Hakkinen tries to stay positive
Double Formula 1 world champion Mika Hakkinen refuses to get dragged down by a disastrous 2001 season and says that he is determined to stay positive, despite scoring just nine points so far this year
Hakkinen notched up yet another DNF at last weekend's French Grand Prix, his fifth in 10 races, after his McLaren-Mercedes stalled and refused to start on the dummy grid. The Finn is currently 69 points adrift of championship leader Michael Schumacher.
"I was super-disappointed in France," said Hakkinen. "And the first thing in my mind was simply that this couldn't be true. This is the kind of luck that no-one can have."
The McLaren ace has been unlucky right from the start of the season, with suspension failure forcing him out of the season-opening round in Australia and then stalling his MP4-16 on the grid in Brazil. But it was from the Spanish Grand Prix, where traction and launch control were reintroduced to F1, that Hakkinen's form took its biggest nosedive. Clutch failure forced him to retire from the lead on the last lap, handing victory to Schumacher.
"I couldn't have imagined what kind of new world started for me at that moment," said Hakkinen. "It's a very difficult situation for me, but I'm certain that things are going to start all over again.
"This is only a sport and my humour will be enough to see me through. It has to be, because in this kind of situation, where you personally cannot affect in any way what is happening, it's no use to throw your gloves down. I couldn't believe what happened in France. The only thing was to climb out of the car and think there will be another time in the future that looks more positive."
Hakkinen is testing at Monza this week ahead of next weekend's British Grand Prix where he will be hoping for a marked upturn in fortune. However, his hopes of a third world championship this year are all but dead and the 32-year-old has yet to confirm whether he will be back to fight again in 2002.
Mercedes Motorsport boss Norbert Haug believes McLaren's favourite son is right to remain optimistic in spite of his ailing title prospects.
"I think it is not realistic to say that it [the world championship] is possible for Mika," he said. "But we will see what we can do. I'm sure that we can generate the speed we had in France and we can raise it. Maybe he will win the next race."
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