McLaren announces Mika Häkkinen’s return to the English team but as an ambassador.
Häkkinen made his F1 debut in 1991 with Lotus, where he spent two years and did not reach the podium. The Finn signed for McLaren in 1993, where he was until 2001. With the English team, he participated in 130 Grand Prix, won 20 races, made 51 podiums and was proclaimed World Champion twice: in 1998 and 1999. People will always remain the exciting face-to-face battles on track between Häkkinen and the seven-times World Champion, Michael Schumacher.
This arrival of Häkkinen is another change inside the team since Ron Dennis’ departure. The two-time World Champion, in his role as ambassador for McLaren, will work side by side with Zak Brown, current executive director of McLaren.
Häkkinen comments:
“Returning to McLaren was an easy decision for me – I’ve never really lost contact, and I still know a lot of the hard-working men and women there from my eight-and-a-bit seasons with the team.”