Rumours: Hakkinen retiring???

[jack]

Sources close to MH have hinted that the double world champion may be calling it a day at the end of 2000!
It is speculated that with 10 years in the sport, his mental fatigue following Monza '99, and perhaps more significently, his huge '95 shunt, Mika perhaps has a unique perspective on the F1 world.
I have to say that, although surprised by the rumours, it seems pretty plausable.
Can't imagine MH doing anything else though.
It's not like he can turn his hand to TV punditry - imagine - the Murray & Mika show...

[slicktoast]

Scene at next press conference:
"Mika, is it true that you will retire at the end of this season and how does this affect this season's hunt for the championship?"

Adjusting hat and glass of sports drink, looks the side, grins, wipes brow, adjusts hat, says..."er...aaaa...yes..............
.................................." and wonders if he said a bit too much.

[wodonnell]

Yes, what has happened to Mika in the press conferences. You would think that the number of times he has been in the conferences that he would have improved. If you watch old (1993-1995) video of Mika being interviewed he managed to come out with some decent answers.

I wonder if someone once told him to not give too much away and to make sure he now says as little as possible.

[jack]

Interesting point about a more articulate Mika '93 to '95. I too remember a different Mika.
I think that accident (late '95) had more of an effect than we will ever know.
Did you know, for example, that he was getting eye infections because he couldn't even blink...
Gutsy guy.

[Liz]

Jack, that's what I think. I hesitate to say anything for fear of being accused of meanness, but my Dad has had several small strokes and he speaks the same way as Mika does... he says the doctor told him it is caused by an interruption of blood flow to the brain. And knowing the g-forces they endure in every race, could that violent impedence of blood flow not aggravate the problems he might be having from his accident? That is only parlour speculation on my part, but if he is really having serious problems that he keeps to himself, and keeps racing anyway, I can but stand amazed.

Maybe Jacques IS going to get that seat after all.

[Mr.S]

What a guy. If he was to retire then imagine he became world champion agian.

That would be a sight, but I have a gut feeling that tells me I shouldn't bet on him, this is Schumacher's year. To bad.

[R]

A serious accident like that could certainly have such a long term effect. I'm not surprised, and think it's really sad. If his condition worsens by going on racing, as Liz hints at, then in my opinion he ought to call it a day.

I too have a lot of eye infections, and use artificial tears to keep it at bay. Don't know if artificial tears would do Mika any good if he can't blink though...

It would be great if he could retire as champion, but I have to agree with Mr.S, I think it's Schumacher's year.

[Tristan]

Unfortunatly, I can no longer call the flying Finn Mika "side-parting" Hakkinen, but he still get's my vote for most boring man in the world.

Having said that, I think it would be a shame to see him go. He acts as a kind of Schumacher antidote, a dose of blandness in a world increasingly full of interesting charachters.

Which leads us on: if Mika is to go (unlikley, but possible) who's at McLaren next year? No matter what people say of contracts already being signed, if DC has ANOTHER woefully underacheiving season they'd be bonkers to sign him again.

PDLR?
RZ? (no way)
JV?
JB!!!!?
etc.

[Sparky]

Latest speculation has Hakkinen going to Jaguar (for 20 million dollars p.a.) and JV to McLaren.

Villeneuve and Coulthard are close friends, but I can't see Hakkinen and Irvine lasting long! Talk about extremes of vocal ability!

[Liz]

Mika would find his Jaguar full of Kleenex and Eddie would pick on him. I don't think that would work.

Jacques and DC though - that would work! But it would have to be done with Mika's consent as I can't see Uncle Ron turfing out his favourite boy if he didn't want to go.

[EERO]

Liz, I find your suggestions about Hakinnen's posible brain injuries fascinating.
Frankly, it never occured to me, but now that's its been stated, it seems undeniable.

Certainly he has great grace and speed behind the wheel, but as I have said, despite his win last week, I don't think that the fire is there any longer. Rumours of his retirement ring true to me.

JV and DC at McLaren next year...
WoW!

[Dannyboy]

Personally, I would be saddened by Mika's departure because his loss would diminish the already poor standard of driving ability in F1. Otherwise the guy is a terrible bore and his departure may allow more colourful characters back on to the podium. Shame about his accident though.

[AL Racing]

I don'think Mika is retiring. He has plenty of years left and I don't think the fire has gone. I would like to see him partnering Jacques at McLaren or Eddie at Jaguar. It's so boring with Mika and DC at McLaren every year, is it 5 seasons at McLaren now? yawn...

[Liz]

Perhaps the frustration is that he wants to do more than he is able to do. And I emphasize that I don't know what may be wrong with him, but aphasia does seem very likely. If you watch the way he was before the accident, and if you compare the way other non-English-speaking guys talk (Jean "Subtitles Please" Alesi, for one, and Trulli and Fisi for others), it doesn't seem to me that his hesitation and "stalls" are occasioned by his lack of English. When he can get the words together and get them out, he is not hard to understand and he does make sense.

[Sparky]

From Autosport:

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>McLaren has strenuously denied rumours that Mika Hakkinen wants to retire at the end of the season.

The double champion got his 2000 season back on track with victory in last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, but paddock gossip suggested that he had already decided to walk away from Formula One at the end of the year.

A McLaren spokesperson ruled out this possibility however:

'There's absolutely no element of truth in it. We have a long-term contract with Mika. Sometimes we wish we knew where these silly stories originate from. This is just some people being bored and having nothing else to write about.'

Hakkinen, who has raced in F1 since 1991, has a McLaren contract until the end of the 2001 season.

If Hakkinen did quit, Jacques Villeneuve could be in line to replace him. The BAR star has already been linked with taking David Coulthard's seat for 2001, but the Scot has been extremely impressive this season and his replacement would be difficult to justify at present.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

But then, they would say that, wouldn't they!?

[Farc]

I think Hakkinen knows something of Jacques contract and he prefer go to be defeat in his team may tgf have say this to mika because when Jacques will be in ferrari tgf say If he comes I will go something about FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR

[Sparky]

[Mr.S]

huh?

[Liz]

I think it's time somebody switched to DeCaf.

Yes, they would say that. I find it interesting that no one took seriously the rumours that Wurz was being replaced at Benetton UNTIL BENETTON DENIED IT IN AUTOSPORT. I think MikaH is too sensible a guy to let himself be pushed out, or to be like Damon and let a stumbling mess of a season (not this one but one in future) cancel out everything good that he has done. If he decides that it is time to go, he will go, and whatever reasons he has, he can certainly keep them to himself if he wants to. That won't stop the speculations of course, but once he has retired he need take no notice of those.

It would be fun to go back through AutoSports and find all the things dismissed as "silly rumours started by bored people" that turned out to be absolutely true.

[Crash Test]

Sparky: IN that statement there was nothing to say that he would be staying. So what, contracts are meant to be broken. Wouldn't Jacques be breaking a CONTRACT if he were to drive for McLaren? Do you think BAR is going to say "oh well, sure, we'll support you going to mclaren. We'll persist with Zonta and win the WC." Or am i completely wrong and can Jac do as he pleases at the end of the season?

[Liz]

Jacques' contract is up this year, I think. But ask Zanardi how much a contract means. Ask him if you can find him.

[Liz]

UPDATE: Maybe Erja is the one to decide if the Cranky Finn is going to retire!

According to gossip heard this morning, Erja is pregnant - and she and Mika made a pact that they would not have a family while he was racing, due to the agonies they went through when he was almost killed in 1995.

If she holds him to that pact - he will retire. And I would put my money on his following her wishes. Now the question is: what will she do?

[R]

According to what I heard, she is three months pregnant. I was not aware that Mika and Erja had such a pact, but in that case, it's all the more probable that he will retire. Erja seems like a lady who knows what she wants, so I bet she'll hold him to that! The baby will be due in November, after the season has finished, which will be perfect timing in that respect.

[Liz]

It also explains why his mind is suddenly not on his work, doesn't it? That's a pretty big change in his life.

[R]

Yes it is, and good luck to them. As for his mind not being on his work, well, maybe not, but he's still head and heals above Damon Hill from 99, and Georgie wasn't even pregnant!