Hakkinen takes a break from F1

It took Mika Hakkinen a long time to get going in Formula One but when he did, the world took notice.

When the Finn announced on Friday that he was stopping, if only for a season, the unsurprising news ended a piece of grand prix history.

His six year partnership with David Coulthard at McLaren, a team whose boss Ron Dennis treated him almost like a son after Hakkinen cheated death in Australia in 1995, was a Formula One record.

Quiet and concentrated, but often showing flashes of a dry sense of humour, the Finn is taking a break to spend time with his young family.

He may come back, he may not, but even some of his rivals will miss the twice champion who has provided some memorable moments over the years.

His overtaking move at last year's Belgian Grand Prix, when he went past Brazilian Ricardo Zonta on one side while Michael Schumacher overtook on the other, will stand the test of time.

The Finn, who won titles in 1998 and 1999, has had a particular rivalry with Ferrari's four times world champion Michael Schumacher.

"It would be a big loss for us because I always enjoyed the challenge of racing against him," said Schumacher this week about life after Hakkinen.

SLOW STARTER

The Finn has won 19 grands prix in just under 160 races but it took him six seasons and 96 starts to take the chequered flag for the first time.

Many team bosses might not have persevered with such a driver for so long but equally Hakkinen stayed loyal throughout McLaren's difficult mid-1990s.

His form this season, with his apparent lack of motivation, has reinforced a feeling that when the chips are down, the 32-year-old may struggle.

And since the arrival of his first child, Hugo, Hakkinen's commitment has been in question.

Born in Helsinki, Hakkinen has always been used to success. He dominated Finnish karting as a youth and won the Nordic title in Formula Ford in 1987.

He added the British Formula Three championship in 1988 and 1990 before making his Formula One debut with the struggling Lotus team in 1991, helped by manager and former McLaren driver Keke Rosberg.

After a scare during his first race at Phoenix, when his steering wheel came off in his hands, Hakkinen secured fifth place in only his third outing in the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola.

But those two points were the only ones he would get in his debut season, as Lotus began a slide which would eventually lead to the demise of the team.

TURNING POINT

In 1992, the Finn decided on a change of direction, opting for a test driving role at McLaren.

It was an astute choice and by the end of the 1993 season he had replaced the struggling American Michael Andretti.

The turning point in his career came when Hakkinen suffered severe head injuries in a high-speed crash during the Australian Grand Prix in 1995.

His recovery was nothing less than astonishing and he was back on the grid for the opening race of the 1996 season.

One year later, Hakkinen won his first race, at the European Grand Prix and started the 1998 season in a team that was dominant on the track.

Hakkinen was triumphant eight times in 1998, helped sometimes by team mate Coulthard, and followed it up in 1999 after Schumacher crashed at Silverstone and broke a leg.

But when Schumacher returned to full force in 2000, Hakkinen was swept away.

While Ferrari and Schumacher left others trailing behind them, the Finn led for a while but ultimately lost the title by 19 points.