Rejuvenated Hakkinen Ends Personal Nightmare

Nothing has demonstrated Mika Hakkinen's popularity more clearly than the way his team welcomed him home after winning the British Grand Prix and ending a personal nightmare of 11 months without a victory.

It had been a long time coming and the McLaren Mercedes-Benz staff wanted to make sure their double World Champion knew exactly how they felt after he had produced a vintage performance to outpace Michael Schumacher and claim his first win of the year.

McLaren team co-ordinator Jo Ramirez, a veteran of more than 20 years service with McLaren, carried him high on his shoulders while the Finn, clasping the same solid gold trophy that was made in 1948 to be presented to the first British Grand Prix winner, Luigi Villoresi, was soaked in champagne.

His delight was palpable. The crowd had given him a tremendous reception, understanding that his silent fortitude in fighting to end a run of 14 races without victory deserved a special ovation, and defending World Champion Michael Schumacher, who finished second, added his own congratulations.

"He was flying today," Schumacher said. "He was much, much faster (than me), so it would have been very difficult to win this Grand Prix, but I've normally done so well this year, so far, and Mika did an outstanding race. He was performing well and, on our side, something was not perfectly right."

Memorable

For Hakkinen, it was a memorable and special occasion. Photographers clustered around the McLaren motorhome and he was the man they wanted again. He posed for photographs and managed a broad and genuine smile. The bad days were over.

"It feels so good, after all the troubles I have had this year, to win," he said. "It is special for me to win here, too, at Silverstone, because I drive for an English team and I have won in front of an English crowd. I hope there will be more wins before the end of the season.

"Before this Grand Prix, we had a very good test. We were able to get a good balance in the car and the tyres we were using here were suiting my driving style well, so I was able to attack the corners and I was able to have a car, which did not understeer so much.

"That gave me an opportunity to choose the line in the corners that I wanted to so, probably, that can explain my speed here a little bit. I had always wanted to win in Canada, but I did that the year before last. I always wanted to win that because it is a special Grand Prix, as is the Silverstone Grand Prix for me.

"Now that has happened today, so it is something incredible for me, something that's been missing from my black book. I have won here quite a few times in Formula Three, before, but never in Formula One."

Old Rival

In the 15 races since his last triumph, in the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps last August, Hakkinen had seen his old rival Schumacher stack up 10 victories, secure his third world title and move inexorably towards a fourth, while he was left with nothing.

At the Spanish Grand Prix, held at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona earlier this year, Hakkinen led the race convincingly until the final lap. Then, unexpectedly, he suffered a clutch failure, which sent him into retirement and gifted Schumacher another win. That explained why, on Sunday, he eased off in the closing stages and ensured he could make it to the finish.

"I suppose that it's a fear for every Grand Prix driver who has won a Grand Prix that you think you're never going to win again," he admitted. "That's why I kept pushing very hard to win again because you know it's a great feeling. I feel that way, the car that we have, the team that we have, we have all the great possibilities to do that. So, I am confident. In the last six Grands Prix, I am sure there will be a McLaren winning."

As the meaning of his victory, the sheer relief, washed over him like the champagne that Schumacher and his Ferrari teammate Brazilian Rubens Barrichello had poured down his neck, under his cap and all over him in a spontaneous podium party, Hakkinen relaxed.

"I just wanted to see the crowd," he said, of the final laps. "Just to slow down. I wasn't in any rush. There was a big gap to these guys, so I decided to take it easy."

Asked about his future following a fortnight of rumours about possible retirement, Hakkinen said: "As you all know, I have an option, the team has an option for me in the future. So, we'll see."

After 155 Grands Prix and 19 wins, Hakkinen looked like a man with a future again.