Mika Häkkinen
Finlandés · 1991–2001
Mika Häkkinen, the "Flying Finn", was the rival Michael Schumacher respected most. The Finn from Helsinki combined extraordinary raw speed with icy composure, and his elegance over a single lap recalled Senna's — who indeed singled him out as the young talent to watch.
His path was not easy: in 1995 he suffered a horrific crash in qualifying at Adelaide that nearly cost him his life. He recovered, and when McLaren-Mercedes became competitive again he took back-to-back world titles in 1998 and 1999, in knife-edge battles with Schumacher that defined the end of the decade.
He produced moments for the ages, like the double overtake on Schumacher and Zonta at Spa 2000, rated among the finest ever. He retired in 2001 at the peak of his career and later raced in the DTM. Quiet and gentlemanly, he left the memory of a champion as fast as he was human.
What if Häkkinen had another car?
We took his real attributes and put him in the best car of each era — in a real driver's seat, against the team-mate that car actually had. 20 full seasons in each.
| Car | Team-mate | Finish | Wins | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLaren1988 | Alain Prost-58 pts | P2 | 4.1 | 5% |
| Williams1992 | Riccardo Patrese+50 pts | P1.3 | 7.4 | 70% |
| Ferrari2002 | Rubens Barrichello+66 pts | P1.1 | 11.8 | 95% |
| Red Bull2013 | Mark Webber+64 pts | P1.2 | 13 | 85% |
| Mercedes2016 | Lewis Hamilton-50 pts | P1.9 | 7.4 | 10% |
| Red Bull2023 | Sergio Perez+76 pts | P1 | 15.8 | 100% |
| Cadillac2026 · 11th on the grid | Valtteri Bottas+30 pts | P9.2 | 0 | 0% |
The only one who beats him is Alain Prost in the 1988 McLaren: 58 points clear over a full season.
Teams
Tags
Wins
20
Poles
26
Titles
2
Best year
1998
In-game overall
What would Mika Häkkinen have achieved with a different car or in a different era?