BIOGRAPHY
Mika   H A K K I N E N                  FIN
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Nationality      Finnish 
Date of Birth    September 28th, 1968 
Place of Birth   Helsinki, Finland 
Marital Status   Single 
Resident         Monte Carlo

Fan Club         Club Mika Hakkinen
                 58 Durack Way
                 Padbury WA 6025
                 Australia


Mika has been driving since he was six
years old and has been winning
championships ever since his karting days
in his native Finland. 

Mika Hakkinen's talents were apparent from
an early age, highlighted by the five
national karting Championship titles he
captured between 1974 and 1986 in Finland.

He then progressed into FF1600 - a category
which he duly conquered by being crowned
Finnish, Swedish and Nordic Champion - the
Lotus Euroseries and the British GM Lotus
Series, becoming Champion and runner-up 
respectively.

A year after entering the British Formula
Three Championship in 1989, he realised his
ambitions, winning the Macau Grand Prix on
his way to the overall title.

Mika finally reached Formula One in 1991
with Lotus and joined Marlboro McLaren as
Test and Development Driver in 1993, being
elevated to the position of Race Driver for 
the final three rounds of the Championship
following Michael Andretti's departure to
return to American Indy Car racing.

In his race debut for the team at the
Portuguese Grand Prix, Mika made a grand
entry by outqualifying his illustrious team
mate, three time World Champion Ayrton
Senna. He finished 1993 in great style by
scoring his first ever Formula One podium
finish with a third place at the Japanese
Grand Prix.

In the final race of 1993 in Adelaide,
Australia, Mika really became a "Flying
Finn" when he literally took off the ground
at East Terrace.

In 1994, Mika's aggressive style benefited
from his steadily increasing maturity and
experience. He became a regular visitor on
the rostrum, finishing second at the
Belgian Grand Prix and third in four other
Grands Prix.

He ended the 1994 season with a well
deserved fourth place in the Drivers
Championship, and to many, confirmed his
potential as a future World Champion.

Mika is 26 and single.

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Source: http://www.mclaren.co.uk/mclaren/
        graham@wantree.com.au (Alex Graham)
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COMPETITION HISTORY

1974-1986
     Karting, five times Finnish Champion 
1987
     Formula Ford 1600, Finnish, Swedish
     and Nordic Champion 
1988
     Opel Lotus Euroseries Champion,
     British GM Lotus Series runner-up 
1989
     British Formula 3 Championship:
     Finished 7th 
1990
     British Formula 3 Champion with West
     Surrey Racing,Macau F3 GP: Heat Winner 
Formula One
1991
     Lotus-Judd, 2pts, 15th in the Drivers
     Championship 
1992
     Lotus-Ford, 11pts, 8th in the Drivers
     Championship 
1993
     McLaren-Ford: 3 races, 3rd in Japanese
     GP: first Formula 1 podium finish,
     4pts, 15th in Drivers
     Championship 
1994
     McLaren-Peugeot: Finished 2nd in
     Belgium, 3rd in San Marino, Britain,
     Italy, Portugal and Europe  (Jerez),
     26pts, 4th in the Drivers Championship 

F1 Statistics (At the end of 1994)
    Grand Prix Starts: 48 
    Grand Prix Points: 43 1 x 2nd,
                          6 x 3rd,
                          2 x 4th,
                          2 x 5th, 
                          2 x 6th 

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Source: http://www.mclaren.co.uk/mclaren/
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