Raikkonen will be Champion, Says Hakkinen

Mika Hakkinen is tipping fellow Finn Kimi Raikkonen to become Formula One's youngest Champion this year.

"I think Michael (Schumacher) probably won't be Champion in 2004," the two times World Champion told F1 Racing in an interview published on Friday. "Either McLaren driver or either Williams driver could do it, they all have the experience, they all have the speed.

"But only one of them has the consistency. And that's Kimi Raikkonen."

Raikkonen, now 24, replaced Hakkinen at McLaren at the end of 2001 and finished last season as runner-up to Ferrari's six times Champion Schumacher. The Finn's teammate remains Briton David Coulthard, who was Hakkinen's partner for six seasons and has yet to win a title despite 13 race victories.

Williams's drivers are Ralf Schumacher, Michael's younger brother, and Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya but Hakkinen was critical of both.

"Ralf is much too inconsistent for someone who's driven more than 100 Grands Prix," he said. "Sometimes I think he should work a bit more and moan a bit less." Hakkinen said Montoya looked slower than Ralf last year. "This sounds like a strange thing to say, but sometimes he was just too careful. I hope Juan Pablo is aware of that."

Formula One's youngest Champion is Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi, who won the first of his two titles in 1972 at the age of 25. Schumacher was also 25 when he won his first.

Renault's Spaniard Fernando Alonso, who became the youngest Grand Prix winner in Hungary last year, is considered a Champion-in-waiting but Hakkinen sounded unimpressed.

"I don't think Fernando is quite in Kimi's class," he said of the 22-year-old. "I haven't seen anything that really justifies the level of hype that has surrounded him so far. He is quick but is he Kimi-quick? Is he Michael quick? I'm not convinced."

Hakkinen added BAR's Briton Jenson Button was also over-rated: "He may not be quite as quick as a lot of people think he is," he said. "He's obviously fast but is he super-fast? I'm not sure he is."

Button, 24, is starting his fifth season in Formula One and has yet to stand on the podium. Hakkinen had to wait seven seasons for his first victory.