was five years old, his parents rented a go-kart for him to take to a track near their home. Despite an early crash, Häkkinen wished to continue racing, and his father bought him his first go-kart, one that Henri Toivonen had previously competed with. He later won his first karting race in 1975 at
11800-460: The season by earning consecutive finishes in the first two races, albeit outside of the points scoring positions. At the third race of the season held at EuroSpeedway Lausitz, Häkkinen won his first race of the season although only half points were awarded due to errors made by race organisers, resulting in the official race result remaining provisional. He held pole for the following race at Brands Hatch where he finished in fourth position, and followed
11918-423: The season closing race held in Malaysia . For 2001 , Häkkinen pledged to make a challenge for the World Championship, citing inspiration from the birth of his son Hugo. He also added that he was under less pressure to compete, saying that results over the previous year increased his desire to win. The season started badly for Häkkinen, as he was forced into retirement in the opening round held in Australia due to
12036-498: The season in Mexico . He took a further finish in Brazil , although he did not qualify for the San Marino Grand Prix and suffered consecutive retirements in the following two races. At Monaco , Lotus introduced their new car, the Lotus 107 . Häkkinen later gathered further consecutive points in the following two races, before he was forced into retirement at the German Grand Prix due to an engine failure. A similar pattern followed in
12154-435: The season sixth in the Drivers' Championship, with 27 points. Häkkinen remained at McLaren for 1998 , partnered by Coulthard. Häkkinen was confident going about the challenge for the World Championship into the season, citing the involvement of technical director Adrian Newey . The season started off with controversy in Australia when teammate Coulthard let Häkkinen past to win the race. Häkkinen had earlier been called into
12272-488: The season, until the final lap of the race, when his car was hampered with a clutch failure and was classified ninth. He suffered further consecutive retirements in Austria where he stalled his car on the starting grid, and Monaco where his car's steering failed after fifteen laps of the race. At the following race held in Canada , Häkkinen took his first podium of the season with a third-place finish. He finished sixth at
12390-759: The sport, former Formula 2 champion Jonathan Palmer reopened the F2 category again; most drivers have graduated from the Formula Palmer Audi series. The category is officially registered as the FIA Formula Two championship. Most rounds have two races and are support races to the FIA World Touring Car Championship . Touring car racing is a style of road racing that is run with production-derived four-seat race cars. The lesser use of aerodynamics means following cars have
12508-465: The test, which had reminded him of the reasons why he had taken the sabbatical in the first place, so the plans had collapsed. On 28 January 2007, it was announced that Häkkinen would remain in DTM for the 2007 season for HWA, and was partnered by Spengler, Green and Schneidler. Häkkinen stated that during 2006, his team's potential was not realised and aimed during 2007 to improve on his results. He started
12626-525: The title challenge difficult. Outside of DTM, Häkkinen participated in his fourth Arctic Rally, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII with co-driver Risto Pietiläinen. He finished 36th overall. His season got off well: At the opening race held at Hockenheim, he finished in fourth position; and in the following race held at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz, he drove to his first podium of the season with third place. Häkkinen did not score points in
12744-420: The upcoming season. He also believed that he along with Schumacher and Coulthard would be the key drivers of 2000. He endured a bad start: at the opening round in Australia , both McLaren cars retired with engine failure after completing less than half of the race distance; and in the following race in Brazil , Häkkinen was forced into retirement when his car's oil pressure became problematic. However, this marked
12862-498: The upcoming season. The team suffered problems with their car, the McLaren MP4/14 , during pre-season testing, resulting in a lack of preparation. Despite these setbacks, Häkkinen was confident going into the season, saying: "I've gained confidence and experience and am more relaxed. With this title I no longer have to tell myself every morning I can win, to put pressure on myself." At the opening round in Australia , Häkkinen
12980-420: Was akin to a fully sponsored racing driver academy. Its members were short-listed for testing by a judging panel including McLaren Formula One team boss Ron Dennis (whose team was sponsored by Marlboro), Formula One World Champion James Hunt , and Formula 3000 team bosses, Mike Earle and Hugues de Chaunac. In an April 2015 interview, Earle recounted that Häkkinen's application was the last one that he reviewed at
13098-463: Was created in 2006. The group was an assemblage of drivers from different racing disciplines and formed for an MTV reality pilot, which was shot at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca . In December 2005, the FIA gave approval to Superleague Formula racing, which debuted in 2008, whereby the racing teams are owned and run by prominent sports clubs such as A.C. Milan and Liverpool F.C. After 25 years away from
13216-479: Was forced into retiring as his car developed a throttle issue. However, he managed his first victory of the season in Brazil , despite his car developing a gearbox problem early in the race. Häkkinen retired from the race in San Marino when he collided with a barrier while leading. At the Monaco Grand Prix , Häkkinen finished in third place, having slid on oil left on the track surface in the race. He followed up
13334-744: Was held on June 19, 1949, at Daytona Beach, Florida , U.S.. From 1962, sports cars temporarily took a back seat to GT cars , with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) replacing the World Championship for Sports Cars with the International Championship for GT Manufacturers. From 1962 through 2003, NASCAR's premier series was called the Winston Cup Series, sponsored by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company cigarette brand Winston . The changes that resulted from RJR's involvement, as well as
13452-582: Was later invited to participate in the Cellnet Formula Three SuperPrix for West Surrey Racing as a guest driver where he secured pole position and the victory. He also raced in the tenth round of the French Formula 3 championship at Le Mans-Bugatti on 24 September and finished third behind Éric Hélary and Laurent Daumet. In 1990, Häkkinen applied to become a member of the " Marlboro World Championship Team " through what
13570-501: Was promoted to a Formula One race seat after the Italian Grand Prix , when Andretti left Formula One. Häkkinen entered the Portuguese Grand Prix where he out-qualified regular driver Ayrton Senna . During the race, he retired due to collision with a concrete wall. At the next race held in Japan , Häkkinen claimed the first podium of his career with a third-place finish, and ended the season when his McLaren car suffered
13688-799: Was ranked seventh in the Reuters Sports Personality of the Year Poll scoring 46 out of a possible 260 points. He was also awarded his second consecutive Autosport International Racing Driver Award for 1999. In November, Häkkinen was announced as one of the seven men shortlisted for the Finnish Sports Personality of the Year. At the awards ceremony on 28 December, Häkkinen was awarded second place behind skier Mika Myllylä . For 2000 , Häkkinen set himself new limits along with physical and psychological preparations for
13806-578: Was the world's first purpose-built motor racing circuit , opening in January 1906. The pear-shaped track was close to a mile in length, with slightly banked curves and a gravel surface of crushed cement. Brooklands , in Surrey, England, was the first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing venue, opening in June 1907. It featured a 4.43 km (2.75 mi) concrete track with high-speed banked corners. One of
13924-525: Was unable to beat Schumacher to a third title. Häkkinen retired at the conclusion of the 2001 season—taking his final victory at the United States Grand Prix —having achieved 20 race wins, 26 pole positions, 25 fastest laps and 51 podiums in Formula One. Outside of Formula One, Häkkinen competed in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters from 2005 to 2007 for HWA . Upon his retirement from motor racing in 2007, he moved into driver management and became
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