ive always said it, on the era of controversies and arrogant drivers/cheats mika was always a humble and nice one. one of the drivers that put the age old "you need to be an asshole to be a champion" saying to rest.
Very honest. Said he retired because he wants to spend time with family and not worth it to risk his life for the sport anymore. All the trophies on the wall doesn't mean a thing when compare to the time with family, and if got injured and paralyzed or died. Respect.
golferchin76 That too but the main reason was that he was tired of non stop PR work that he had to, Mclaren drivers did almost 3 times more PR work than drivers in other teams. The kickoff for Mikas retirement happened in Suzuka 1998 after he won the championship and they had just started the celebration, Ron came in and basically cut the music and said the party is over I have agreed to do a tire test with Bridgestone work begins tomorrow 8am. After the test Mika went on a 3 month non stop PR tour around the world and afterwards he said he didn't even know what country he was on and then the new season started.
It was a great shame when he went to see the Ron, because in 1999 to 2000 he was fighting with the Michael for the championship. Still at least he went out with 2 championships under his belt and became a very well respected racing driver. Deep respect to the Flying Finn!
I think if he would have partnered Raikkonen in 2003 and 2005 I think he may have won another 2 championships. But still, its how history was meant to be.
Falkor The Luck Dragon I think I agree with you, sometimes I wonder that Coulthard wasn't a good partner for Mika coz that german dude wanted to make a rivalry with Mika. he lost focus on blocking opponents behind to make sure they wouldn't reach Mika's tail.
I too was a huge fan of Mika here in Brazil because of all that, he was human, he wasn't a machine made for winning. He was a man, a normal person. Anyone remembers when he made a mistake (Monza?) and he went behind he rails and started to cry, angry at himself? I LOVED that.
Idiots can be fearless and drive on the limit. But they don't respect being there. Because there's nothing to fear. Their mind isn't capable to predicting all the possible outcomes of their actions. Their speed is furious, but without intelligence. There's no reverence for what they're doing. All the excitement comes just from being in the moment. Mika is the exact opposite of this. True courage comes from facing real fear. When Mika talks about racing, there's a certain _thousand yard stare_ quality to his eyes. He's so in touch with his car, mentally and physically, that he's keenly aware of how badly his body can be mangled in .001 of a second. It's impossible for him to take _driving on the limit_ lightly. This is why Mika is, perhaps, the most courageous driver of the last two decades. Every decision weighed heavy on him. He couldn't just act on instinct. He _had_ to think about it.
SpaceManDawn well said..what an enlightened cat this guy is.. i had wondered what had happened to him..he was such a force for awhile there..and then i havnt heard his name for so long now.. good for him..so glad to see he's made it out with everything still intact..now if he just stay off the ski slopes.. classy guy.
Very, very well said. I always thought that Mika was the fastest driver I had ever seen outside of Senna, but he had a deep, mature understanding of what it meant to be on the limit.
Such a gifted driver Mika is, for me the great love that is Formula 1 will always be the rivalry between Mika and Michael, I do not think in my lifetime there will ever again be such sportsmanship between these two fantastic champions.
I watched Senna and Prost rivarly... But Hakkinen and Schumacher rivarly was best F1 ever had...one of best friends off track...and on track Mortal enemies...
@@winfield347 Yeah, I know that you are trolling but still. Have throw something back. Better than Villeneuve, Hill, Räikkönen, Button, Mansell, Both Rosbergs, Hunt, Rindt etc... etc.. Those really average drivers who won only once :)
My all-time hero of F1. Many promising drivers suffered severe injuries that turned their careers around. Herbert, Panis, Massa to only name a few, were never the same after their injuries. Something in their psyche woke them up, made them aware of the danger of what they’re engaging in. Mika had his horrible accident and came out of it faster than ever before. Where many backed off, he kept pushing and redefining F1 against one of the most successful drivers to grace the sport in MSC. To then be humble, recognize that he left his mark in what he was so passionate about and retire to spend time with his family was just the epitome of what I deem a wonderful career. I hold very deep respect for this man. He followed his passion, overcame life-threatening adversity, had success against all odds and understood when it’s time to pass the baton onto the next generation. Not just an outstanding athlete, but also an amazing human being. May he age well and have many happy moments among friends and family. Bless you Mika and bless you all who read this. ❤
I raced motocross and 1981 was my last year of racing. It was time for college. I know how he feels but on a much smaller scale. Sad but health and family is more important.
+gasripper2 Yeah wow so how did you come with a decision its time to stop like mika said im sure it wasn't an easy decision but why did you decide to retire and go to college and what not?
I don't know, I was racing a lot. Thursday night OCIR, Friday nights corona RW and Sundays Saddle-back. My parents were not too found of me racing and they always told me college was the only way to success. College isn't for everyone. Thanks for asking I have found memories and I watch Hannah and Ken Howerton battle live in 1981. What a day! I raced that day also.
Example of what a great man should be! He does things for himself, follows his own dreams and ambition. The same passion that made him a great driver, will surely make him just as great a father.
Always been very schumacher fan. But watching this make me cry. seasons 1998-2000 was great, absolutely great battles with lots of respect for each other. miss you, mika
The accident in '95 at Adelaide was scary. The in-car shot isolated we viewers from crash at the end of Brabham straight. Even F1 coverage had no idea how hard the hit was. Mika was suddenly in a coma and fighting for his life due to his head snapping forward (ne' Dale Earnhardt). 1000 days later, to the day, he won the championship. I always knew Mika had balls after his impressive run with the Lotus in '92. But to come back after nearly dieing? That takes someone very special.
I am and always will be a Schumacher fan, but out of all of his adversaries, Mika Hakkinen has by far my greatest respect, both for being a great driver and also a great sport, he never once was a bad loser and he never once was unfair. For this, even though he was the "enemy" of Schumacher fans, he never will be disrespected in any way by them.
when i started watching F1, it was because Schumacher and Hakkinnen... every Grand prix, when i was watching, people would say On what position is Schumacher? On what position is Mika?
I was sad when I heard that he was retiring but it was understandable. F1 was never the same for me again after that but he did give me 2 great years for being champion in 98 and 99 abd for that Mr. Hakkinen, I say thank you
We always missed you in F1 Mika, your skill, humor and your example as a sportsman. But we are grateful that you came out alive. I am Brazilian, everybody know what i mean...
Mika was and still is one of the greatest talents Motorsports has ever seen. He had already two titles, he could have got more for sure. He wanted to protect he's family and he couldn't think what Hugo's life would have been without a father.
Mika, You are a True champion... Miss you to this day... I respect your decision of not racing... because of you i started following F1 and am continuing it... BTW, SPA 2000 race was out of this world...
this guy had blistering one lap speed on a par with senna........and his biggest and best days came after his horrendous crash in Adelaide......that takes some coming back from. Balls of steel.
to ajd0408 - totally agree. Back to a top team and challenging for 4 years at top level,after almost passing away at Adelaide.... Respect to a brave man and a fair driver.
Mika is a class act. My favorite quote: "We have to increase the speed in order to maintain the speed." Sounded hilarious coming from the mouth of the mono-syllabic Finn, but there is a great shred of wisdom in it nonetheless.
I believe Mikka saw what most drivers at the top of game eventually see but dont know how to react to, and thats a repeating vision of a terrible possibly life ending crash. We know Arton Senna had many dreams and was intensely disturbed of his visions which in deed came to pass. Mikka had a great press and made the rite decision. what i love about mikka is that he choose his family over his career. Thats a man indeed.
Mika Hakkinen was a real champion, so what he didn`t win 7 world titles, he didn`t always have the best car on the grid, but his character,his personality puts him apart from Schumacher and many others.Thats why I respect him
Smart move he had. Some don't know how to stop. Alain Prost stopped also at the right time, at the best time: when he was world champion. Great ending. Hakkinen is one of my favorite F1 driver.
Yeah, that was what I thought too as soon as I heard about the divorce. But I hope that Hugo will make an attempt to fill his father's shoes someday. With Mika's knowledge and experience it would probably be relatively easy to make Hugo into a good driver (if he wants to drive of course) like Keke helped Nico or how any of the other 2nd gen drivers have gotten help from their fathers.
I recall my mother watching your commercial with Becker - she loved your smile saying "nooo"to Becker inviting you for tennis !That was a little happy break in her painful last days - she called you "the smiling champion"- Since she has passed away in 99 I wanted to thank you - Sorry youtubers it's sad but I had to =
Mika is the least controversial F1 driver ever. What a legend, nothing bad to say about him whatsoever!
"Nation of Masturbation"
How did you come up with that name? Im literally in tears right now. 🤣😂🤣😂
thats mostly true, but he was caught cheating in that whole light timing thing off the start line.
@@lightningsmokerXx No he wasn´t. Nürburgring 1999 was just hyped to "unravel the cheating" but in fairness it was just flaw with the starting lights.
ive always said it, on the era of controversies and arrogant drivers/cheats mika was always a humble and nice one. one of the drivers that put the age old "you need to be an asshole to be a champion" saying to rest.
"I went to see the Ron" lol, hes so funny, i also remember that he used to call Schumi "the Michael" very cool man.
Dominar TyranT
1:57 The Hugo
Remember when he overtook the Michael?
@@MrMiD.Life.Crisis not sure if the michael liked it
@@MrMiD.Life.Crisis lmao he also said “my favourite moment is when i see michael in my mirror”
These words are very signature the mika conversation with the journalist
Very honest. Said he retired because he wants to spend time with family and not worth it to risk his life for the sport anymore.
All the trophies on the wall doesn't mean a thing when compare to the time with family, and if got injured and paralyzed or died.
Respect.
we heard what he said
golferchin76 That too but the main reason was that he was tired of non stop PR work that he had to, Mclaren drivers did almost 3 times more PR work than drivers in other teams. The kickoff for Mikas retirement happened in Suzuka 1998 after he won the championship and they had just started the celebration, Ron came in and basically cut the music and said the party is over I have agreed to do a tire test with Bridgestone work begins tomorrow 8am. After the test Mika went on a 3 month non stop PR tour around the world and afterwards he said he didn't even know what country he was on and then the new season started.
STEFAZON500 That was crazy life...
At that time F1 was not that risky.
He became partly paralysed.
It was a great shame when he went to see the Ron, because in 1999 to 2000 he was fighting with the Michael for the championship. Still at least he went out with 2 championships under his belt and became a very well respected racing driver. Deep respect to the Flying Finn!
Yes it was shame he quit. I bet he had at least 5 years left in competitive racing in F1. But none the less, The Mika was a good the best f1-driver.
I think if he would have partnered Raikkonen in 2003 and 2005 I think he may have won another 2 championships. But still, its how history was meant to be.
Falkor The Luck Dragon I think I agree with you, sometimes I wonder that Coulthard wasn't a good partner for Mika coz that german dude wanted to make a rivalry with Mika. he lost focus on blocking opponents behind to make sure they wouldn't reach Mika's tail.
+Falkor The Luck Dragon™ Exactly
"The Ron"
HAHAHA
I too was a huge fan of Mika here in Brazil because of all that, he was human, he wasn't a machine made for winning. He was a man, a normal person. Anyone remembers when he made a mistake (Monza?) and he went behind he rails and started to cry, angry at himself? I LOVED that.
Carlos Bragatto I remind that I was a kid, I can't find the video when he start crying
One of the best and most respected drivers in F1 ever!
He's a family man, what can I say? I respect him for that. Now I know & it's clear now, why he retire.
Mika, one of the best ever!
My favourite driver of all time and the reason I began watching F1 and support Mclaren. Thank You Mika.
Idiots can be fearless and drive on the limit. But they don't respect being there. Because there's nothing to fear. Their mind isn't capable to predicting all the possible outcomes of their actions. Their speed is furious, but without intelligence. There's no reverence for what they're doing. All the excitement comes just from being in the moment.
Mika is the exact opposite of this. True courage comes from facing real fear. When Mika talks about racing, there's a certain _thousand yard stare_ quality to his eyes. He's so in touch with his car, mentally and physically, that he's keenly aware of how badly his body can be mangled in .001 of a second. It's impossible for him to take _driving on the limit_ lightly.
This is why Mika is, perhaps, the most courageous driver of the last two decades. Every decision weighed heavy on him. He couldn't just act on instinct. He _had_ to think about it.
SpaceManDawn well said..what an enlightened cat this guy is.. i had wondered what had happened to him..he was such a force for awhile there..and then i havnt heard his name for so long now.. good for him..so glad to see he's made it out with everything still intact..now if he just stay off the ski slopes.. classy guy.
Very, very well said. I always thought that Mika was the fastest driver I had ever seen outside of Senna, but he had a deep, mature understanding of what it meant to be on the limit.
True that, you cant be courageous unless you have fear. If you dont fear, you're simply crazy.
Such a gifted driver Mika is, for me the great love that is Formula 1 will always be the rivalry between Mika and Michael, I do not think in my lifetime there will ever again be such sportsmanship between these two fantastic champions.
A Man among Men, Mika rocks.
I watched Senna and Prost rivarly...
But Hakkinen and Schumacher rivarly was best F1 ever had...one of best friends off track...and on track Mortal enemies...
Not just a great driver Hakkinen had a great personality, always willing to talk, always willing to have a laugh, F1 needs more drivers like him.
Gotta be the most under-rated double world champion ever. All because Adrian Newey built his cars.
Underrated? For a lot of people Häkkinen > Alonso holds true. I mean he was the best rival Schumacher ever had and that means a lot.
Average at best.
@@winfield347 Yeah, I know that you are trolling but still. Have throw something back. Better than Villeneuve, Hill, Räikkönen, Button, Mansell, Both Rosbergs, Hunt, Rindt etc... etc.. Those really average drivers who won only once :)
@@MietoK o ok whoever you are.how dare you call me a troll you sad little man.hakkinen was overatted.end of.
@@MietoK how old are you?
He was one of the very few drivers who could keep Schumi honest.
Very sad when i heard he was to retire.
My all-time hero of F1. Many promising drivers suffered severe injuries that turned their careers around. Herbert, Panis, Massa to only name a few, were never the same after their injuries. Something in their psyche woke them up, made them aware of the danger of what they’re engaging in. Mika had his horrible accident and came out of it faster than ever before. Where many backed off, he kept pushing and redefining F1 against one of the most successful drivers to grace the sport in MSC. To then be humble, recognize that he left his mark in what he was so passionate about and retire to spend time with his family was just the epitome of what I deem a wonderful career. I hold very deep respect for this man. He followed his passion, overcame life-threatening adversity, had success against all odds and understood when it’s time to pass the baton onto the next generation. Not just an outstanding athlete, but also an amazing human being. May he age well and have many happy moments among friends and family. Bless you Mika and bless you all who read this. ❤
I raced motocross and 1981 was my last year of racing. It was time for college. I know how he feels but on a much smaller scale. Sad but health and family is more important.
+gasripper2 Yeah wow so how did you come with a decision its time to stop like mika said im sure it wasn't an easy decision but why did you decide to retire and go to college and what not?
I don't know, I was racing a lot. Thursday night OCIR, Friday nights corona RW and Sundays Saddle-back. My parents were not too found of me racing and they always told me college was the only way to success. College isn't for everyone. Thanks for asking I have found memories and I watch Hannah and Ken Howerton battle live in 1981. What a day! I raced that day also.
I love Mika! No ego, just Go!!!
i love the mika
Example of what a great man should be! He does things for himself, follows his own dreams and ambition. The same passion that made him a great driver, will surely make him just as great a father.
He is very frank and very human. That's why I'm a big fan of him.
I love it when Mika adds the definite article aka "the" to people's names. He used to say "the Michael" and here he says he went to see "the Ron".
Finally i found why he quit. He don't want his family had a hard time of losing him. Very very loving person
Fantastic pilot ever , it was completed with everything that a pilot should have..
Cheers for posting this. Always wanted to hear Mika talk about why he wanted to retire.
Always been very schumacher fan. But watching this make me cry.
seasons 1998-2000 was great, absolutely great battles with lots of respect for each other.
miss you, mika
My favorite driver, he retired while he's still on top of his game.
The accident in '95 at Adelaide was scary. The in-car shot isolated we viewers from crash at the end of Brabham straight. Even F1 coverage had no idea how hard the hit was. Mika was suddenly in a coma and fighting for his life due to his head snapping forward (ne' Dale Earnhardt). 1000 days later, to the day, he won the championship. I always knew Mika had balls after his impressive run with the Lotus in '92. But to come back after nearly dieing? That takes someone very special.
Hope your doing fine Mika, you will be missed in F1 :-)
miss him so much, one of the best no doubt, his dry humour, wry smile, way he played the media and so much dignity, come back, Shcu has
a true legend
I am and always will be a Schumacher fan, but out of all of his adversaries, Mika Hakkinen has by far my greatest respect, both for being a great driver and also a great sport, he never once was a bad loser and he never once was unfair. For this, even though he was the "enemy" of Schumacher fans, he never will be disrespected in any way by them.
when i started watching F1, it was because Schumacher and Hakkinnen... every Grand prix, when i was watching, people would say On what position is Schumacher? On what position is Mika?
I was sad when I heard that he was retiring but it was understandable. F1 was never the same for me again after that but he did give me 2 great years for being champion in 98 and 99 abd for that Mr. Hakkinen, I say thank you
Teared me up in the end. Mika what a legend!
M Schumacher and Hakkinen best drivers ever!!
Love those 2 guys
Very nice man..
A great driver left us with the big gap that still remains to be filled. From Schumacher Fan.
We always missed you in F1 Mika, your skill, humor and your example as a sportsman. But we are grateful that you came out alive. I am Brazilian, everybody know what i mean...
Retiring comes to us all eventually - luckily for some it can come earlier! I'll never be able to retire! I'll die at this bloody keyboard!
True words, mate. True words.
Right and respect your decision Mika. You had too much to loose.
My all time favourite driver.... A true legend and just a super guy!
Mika was and still is one of the greatest talents Motorsports has ever seen.
He had already two titles, he could have got more for sure. He wanted to protect he's family and he couldn't think what Hugo's life would have been without a father.
What a class act! F1 drivers should take a page out the book called Mika Hakkinen. What a standup guy!
a great driver and a wise and sensitive person. Wish you best Mika.
Would love to see mika back in f1, he was my favourite driver a few years ago (10years ish) when i was big into the sport.
He definitely didn't want another 1995 crash. Big ups to him for seeing the bigger picture.
Mika, You are a True champion... Miss you to this day...
I respect your decision of not racing...
because of you i started following F1 and am continuing it...
BTW, SPA 2000 race was out of this world...
A true CHAMPION and a true LEGEND!!💪
A great driver and an amazing person
Mika always seemed to me to be fair dinkum 👍🇦🇺
Thanks for everything, Mika!
I hope he is making some good strides in driver mngmt.
this guy had blistering one lap speed on a par with senna........and his biggest and best days came after his horrendous crash in Adelaide......that takes some coming back from. Balls of steel.
to ajd0408 - totally agree.
Back to a top team and challenging for
4 years at top level,after almost passing away at Adelaide....
Respect to a brave man and a fair driver.
Couldn't say it better myself. They're great friends now off track together too for Mercedes. They really showed respect for each other.
Mika is very human I feel him for his decision one of my favorites. The finish humor is great.
Legend !
My favorite F1 Driver
A gentleman of the sport and a great racer all the Finns are good
Much respect
Mika Hakkinen always be my F1 driver hero, thats why i gave my son's name Mika
legend is probably the most over-used word to describe people, but Mika Hakkinen is true legend
great driver ! one of the best ever , always spectacle when he was in good shape
Mika is a class act. My favorite quote: "We have to increase the speed in order to maintain the speed." Sounded hilarious coming from the mouth of the mono-syllabic Finn, but there is a great shred of wisdom in it nonetheless.
Great driver and funny bloke, Mika interviews were often more entertaining than the actual races.
mika- god on 4 wheels!! he`s the reason im into f1! thanks mika
I believe Mikka saw what most drivers at the top of game eventually see but dont know how to react to, and thats a repeating vision of a terrible possibly life ending crash. We know Arton Senna had many dreams and was intensely disturbed of his visions which in deed came to pass. Mikka had a great press and made the rite decision. what i love about mikka is that he choose his family over his career. Thats a man indeed.
1 of the best in my books, just GREAT.....
My favourite driver
schumi and mika, those 2 on track was absolutely awesome . epic battles , i'l never forget it
Smart , very smart. Respect!
Mika Hakkinen was a real champion, so what he didn`t win 7 world titles, he didn`t always have the best car on the grid, but his character,his personality puts him apart from Schumacher and many others.Thats why I respect him
Absolute respect for this man
Smart move he had. Some don't know how to stop. Alain Prost stopped also at the right time, at the best time: when he was world champion. Great ending. Hakkinen is one of my favorite F1 driver.
every driver that retires should make a video like this, they're so beautiful :D
Kiitos Mika!
A true winner.He will be missed in F1 action.
Yeah, that was what I thought too as soon as I heard about the divorce. But I hope that Hugo will make an attempt to fill his father's shoes someday. With Mika's knowledge and experience it would probably be relatively easy to make Hugo into a good driver (if he wants to drive of course) like Keke helped Nico or how any of the other 2nd gen drivers have gotten help from their fathers.
Mika retired on top of his game. Very few drivers can say they did the same, most continued until they were not performing so well anymore. Respect.
Mika dignified the sport
He's just a good guy...and a great driver!
Whadup Mika?!
please come back to f1, you still have it...
i am like him very much as a big schumacher fan respect mika
Mika!!!!!!!!
brilliant driver, dont think there will be a rivalry in f1 as good as hakkinen vs schumacher in a long time
I recall my mother watching your commercial with Becker - she loved your smile saying "nooo"to Becker
inviting you for tennis !That was a little happy break
in her painful last days - she called you "the smiling champion"- Since she has passed away in 99 I wanted to thank you - Sorry youtubers it's sad but I
had to =
we will miss you very much :s
F1 misses you mika. so sad you retired so early
He would have returned to 2003 and Räikkönen went back to Sauber alongside Heidfeld and Frentzen joins as test driver.
A great comeback
Great driver.
1000% true!!!
After this just few years later he divorced ::D
yes
Wonderful dude.
Well for some reasons i still laugh... an emotional video (supposedly)... when i see mika it just makes me smile. Forza McLaren!
My favorite F1 driver ever. The only driver Michael Schumacher feared.