Hakkinen admits he might not return

The Finn announced during the Italian GP weekend at Monza that he was taking a year out, and said he planned to return in 2003. But heading into this weekend's final race of 2001, he revealed it was equally possible this could be his last race - so he is revelling in the experience of racing an F1 car just in case.

"Every time you get in an F1 car it is a special feeling, " he said. "It is my last Grand Prix for a long time, maybe forever, I don't know myself yet."

"What I am definitely planning to do is to take it easy and experience time with the family and have a lot of good times with them - and stay in one place for a long time. I want to get the feeling of waking in the morning hungry to do something," he added.

Hakkinen pointed out that several former champions made successful returns from retirement, such as Niki Lauda and Alain Prost.

"There have been a couple of examples of drivers who have come back and done tremendous job," he said. "I see no problem at all in that and being a member of McLaren. They have given me the opportunity to test a car if I decide to come back."

He denied he was trading F1 for a role in the DTM team run by his manager, former world champion Keke Rosberg: "Whatever I do it is going to be nothing to do with DTM or Keke's team," he insisted.