Mika Häkkinen

Interesting facts

At the 1995 Australian Grand Prix a tyre failure sent his car into a barrier at around 190 km/h; he suffered a fractured skull, internal bleeding and a blocked airway, and trackside medic Professor Sid Watkins performed an emergency tracheotomy and restarted his heart twice. After roughly two months in hospital and a remarkable recovery, he later donated a significant sum to build a helipad at the Adelaide hospital that treated him. His nickname, 'The Flying Finn,' came from his oversteering driving style, which excelled on slippery, wet surfaces. He clinched his first title at the 1998 season finale in Suzuka, beating Schumacher - who later said Häkkinen was the rival he gained the most satisfaction from racing against. He defended his title in 1999 against Eddie Irvine; his designer Adrian Newey noted that Häkkinen's seemingly vague feedback actually pinpointed subtle handling issues other drivers missed. Mika Häkkinen made his Formula 1 debut in 1991 and raced until 2001, 11 seasons in total as a Finnish driver. He won the World Championship 2 times, in 1998, 1999. He scored a total of 420 championship points over his career.