Mika Häkkinen

Mika Häkkinen is a Finnish former racing driver who won back-to-back World Championships in 1998 and 1999 with McLaren. Cool, fast and famously respected by his peers, he was regarded by rival Michael Schumacher as the opponent he feared most.

Häkkinen broke into Formula 1 with Lotus before joining McLaren, where he survived a life-threatening crash in 1995 to return stronger than ever. His title duels with Schumacher at the end of the 1990s were among the most compelling of the era, highlighted by his celebrated overtake at Spa in 2000.

After stepping away from F1 he competed successfully in the DTM touring car championship and has remained an ambassador for the sport.