Mika Hakkinen Interview | Beyond The Grid | Official F1 Podcast

He's one of the most popular drivers of all-time. A double world champion. And his rivalry with Michael Schumacher is still remembered fondly to this day! In this week's episode of F1 Beyond the Grid, we chat with Mika Hakkinen, the original Flying Finn.
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[@QashmalUtomo]

A MIKA HAKKINEN INTERVIEW! FINALLY!!

[@Formula1]

Been waiting a while for this one?! 😄

[@erindani6284]

@@Formula1 Yes, thank you very much for this 😘

[@erindani6284]

@@Formula1 Patiently waiting for Sebastian Vettel, thank you.

[@MattproThe]

@@Formula1 Yes man!!!! FINALLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

[@Epistesounds]

One my favorite drivers'

[@SirGingerOfKnight]

While I am quite excited by this, it seems more appropriate to say a reserved: Yes

[@tiarnan97]

Does that make me Finnish?

[@DrummingAli93]

I think people forget and underestimate. How mighty fast he was! What a legend!

[@MT-pv2rf]

And he won 2 world championships under Ron Dennis at McLaren against a British teammate. Alonso fans claim this is impossible. Lol

[@satvikkolla8796]

@@MT-pv2rf Alonso fans claim he's always had the worst car and that he's much much better than his stats, And he's had the worst luck and fia hates him... Etc. Don't mention him calling his Ferrari f10 and 12 perfect becuase he loved their style. Don't mention him blackmailing Dennis in 2007 so he could beat Lewis. Don't mention him winning 2005 because kimis tire exploded. Don't mention him staying at McLaren for money. It annoys me so much.

[@Eeroo94]

Hakkinen got 11 poles in 1999 while Coulthard got 0, that's quite statistic.

[@SerPurple51]

The only driver Michael Schumacher really feared and respected.

[@Benjamin-sq9co]

M T Scotsman are only “British” when they win something. Look at Andy Murray...he is described as Scot when he is not doing great, but British when he wins Wimbledon 👀. And if you ever listened to Coulthard’s interviews on Beyond the Grid and other media you’ll know that Coulthard himself said that Ron Dennis favoured Hakkinen. And here is a direct quote from Coulthard himself: “When I was at McLaren they blatantly favoured Hakkinen. There was a devastating occasion when I was on pole until Hakkinen beat me at the death. The jubilation in Ron and the others was distressing. It was like Hakkinen had just beaten their arch rival rather than their own driver. When I tried to talk about it I sounded like a little kid, complaining 'It's not fair' as if someone else had been given a bigger piece of chocolate. But you can't hide that hurt from yourself. Maybe I'm too sensitive." I am not saying that what Alonso fans say is true, but when you have backed and sponsored a young talent like Hamilton since he was 13, you would expect some sort of bias towards him. Coulthard never had the same luxury of being backed by Ron Dennis from a young age, so there was no bias towards him, hence why he favoured Hakkinen. He was faster and had been there for a longer time. Please do your research before you come out with statements like that, when you have people like his own teammate saying that the team favoured Hakkinen. Statements need to be backed up with evidence or else it’s just ignorance. P.S I am NOT an Alonso fan.

[@knightofmordor]

Can't believe how much I missed hearing "The Michael"

[@kevinhanandi]

Well he also said ron dennis the ron

[@jeevangill2041]

19:53 21:02 30:50 33:40

[@reanult457]

If you love F1, everyone will missed Michael

[@antonyread5595]

I definitely did, forgot how much I used to enjoy watching him

[@simonwolfie2]

@@jeevangill2041

[@rocketlaunch99]

Hakkinen was badass and elegant at same time.

[@Kevin_Vanit]

I just love how he call Schumacher " *THE* Michael" . He says that they were not friends but when your rival has this much respect for you, you don't need to be friend with him. Also , you can clearly notice with the tone of his voice that he was just having fun battling with Schumacher. What a legend.

[@jamesstewart1794]

I got mad respect for Mika .

[@marshallmarthes]

I got the feeling that he doesn't respect Michael but not saying too much because of Michael's condition

[@drivernephi2212]

@@marshallmarthes Come on. He has had a very respectful rivalry with Michael already before either of them even were in F1.

[@meneldur19]

See also 'The Ron'.

[@jonjohnson4981]

I think it's just a language thing, he also calls Ron "The Ron". In German it's common to use "the" to refer to people, I guess it's the same in Finnish.

[@ProfessorOfCool]

We're all proud of The Mika here in Finland. This is awesome!

[@HugoStiglitz88]

You should be! He and Kimi make Finnish people seem cool to the rest of the world

[@Epistesounds]

I can't blame you 😉he was really good but I think he can still pound up and down on those foot pedals 👍🤓 haha

[@benwilliams5760]

Good to hear. He's my favourite driver to have been in F1. Is it a Finnish thing or just Mika who puts 'the' in front of names? I noticed he said 'the F1' too.

[@ProfessorOfCool]

@@benwilliams5760 There's no articles (a, an, the) in Finnish so I guess that's why people sometimes make mistakes with those. Mika seems to do that a whole lot though.

[@benwilliams5760]

@@ProfessorOfCool I see. Thanks for that. I adds to his character anyway!

[@WilliamFeryll]

“When you take risks, you know , shit can happen” spoken like a wizard!!! Thanks Mika 🇫🇮

[@ahn63]

"The Michael!" Mika is a legend! Thank you Tom for this interview!

[@nosebleedpuddle]

"Hi this is Mika Hakkinen and this is pee on the grid"

[@druidofthefang]

hi is kimi räikkönen tis is be on de grid

[@Geigerzaehler]

Better would've been: This is THE Mika

[@einoware436]

pee on the crate

[@lifeschool]

He clearly said "Pee on the Grip" - Mika is promoting a new liquid to fix frozen climbing equipment.

[@poromise]

Finglish is an artform

[@jealva]

I met Mika at Laguna Seca in 2018 when he was about to drive the Le Mans winning McLaren F1. He could not have been more gracious when I asked him to sign my helmet and shook hands with him as he arrived at the paddock. I’m an even bigger fan of his after hearing his candor in this great interview.

[@varunkaushik3204]

The only guy who can flash that cheeky smile and be sincere at the same time 😆😆

[@john-kl3ux]

Never appreciated Hakkinen enough when he was racing due to being a Schumacher fan but no doubt he's an absolute legend and along with Schumi was the quickest man of his era. Fantastic interview.

[@alexandreknapen946]

Exactly the same for me. I kind of hated him at the time but love him now because he was incredible too and he is super underestimated !

[@prickly-pear]

Schumi said Mika was the only man on the grid that he feared.

[@MooncricketsInc]

Became a ferrari fan in 98. I hated him and his team, but appreciate and respect him now after rewatching those seasons. Great childhood memories.

[@The_ZeroLine]

Just watched that 1990 Macau F3 heat. Sooo many future drivers all in the same race. “Mr. Nobody from Finland.” A great example of Mika’s sense of humor and humility which makes so many love him.

[@TheBrakepoint]

Even Keke Rosberg's fax machine used to go flat out. Simply flying Finns, Golden Mika

[@martingodske3301]

Huge respect to Mika for being such a fantastic driver but also has one of the best personalities ever.

[@ThePhillkillv2]

I’ve always liked Mika and his interesting Finnish smirking personality.

[@interneteditor5258]

The smirk comes from the Adelaide crash, he lost some movement on the left side of his face. I love his half smile :)

[@max27stoner]

Internet Editor which side you mean? You can understand it in two ways: left cheek from Mika’s eyes, left cheek if you look at him

[@interneteditor5258]

@@max27stoner HIS left cheek.

[@max27stoner]

Internet Editor ok yeah that’s what I thought too👍

[@ThePhillkillv2]

Internet Editor this is something I thought about after researching his accident. I knew he had one, but I didn’t know it was so bad. Hes always come across as cheeky to me, though lol

[@slippy8070]

Mika Hakkined IMO is the coolest F1 driver!

[@hepo3544]

It's a pretty big thing to hear stories of your childhood hero for 95 minutes, thank you very much FOM

[@msagoo29]

Mika was mighty impressive in the MP4/8 alongside Senna. Does anyone remember that 1993 BBC programme 'The Team a season with McLaren'? He was in that and he was crying in the motorhome with Dennis after his Portugual crash, I'll never forget that

[@TheFlatCapFromWN5]

Mika Hakkinen: A man of few words Also Mika Hakkinen: *Proceeds to have one of the longest Beyond the Grid interviews*

[@Klaidiss90]

The way he says "incredible" hasn't changed one bit in 20 years. Love Mika

[@709mash]

Every time Mika talks, it's impossible to not give him your full attention. He's very wise, and I loved this interview!

[@druidofthefang]

Mika Häkkinen is my favorite driver of all time, of all racing classes. Thanks for the interview.

[@boborjan3]

"Were you impressed by Senna?" "No, not really" :D

[@RicardoSilva-qp4bb]

"Do you think you were quicker than Michael?" "Of course. Of course."

[@jeevesosiris]

Great driver, great person, great interview.

[@jackthomas1959]

"The Michael"

[@avikarsewpersad9856]

The Mika

[@wiryantirta]

@@xfg007 The Steering Wheel

[@bodieofci5418]

Bwoah

[@kwadwoasante1255]

This man is the whole reason I started watching Formula One ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@seanjohn7930]

Lovely guy, still a fan all these years later. Going to savour this interview

[@Mclboy914]

Next to my parents and my education, this man has had the biggest impact on my life! A lot of things i've learned from watching this incredible one of kind human being. Such class and such driving skills. Twenty years ago was the last time i REALLY supported an F1-driver and everything in my life revolved around F1. Shouting and cheering to the TV. Oh the emotional rollercoaster >> how i miss it. Occasionally these days there are championships out there where you see amazing racing but they don't make rolemodels like they used to.

[@zulawoo]

Liking this before actually listening, because know it would be good.

[@interceptorm5]

Me to.

[@MCLRN_GR]

What a great thing to hear Mika.Always hanging up from his words.I was lucky enough to meet him at MTC at 29.10 on his 20 years anniversary.Love you Mika.

[@facundocastro2465]

33:39 The Michael Good memories

[@tietokone8796]

I think not many people were/are aware of just how serious the accident was and that he's still dealing with some of the consequences now, some 24 years later. I have so much respect for what he was able to achieve afterwards. Thank you for this, his interviews are always a pleasure to listen to. I love his tongue in cheek humor and the way he doesn't take himself too seriously. He just radiates a relaxed, laid-back aura :)

[@praddzzz]

Mika Hakkinen vs Michael Schumacher, legendary!

[@HBee5]

The Mika Vs The Michael

[@android_4420]

Was not fazed by the length at all. I could listen to Mika all day. Great interview!

[@danielecattabriga2168]

I love Mika... one of my favorite people in the sport..

[@abhinavgiridhar2323]

Legend!! ❤️

[@mattjc1021]

My absolute favourite formula one driver of all time.

[@aryanjenil802]

Finally Mika hakinnen interview fucking loved this guy during the glorious 90s

[@tiarnan97]

My favourite thing about Mika is how he always says "The Michael"

[@Gmnlshr]

This podcast made my day like literally thanks F1!

[@pabauza]

He is still one of my favorite f1 drivers. He seems honest in the inrerview.

[@squinz3824]

2020 COMEBACK CONFIRMED?

[@paulomorais6319]

lol, are you waiting since 2001?

[@Anvil35]

Sabbatical is coming to an end

[@ivannotaros8015]

The only seat available is in the Williams

[@juhokaartoaho]

Replacing Antonio in Alfa so we get full Finnish driver team.

[@forr0_]

Is Raikkonen career over? 🔥

[@RacingTIR0]

I was a young Michael Schumacher Fan, starting to watch F1 around 96. And I remember I was just frustrated that out of nowhere this Finish guy came along and stole Michaels Wins. Funny how little you understand as a kid.

[@charamia9402]

Yeah, in retrospect I don't think there's been a more healthy and respectful rivalry than Mika/Michael. However, at the time I could not stand Mika.

[@CherniavskyDen]

Niether do I at the start of their rivalry. But at the 2001 season I was feeling so sorry for Mika, and actually I was allmost crying when he told that he is have a "sabbatical" because I allready feel, that he is had enough and will not return. Now it's my second favorite driver after Michael, and I'm so happy to hear this podcast, as we sadly cannot hear the other side of the story

[@justinbest9429]

Same as me man

[@alluvialedaempfer962]

Hakkinen is one of the most under appreciated drivers of all time. At the time, I was rooting for Schumacher, but looking back I'm more than happy Hakkinen won his two titles, could have even been three. Class guy on and off the tracks

[@bigg1764]

Love it he was my driver back in the day. 👏👏👏

[@chunder27]

The thing you get from this is how genuine the man is, a true gentleman, a real team player, something clearly he believed in massively, and a totally professional sportsman. And you also get then humour that people in the team always talk about. A proper champion and also a real man.

[@mostbotted8527]

Man, I was around 4-5 years old when he and Michael were killing it on track, I always cried/hated when he or McLaren just won a race since I was the biggest Schumi fan, but now that I’m grown up, I’m a bigger fan of Mika than ever before, really start appreciating it than my younger days lol

[@allgomesareevil6121]

I was exactly the same, but for Mika if he did not win and Michael did. I learned to like or say appreciate Michael in 2006 fighting Alonso for the championship.

[@uralien1227]

I was the opposite. I couldn’t;t stand Michael at the time.....but they pushed each other so hard. It made them both better. What an era for formula 1

[@maxamam4653]

Vettel VS. Alonso < Hakkinen VS Schuhmacher ❤

[@seema2183]

Are vettel and hamilton really rivals? I mean they are pretty good friends

[@fernandoueno8668]

@@seema2183 he means rivals on the track and respectful to each other off the track , just like Vettel x Hamilton and Hakkinen x Schumacher

[@maxamam4653]

@@seema2183 I think Hakkinen and Schuhmacher hasn't hate the other too (sry for bad english)

[@seema2183]

@@fernandoueno8668 They still aren't rivals of sorts if you look at it.

[@seema2183]

@@fredcole7683 Not true man. Every driver goes through a down phase in their career and Seb's having one right now. Even Lewis had one in the 2010s when Seb was winning back to back championships. So don't criticise the driver as such and let them improve.

[@kevtalbot137]

Mika is an absolute class act. He is one of the few people that when he speaks, he says something. Niki was another one of those people. When they speak, you listen.

[@66PHILB]

When Ron Dennis was asked who was the fastest driver who ever drove you, he didn't pick Prost, Senna, Hamilton or Lauda. Without Ron's usual contemplation of his answer he said straight away; "Hakkinen". Mika, you were stylish and clean (mostly!) in an age of hooligan driving, calm in a time of media hysteria, loyal in a cut-throat business plus the fastest and best driver of your time. What a champion.

[@jasongillard6185]

As a Schuey fan I couldn't stand the guy or Mclaren back in the day. Now I'm older, what a great bloke. Typical blatant Finn, fantastic character!!! 10/10!

[@akhlaqsawar7683]

Just the way he says “THE MICHAEL” only Mikka

[@davidorama6690]

Yes! Mika! We’ve all been waiting for this! Terrific interview! It’s a tragedy that fans can’t hear Mika and Michael recall their glory years in conversation... maybe one day... I wish... Michael took no prisoners with Mika because he knew he was better... what an honest, insightful interview. Remarkable career. To my mind, if you don’t win in Monaco you’re a Grand Prix driver in name only!

[@oddyseus99]

Finally. Thank you thank you thank you. My life is now complete!

[@jazz_soroyuza]

The only F1 driver, I would always admire to listen to or about

[@federicobravin2052]

The podcast i'm waiting for. Thanks F1.

[@onnivirtanen5947]

Häkkinen is legend!

[@ForeverPurpleNGold]

My idol, the reason I fell in love with Formula 1

[@MikeWalliams84]

The Schumacher v Hakkinen era is without doubt one of the best in all of F1's history! Awesome

[@m_g_khatravinsky]

Finally...The Flying Finn himself on Beyond the Grid!! Thank you F1!

[@JulianThursday13]

I have long awaited for this.

[@Retr0Static]

One of the the fastest f1 drivers over one lap I've ever seen. Same for senna and raikkonen. Might say the say for leclerc. Love how humble hakkinen seems!

[@davidhodder9939]

My very first grand prix was silverstone 2000 ..sunday morning practice .. hakkinen was first out the pits ..still gives me goosebumps...mika youre a legend

[@merc89]

Damn this is so good interview, i am from finland, and i grow up when Mika Häkkinen was fighting over against Michael Schumacher. i know that nowdays when people are talking about Räikkönen and Bottas. But still Mika Häkkinen is the number one in here in finland!!

[@Sinr0ne]

Got to witness Häkkinen win those two championships, watched the races with my dad. Was only 4 years old, we both still watch F1 together when we are able to.

[@hairycoo56]

Up there as one of my favourite drivers ever. Love the guy .

[@SOSchangedme]

And they say Fin's don't have much personality? Man that was so much fun!! Thank you Mika and our interviewer for everything!!

[@dejangvozdic715]

Started watching F1 because of this gentleman. Thank you Mika 👏

[@PhilHenzig]

Wonderful to hear Mika again. Always loved his driving andhim as a person.

[@NippyMoto]

Hey F1 just wanted to say that this podcast was incredible. Please never stop doing them!

[@dougharvey9766]

Great driver, always gave it everything, but best of all a lovely Human being. I was lucky enough to have worked with him at Mclaren.

[@DaniMacYo]

I only like the podcast when they about Michael Schumacher because I just love to hear the stories they share. Happy that Mika finally has a chat. He’s another person I really loved in F1 just behind Michael. I never truly got angry when he beat Schumacher because I liked them both. Top bloke and a great legend and a great adversary to Michael. I had a lot of joy watching the 2 battle it out over their years together. 🏁🏎🏆❤️

[@alexistsimplas4603]

Hakkinen was a true sportsman. Not like cheater Schumacher. 1994,1997,2006 show how big cheater Schumacher was.

[@DaniMacYo]

Alexis Tsimplas Yeah yeah let’s always bring up Schumacher’s dirty moments and forget about what other drivers have done in the past and just hate Schumacher forever and ever. Get over yourself!

[@alexistsimplas4603]

@@DaniMacYo Hakkinen never did dirty things like Schumacher. That's a fact. A true sportsman. 👋

[@taytaytay871]

@@alexistsimplas4603 You never saw these two race. You never saw a race during the 80s. You never saw a race in the 90s. Hush

[@DaniMacYo]

Alexis Tsimplas Sooooo! He did some silly stuff here and there but that doesn’t mean it will define the rest of the mans career. You haters make out it’s every year, every lap, and every race. The amount of incredible races Michael had far outweighs the bad. He still earn his place amount the greats. Schumacher wasn’t there to make friends or please you people. If you only watched F1 because your were looking for a gentleman than your watching the wrong sport.

[@olli5155]

Suomi mainittu 🇫🇮🇫🇮🇫🇮

[@TomiVuori]

@@TaikaJamppa tuon grillin ja makkarat

[@druidofthefang]

Uskon että Mika on suomalainen, jos en aivan väärässä ole.

[@random-ws5wz]

Perkele

[@lukum55]

@@druidofthefang No ei kai, oletko ihan varma että Mika todella on suomalainen? Itse luulin häntä espanjalaiseksi

[@leo1fun]

Oh I wish his career lasted longer.

[@johanbotha7315]

Awesome interview. So much personality and insights. So much confidence, without the arrogance.

[@swenly1007]

Brilliant, used to love his one word answer interview style. Great driver

[@Arrows]

Omg, thank you so much! :)

[@martinminshull3850]

Just had to love mika my favourite driver a lot of respect for this man what he accomplished in his championship years and his qualifying pace just the best

[@dotQuadcore]

Ah, Hakkinen. In my young years, I don't like him because he was the Schumi's Rival. And I do want Schumi to win in every race... Growing up, I realize that Hakkinen is more than Schumacher's Rival. He's a cunning and thoughtful person as a whole. Being able to present his apperance as not only a brilliant F1 legend, he's also appear as a very intelligent person, which was confirmed in his appearance in Schumacher's Greatest Rival. All in all, I now admire him very much. Wish I can learn from him about life beyond the racing line.

[@pugnugger4600]

The only driver Schumacher feared.....pardon "The Michael"

[@KNMK259]

I like the way Mika talks, he puts all the detail to make any driver better. I love the way he gives so much of details.

[@woodworkingphoto8083]

Mika will always be The Champion of F1. That pass on The Michael at Spa, the greatest image in F1. Champion, sportsman, gent.

[@oualitoudert2741]

My Favorite f1 driver Legend

[@bigmac965]

Mika seems to have become more chatty since retirement. I remember his post race interviews. "Yes." "No." "Maybe." I was excited to see this interview here!

[@detonator2112]

Best rivalry of the 80's: Senna vs. Prost. Best rivalry of the 90's: Schumacher vs. Hakkinen. Incredible drivers, great times. They'll never come back but the memories remain.

[@Trainmaster909]

My favorite F1 driver of all time. Love to Mika from the USA 🇺🇸

[@kurtperleberg3478]

Me Too.And He Won His Last F1 Grand Prix In The 2001 F1 USGP At Indianapolis.

[@MooncricketsInc]

As a ferrari fan, hated him and mclaren during the 90s and how fast they were. 2 decades later, nothing but respect. Thanks for some great childhood memories and a great rivalry with Schumacher.

[@MILFMILF221]

Amazing talent! Like Alonso, 2 championships doesn’t do him justice.

[@alexistsimplas4603]

Hakkinen and Alonso were true sportsmen. Unlike cheater Schumacher. 1994,1997, 2006 incidents.

[@JezebelBoy88]

@@alexistsimplas4603 Singapore -08?

[@deeptenduganguly8530]

@@JezebelBoy88 McLaren 2007 as well, the whole scandal emerged just because Alonso couldn't handle Lewis as a teammate

[@bobopgoswami5267]

Alonso is one of my all time favs but he definitely was no saint. However, despite all his nasty tricks he never deliberately rammed into someone like Schumacher did.

[@bodieofci5418]

Mika was a clean straight guy. Teflonso is a dirty scumbag.

[@jraybay]

This is the guy I've been waiting for! Mika cool 😎

[@LBCvalenz562]

The best podcast I’ve heard so far!!!! Thanks Mika!

[@thatguyfromcetialphaV]

Mika was always a gentleman. I still have my Lotus badge he gave me when I was a small kid at the British Grand Prix 1992

[@aryanjenil802]

The love that sound “ the only thing I got to do is go faster than him “. “ and you did” man oh man Mika was so mentally strong

[@praveenas4675]

"Hi this is Mika Hakkkkkinen, and you're listening to peyond the crid"

[@Barmaglot2003]

peyont de krit

[@TYTLs]

I love the varied selection of guests on this show.

[@dimifisher7942]

Kimi and Mika for me are the Best together with Sena of course because they were never playing Dirty, they were just very fast and passionate

[@eeyore345]

Ah ... the good old days. The rivalry between him and schuey, love every moment of it.

[@1988Carlsberg]

Yesssss Tom!! The flying Finn! How nice was that! What a fabulous way to head to work in the mornings...