Hakkinen retirement rumour dismissed
McLaren has strenuously denied rumours that Mika Hakkinen wants to retire at the end of the season
The double champion got his 2000 season back on track with victory in last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, but paddock gossip suggested that he had already decided to walk away from Formula One at the end of the year.
A McLaren spokesperson ruled out this possibility however: "There's absolutely no element of truth in it. We have a long-term contract with Mika. Sometimes we wish we knew where these silly stories originate from. This is just some people being bored and having nothing else to write about."
Hakkinen, who has raced in F1 since 1991, has a McLaren contract until the end of the 2001 season.
If Hakkinen did quit, Jacques Villeneuve could be in line to replace him. The BAR star has already been linked with taking David Coulthard's seat for 2001, but the Scot has been extremely impressive this season and his replacement would be difficult to justify at present.
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