Hakkinen Goes Out on a High Note

Mika Hakkinen is determined to leave Formula One, for a year at least, on a high note. The McLaren driver was already going to be missed when he heads off into the sunset in Japan in two weeks' time, but Sunday's performance at the U.S. Grand Prix reinforced that.

If some in Formula One only remember a driver's last race then the Finn is making sure he is not forgotten with two wins in 2001 after a nightmarish low-scoring start to the season. Hakkinen will be making his final farewell in Suzuka on October 14 if he decides not to come back from his sabbatical in 2003. And he aims to go out with a dominant performance.

"We definitely have something coming in the pipeline at the factory and we're confident that the performance of the car is going to be better at Suzuka," said Hakkinen, who was 33 on Friday. "Everybody is trying very hard...the factory is working at the maximum performance at the moment and they're bringing new parts, new things for Suzuka.

"They are pushing very hard. I'm very happy. So I'll go to Suzuka that way and I'll try to win. We'll try to get the maximum result and that's it -- Then Hasta La Vista," he said with a smile.

Fine Win

Hakkinen's win at Indianapolis in front of some 175,000 fans, the biggest one-day crowd of the season, was among his finest, coming as it did after he had been demoted to the second row of the grid.

"One of my most important victories," was how he described it. "He did an extremely good job," said his McLaren team boss Ron Dennis. "I think he's just going out on a high; laying on the beach having won some races you feel much better about it."

Hakkinen confirmed he had regained his composure since the announcement at the last race at Monza that he was taking a sabbatical, to be replaced by compatriot Kimi Raikkonen.

"Relaxed is the right word," he said. "I was able to tell everybody what I planned to do in the future and I didn't have to select my words any more and what I was going to say.

"So I can now focus 100 percent on my driving and take everything out of these last two Grands Prix. And it was fantastic. I had a smile on my face..."

Great Battles

Ferrari's World Champion Michael Schumacher made clear that he would miss the man who has given him a harder time than any rival in recent years.

"I'm happy for him, I'm happy to see him win the race," the German said afterwards. "We have had great battles in many of our years. I mean, we have been racing in Formula Three days together and we keep on racing now.

"That's obviously a great part of my career. Sometimes more, sometimes less. But that's what racing is about, competing and one big competitor is going to go. So you feel sad to some degree."

The 10 points picked up by Hakkinen, and teammate David Coulthard's four, left the British-based team assured of second place overall in the Constructors' Championship. Coulthard is now seven points clear of Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, his rival for second place overall - a position that would represent the Scot's best ranking.

"Its unlikely that he'll lose second place but as with the constructors, we're here to win and not come second," cautioned Dennis.