There is No Way I'm Quitting, Says Hakkinen

Mika Hakkinen has denied reports he was planning to retire at the end of the season and said that he was in talks with the McLaren team about a new contract for 2002.

"No chance - there is no way I am quitting," said the former World Champion in an interview with Die Welt newspaper.

Hakkinen said he had no idea where rumours that he was planning to retire at the end of the current season - which has been a huge disappointment for the Finn who won the World Championship for McLaren in 1998 and 1999 - came from.

"No one asked me - that's something one should have done," he said, referring to a report in Germany's Auto Bild newspaper that said he would retire. Hakkinen said he first learned of the report on Monday evening as he was feeding his eight-month old son Hugo.

The 32-year old said negotiations with McLaren about a 2002 contract were going at full speed and only a few details still had to be worked out. Another German magazine - Auto, Moto und Sport - said the only open issue was contract length.

The report said Hakkinen wants a two-year deal while McLaren only want a one-year commitment. The contract extension is expected to be announced at the German Grand Prix in Hockenheim in late July.

"After the French Grand Prix I was made aware of the media speculation about my future career," said Hakkinen. "The team has an option of my services for 2002. I am currently in discussions with Ron and am very relaxed about the situation."

Hakkinen, who has scored just nine points in ten races this season and not won since the Belgian Grand Prix last August, said he felt "highly motivated" for the upcoming race at Silverstone and that he would support teammate David Coulthard's bid to win the title this year.

Coulthard, with 47 points, is in second place behind Ferrari's Michael Schumacher, who has 78 points after 10 of 17 races. Hakkinen was quoted as saying he wanted to help make McLaren-Mercedes become the top team in the world again.

"And if there is a possibility, I will try to win myself," Hakkinen said.

Auto Bild magazine reported in its Tuesday edition that Frenchman Olivier Panis would replace Hakkinen for 2002, but Norbert Haug, the motorsport boss at McLaren's engine partner Mercedes, dismissed the suggestion as speculation. Haug was quoted in Die Welt praising Hakkinen.

"The great thing about him is that even negative events, like in the recent past, do not break his morale," Haug said. "He had so many good races and success in the past years and he wants to have that again."

McLaren boss Ron Dennis added in a statement that the team are currently reviewing their whole driver line-up and announcements will be made as soon as deals are done.

Dennis said: "We are very comfortable with the options open to us. We'll make announcements as and when appropriate. Our decision not only involves the selection of race drivers but also the very important third driver slot that contributes so much to our testing and development programme. It is also our intention to enhance our medium term options by reinforcing our young driver line-up."