Mika Hakinnen to test F1 McLaren tomorrow
Discussion
PR work but also extra feedback since Alonso isn't yet available.
Mika Hakkinen will drive a Team McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 car tomorrow in Spain. The former double World Champion will be helping Pedro de la Rosa and Lewis Hamilton with the work as the team waits for Fernando Alonso to be allowed to begin testing.
McLaren said that Hakkinen requested the chance to drive an F1 car again and added that it is happy to be able to draw on his experience.
In recent years Hakkinen has been competing in the DTM touring car series with Mercedes-Benz and he was recently signed up as an ambassador for Johnnie Walker.
GP.com said:
Mika Hakkinen will drive a Team McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 car tomorrow in Spain. The former double World Champion will be helping Pedro de la Rosa and Lewis Hamilton with the work as the team waits for Fernando Alonso to be allowed to begin testing.
McLaren said that Hakkinen requested the chance to drive an F1 car again and added that it is happy to be able to draw on his experience.
In recent years Hakkinen has been competing in the DTM touring car series with Mercedes-Benz and he was recently signed up as an ambassador for Johnnie Walker.
Hakkinen's experience
McLaren Mercedes and Mika Hakkinen rolled back the years on Thursday at Catalunya as the double Formula One champion got back behind the wheel of an F1 car for the first time since the 2001 Japanese Grand Prix. The 38-year-old Finn, who has spent the last two years competing in the DTM for Mercedes, joined young Briton Lewis Hamilton on track near Barcelona for what was the final day of a three day programme for the McLaren team after asking the team for the opportunity to make a one-off return to the cockpit.
Understandably rusty after five years away from a single-seater, Hakkinen spent his morning acclimitising to his surroundings and getting to grips with a 2006 machine, which differs somewhat to the car he raced to a fourth place finish in his last Formula One race – not least in having a V8 engine as opposed to the V10's that were in place when he claimed both of his titles.
However, as the day progressed, Hakkinen got gradually quicker and while he ended the day as the slowest of the 18 drivers on track, his best lap of 1min 19.336secs was just three seconds off the quickest lap of the week so far by Ferrari's Luca Badoer.
"It has been an exciting day for me and I have really enjoyed the opportunity to drive a Formula One car after a five year break, made even more special as it was with Team McLaren Mercedes that I won my two world championships with," Hakkinen admitted. "I spent the morning really acclimatising to the environment of the cockpit again and just getting to grips with driving a 2006 car. I didn't expect to be quick straight away, and Barcelona is of course a hard track on both the car and driver. It took several laps before I was up to speed, but we were all expecting this to be the case.
"Although it was great fun today I also had to do some serious work for the team, as any feedback I could give them from today's experience will help them with their preparations for the 2007 season. As a result I was really pushing to try and do the best job that I could to assist them in any way possible.
"We have done some good work today and got some great results and I am really grateful to the team for this opportunity and the mechanics for working so hard for me."
Times.
1. Luca Badoer Ferrari-Ferrari 1min 16.318secs 88 laps
2. Heikki Kovalainen Renault-Renault 1min 16.684secs 122 laps
3. Robert Kubica BMW-Sauber 1min 16.730secs 67 laps
4. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1min 17.076secs 88 laps
5. Rubens Barrichello Honda-Honda 1min 17.189secs 117 laps
6. Marc Gene Ferrari-Ferrari 1min 17.340secs 83 laps
7. Ralf Schumacher Toyota-Toyota 1min 17.358secs 93 laps
8. Nelson Piquet Jr Renault-Renault 1min 17.426secs 95 laps
9. Timo Glock BMW-Sauber 1min 17.630secs 103 laps
10. Christian Klien Honda-Honda 1min 17.774secs 116 laps
11. David Coulthard Red Bull-Ferrari 1min 17.876secs 85 laps
12. Jarno Trulli Toyota-Toyota 1min 18.018secs 73 laps
13. Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 1min 18.043secs 111 laps
14. Narain Karthikeyan Williams-Toyota 1min 18.086secs 80 laps
15. Scott Speed Toro Rosso-Cosworth 1min 18.527secs 94 laps
16. Vitantonio Liuzzi Toro Rosso-Cosworth 1min 18.799secs 97 laps
17. Michael Ammermuller Red Bull-Ferrari 1min 18.822secs 63 laps
18. Mika Hakkinen McLaren-Mercedes 1min 19.336secs 79 laps
all times unofficial – courtesy of McLaren Mercedes
Crash.net said:
McLaren Mercedes and Mika Hakkinen rolled back the years on Thursday at Catalunya as the double Formula One champion got back behind the wheel of an F1 car for the first time since the 2001 Japanese Grand Prix. The 38-year-old Finn, who has spent the last two years competing in the DTM for Mercedes, joined young Briton Lewis Hamilton on track near Barcelona for what was the final day of a three day programme for the McLaren team after asking the team for the opportunity to make a one-off return to the cockpit.
Understandably rusty after five years away from a single-seater, Hakkinen spent his morning acclimitising to his surroundings and getting to grips with a 2006 machine, which differs somewhat to the car he raced to a fourth place finish in his last Formula One race – not least in having a V8 engine as opposed to the V10's that were in place when he claimed both of his titles.
However, as the day progressed, Hakkinen got gradually quicker and while he ended the day as the slowest of the 18 drivers on track, his best lap of 1min 19.336secs was just three seconds off the quickest lap of the week so far by Ferrari's Luca Badoer.
"It has been an exciting day for me and I have really enjoyed the opportunity to drive a Formula One car after a five year break, made even more special as it was with Team McLaren Mercedes that I won my two world championships with," Hakkinen admitted. "I spent the morning really acclimatising to the environment of the cockpit again and just getting to grips with driving a 2006 car. I didn't expect to be quick straight away, and Barcelona is of course a hard track on both the car and driver. It took several laps before I was up to speed, but we were all expecting this to be the case.
"Although it was great fun today I also had to do some serious work for the team, as any feedback I could give them from today's experience will help them with their preparations for the 2007 season. As a result I was really pushing to try and do the best job that I could to assist them in any way possible.
"We have done some good work today and got some great results and I am really grateful to the team for this opportunity and the mechanics for working so hard for me."
Times.
1. Luca Badoer Ferrari-Ferrari 1min 16.318secs 88 laps
2. Heikki Kovalainen Renault-Renault 1min 16.684secs 122 laps
3. Robert Kubica BMW-Sauber 1min 16.730secs 67 laps
4. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1min 17.076secs 88 laps
5. Rubens Barrichello Honda-Honda 1min 17.189secs 117 laps
6. Marc Gene Ferrari-Ferrari 1min 17.340secs 83 laps
7. Ralf Schumacher Toyota-Toyota 1min 17.358secs 93 laps
8. Nelson Piquet Jr Renault-Renault 1min 17.426secs 95 laps
9. Timo Glock BMW-Sauber 1min 17.630secs 103 laps
10. Christian Klien Honda-Honda 1min 17.774secs 116 laps
11. David Coulthard Red Bull-Ferrari 1min 17.876secs 85 laps
12. Jarno Trulli Toyota-Toyota 1min 18.018secs 73 laps
13. Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 1min 18.043secs 111 laps
14. Narain Karthikeyan Williams-Toyota 1min 18.086secs 80 laps
15. Scott Speed Toro Rosso-Cosworth 1min 18.527secs 94 laps
16. Vitantonio Liuzzi Toro Rosso-Cosworth 1min 18.799secs 97 laps
17. Michael Ammermuller Red Bull-Ferrari 1min 18.822secs 63 laps
18. Mika Hakkinen McLaren-Mercedes 1min 19.336secs 79 laps
all times unofficial – courtesy of McLaren Mercedes
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