Hakkinen pleased, but doubts remain

Mika Hakkinen has admitted that he has doubts over McLaren's ability to go the distance in race conditions, despite a dominant performance in today's practice sessions for the Brazilian Grand Prix

Mar 24, 2000, 8:34 PM

The reason for McLaren's double retirement in the Australian Grand Prix has been given as a faulty filter, not a leaking pneumatic system as initially thought.

"The team has done a lot of work to understand the problem we had in
Melbourne and make sure it doesn't happen again but we won't be 100 per
cent sure until after the race," said Hakkinen.

Nevertheless, Hakkinen found it hard to contain his satisfaction at having scored a psychological blow at a circuit he has won at for the last two years, by setting a practice time Ferrari could not respond to.

"The team did a great job today but we will not see the real potential
until we are in qualifying trim tomorrow," claimed the Finn.

"I am extremely pleased and confident and feel comfortable with the car. Things are going as we planned."