Who's Mika Hakkinen?

WHO IS MIKA HÄKKINEN ?

everything you always wanted to know about the flying Finn

Mika Pauli Häkkinen ('Hakka') is a Finnish Formula One driver of the West-McLaren-Mercedes team. He is 32 years old, born in Vantaa, 10 km's north of Helsinki, Finland, on September 28, 1968.

Son of Harri and Aila Häkkinen. His father is a short-wave radio operator, who controls ships and boats in the Gulf of Finland. His mothers profession is secretary. He has one sister, Nina, who is 3 years older. She used to run Mika's official fanclub, which is now closed. She is still living in Martinlaakso.

Mika weights 70 Kg and measures 1,79 meter. He likes Elvis, Frank Sinatra, the songs and music of J. Karlainen with Electric Sauna from Finland, horror books and the movie "Four weddings and a funeral". Besides car-racing, he likes rollerskating, mountain biking, scuba diving and tennis.

The 32 year old driver is living together with his 38 year old Finnish wife Erja Honkanen in Monte Carlo, Monaco. He is living there since 1990.

Mika met Erja in 1995 in Monaco at a mutual friends party. At that time Erja worked at a Finnish travel-agency in Nice (France). They live together in Monte Carlo, Monaco. From his balcony he has a perfect view at the first corner (Saint Devote) and the long strait of the Monaco street-circuit.

After Mika's near-fatal accident in Adelaide in 1995 Erja gave up her career to help Mika through his recovery. In 1998 she presented a 10-episode travel programme for the Finnish television, filmed on various locations in Europe.

1998: Mika and Erja's wedding in Monte Carlo, Monaco 30/5/98 (first left) and in Porvoo, Finland 13/6/98.
Click on the picture on the far left for Billy Idol's White Wedding.

In April 1998, just before the GP of Imola, Mika proposed to Erja. The civil wedding ceremony took place in a registry office in Monaco between the Monaco- and Canadian GP on Saturday May 30, 1998. Keke Rosberg was Mika's witness.
The traditional church service took place on Saturday June 13, 1998, just after the Canadian GP in their native Finland, in the village of Porvoo. There were 100 official guests, but half the town turned up. McLaren team-boss Ron Dennis and his wife Lisa were invited on the reception which was held on a boat.

Mika and Erja living in Monaco: relaxing at Café de Paris and meeting Ari Vatanen.

Mika's favourite restaurant is "Stars and bars" next to the Monaco Yacht Club. He often drinks coffee at the terrace of Café de Paris. He works-out in the fitness room of the Monte Carlo Grand Hôtel, the former "Loews" hotel. He has dog named Toto.
At home in Monaco he drives a silver-grey Mercedes-Benz A-class, a Vespa scooter and owns a Mitsubishi MU2B twin-engine propeller aircraft, bought from his manager Keke Rosberg.

Between races and during practice sessions at Silverstone, England, Mika stays at a small hotel just outside the town of Buckingham.

In 1995 and 1997 he was chosen most popular citizen of Finland.
In 1998 he bought his parents a 1 million dollar home near Helsinki.

At this moment, Häkkinen is the internationally best known Finn, and very popular in his home country, too. He was elected 'Sportsperson of the Year 1998' and received 245 of the 397 votes. The results of a survey among the readers of the customer magazine of Finland Post also shows how popular the star driver is in Finland. The questionnaire, contained in the summer issue of the magazine, was returned by some 35,000 people: sportsmen were the most popular groups of persons and, of these, Mika Häkkinen was number one by a wide range.

On November 1st, 1998 he became World Champion Formula One for the first time in his career.

On October 31st, 1999 he became Formula One Worldchampion for the second time in a row.
Mika Häkkinen is one of 7 drivers in 50 years who has won two back-to-back F1 worldtitles. The last driver who did this was Michael Schumacher in 1994 and 1995 with a Benetton.

Mika Häkkinen stats:
Formula one races	148
Championship points	386
Pole positions	26
Fastest lap in the race	23
Formula one races won	18
Formula one worldtitles	2
last update	13 april 2001

For more information about Mika, his fanclub, merchandising and fan-facts, see the fanclub page. Click here: