F1 Drivers At The Independence Day Reception, Annually Hosted At The Presidential Palace On 6th Of December

My favourite F1 Magazine covers Part 2:

just three gays guys when they were young 🫶

#Mika #Michael

Since this website likes to flag every photoset I make, Makkinen shirtless compilation!

lewis hamilton shower gel ad #startyourengine

Jenson is literally the capybara of the 00s-10s F1 they put that man with the most mentally unhinged competitors and teammates and he was chill. He was like the dogs they give to cheetahs in zoos to calm them down except it was him, one dog, and 22 cheetahs.

race winner sebastian vettel is interviewed during the post-race press conference, japan - october 10, 2010 (transcript under the cut)

Interviewer: "The top three drivers in the 2010 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix. In third place, for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, Fernando Alonso; in second place, for Red Bull Racing, Mark Webber; and taking the win for Red Bull Racing in the team's third 1-2 of the season, Sebastian Vettel. Seb, last season, pole and the win. This year, pole and the win, and all n the space of just one day." Seb: "Yeah. Incredible day, obviously, this morning with qualifying and the pole position, and this afternoon we just continued, so fantastic. I think it was down to the team. They have been working very hard. Most of the guys, they didn't sleep from Thursday to Saturday, so actually was good that there was no quali so they didn't have to touch the car and then cut some sleep, and I think they deserve it today. Obviously this track is, like, drawn for us. With all the high-speed corners it's always a pleasure, and with the car getting lighter and lighter in the end it's just more and more fun, and yeah, incredible. Good start, which was obviously the key from the clean side, and I could see Robert obviously got a bit of momentum, but the way down to turn one was too short for him. And then with the safety car, which stayed out quite long, obviously, with the incident with Kubica… But then after that I think both of us were able to pull away from the field and just controlling the pace until the end. There was a little bit of a rest behind Jenson because we couldn't really go through him, so we had to wait until he pits, but after that, just incredible. So really, really happy, and it's about time." [laughs] Interviewer: "You looked to have the race pretty much under control from the off, but Mark was putting you under some serious pressure after the pit stops, wasn't he?" Seb: "Yeah, I mean, obviously in his position he tries to push. I know that overtaking is not so easy and obviously… I think I just went as fast as I had to. Obviously I could see that we were pulling away. I was mainly given the pace Fernando was doing for the majority of the race. Obviously I can see Mark when he's about one, two, three seconds behind, so [laughs] as I said, obviously with Button in the middle after the pit stop halfway through the race we had to, yeah, back off a bit, and then once he pulled obviously it was free fast to go. But, as you said, it was pretty much controlled until the end, so just trying to carry the car home. But still you want to push every single lap because the car is magnificent around here. Just feels fantastic, so really happy." Interviewer: "Congratulations. Well done." [time jump] Interviewer: "Back to you. You're now tied for second in the championship. Only two drivers have ever taken back-to-back wins at suzuka other than yourself-Mika Häkkinen and Michael Schumacher-and they both went on to win the title. It's a pretty good omen." Seb: "I guess! I wouldn't mind, obviously. No, I'm very proud. I love this circuit. It's always special to come here. The fans, I think, the atmosphere for all of us is special. And yeah, it's the first time I win a grand prix for the second time, so I think ultimately you have to fall in love with this track. And yeah, very proud, so as you say. Think that's a good omen, so I wouldn't mind." [laughs] Interviewer: "Thank you very much, guys. Congrats."

[20th August 2023] Mika Häkkinen talks to Sport1.de about McLaren's factory tours, his history with Michael Schumacher, how it is for young drivers getting into F1, and his daughter, Ella, following in his footsteps

(German⇢English)

Sport1.de: Mr Häkkinen, we meet here in the McLaren factory in Woking, near London. Are you often here (on site)?"

Yes, I am an ambassador for my former team that I was able to win both of my World Championships with. I even have my own office in the motorhome at every racetrack. Today I'm in Woking because McLaren is introducing a project, one that I fully support. Formula 1 has to take better care of fans worldwide and open up more. This includes offering the fans - who in the end, as Bernie Ecclestone always said, pay our salaries - the opportunity to get a look behind the scenes of a Formula 1 factory. We have now started that.

What is so special (about the tours offered of the McLaren F1 factory)? And will fans also meet you on the tour?

That depends on my diary, but it's possible in principle. I think the idea is brilliant. Others should follow suit. The special thing about Formula 1 is the technology, but also the professionalism in building cars, and the business. The McLaren factory is a high-tech work of art, a workplace that motivates [people] at the highest level. Many more people should get to see this, to learn from it for themselves.

When you stand in front of both of your World Championship-winning cars from 1998 and 1999: what do you think of?

The car was brilliant for the circumstances at the time. In fast corners it virtually screamed "more, more, more" - it helped me to beat even Michael Schumacher in the Ferrari.

Oh yes! Tell us about your battles with Schumacher.

We have a long history together. We were already racing against each other in karts at 14 [years old]. Our somewhat humorous rivalry began then. In a race in German Formula 3, I defeated him as a guest entrant - he didn't like that at all. Nevertheless, we had wonderful battles. He was quite a tough opponent, never left much space, always defended extremely hard. There are so many things that I admired about him. The most important: he never gave up [or "never let up"]. 'Surrender' simply was not in his vocabulary. I hope that this quality helps him now as well.

Were you sometimes also angry at him?

Sometimes? Often! For example in 2000 in Spa, when he pushed me onto the grass at a speed of 300 [kph]. At the time I said to him that he should use his common sense. At these speeds, it's life-and-death. He just tilted his head and looked at me questioningly. For him, that was racing. That made him the best of us, in the end. Michael was, as well as having great natural talent, someone who worked unbelievably hard, was mentally very strong and was also very clever. He knew very well what he wanted and he also said it very directly. For the people at the top today, it's very much exactly the same: victories don't come by chance. They are the result of hard work. Yet another thing that Michael was particularly good at: he succeeded at finding the right people for him. It's first and foremost about the people, not about the car. The people are the most important thing.

Which moment in your battles with Michael Schumacher do you particularly remember?

The ones where I saw him in my rearview mirror. Those were the best of all... (laughs)

In Germany you were always very popular, unlike many other opponents of Schumacher - because you were considered the "Gentleman"...

I believe that everything comes around - everything that you do, comes back to you. And so out of that an image just forms.

Michael's son Mick has now lost his seat in Formula 1 - how do you assess his situation?

It's generally very difficult these days for young drivers. Before, in my time, there were many more tests and the drivers had time to develop [or "improve themselves"] there, technically, in co-operation with the team. Today there's practically no more tests; at most you sit in the simulator and are judged following that. It is very hard for the young drivers to show that they are improving, truly getting good. You have to actually bring together all the different aspects at once [or "first off"]. When I came to McLaren, the team gave me time to develop. Today you have to have success straight away. If you don't, you're out... That's why in my opinion the people that you work with are also so important for the future.

Do you have any advice for Mick, for how he could come back?

Brake later, step on the gas earlier! (laughs)

Your son Hugo also once drove karts - why did he stop?

Hugo drove for six years, but then somehow [or "for whatever reason"] he felt it was too stressful. School, driving - for him they didn't fit together anymore. Perhaps I would also do some things differently, if he were to start again now. But now my 12-year-old daughter, Ella, is driving, as is my 9-year-old son, Daniel. She is very talented, really special, has a lot of [or "so, so much"] power...

Your daughter... would you like her to follow in your footsteps and make it to Formula 1?

I have to be really careful with what I say now, so I don't build up any pressure there. But motorsport today looks for women, wants women. And she loves racing so much. That's why I support her as well as I can. To one day make it into Formula 1 is naturally a very difficult journey. If she wants to get there, then she has to do everything for that [or "give everything to it"], has to work very hard. Then she can do it. Of course I have experience with how you have to prepare for everything up to that point, with how you win World Championships. I could help her to a certain degree. But we obviously have to see how she develops.

(Notes on translation, original answers (in German) and source below the cut)

The source is an interview (x) published by the German sports news website Sport1.de. The original text of the interview is below. The translation is mine so forgive any errors or clunkiness. Concerning accuracy; I generally went for meaning instead of word-for-word, but I tried to preserve the way that he expressed things. Also I'm not sure if he answered the questions in German, or if Sport1 translated an interview that was conducted in English (there are some details that make me think it is a translation from English, but I can't find any original English answers if they exist). All this to say don't draw detailed conclusions from the exact word choices.

Specific notes: - 'schaffen' (which is the verb used in "then she can do it") has multiple slightly different meanings. It would make sense to also translate this sentence as "then she can make it" or "then she can achieve it". Since this is a central quote I thought I should offer the alternatives. - 'großartig' (the adjective used in "we had wonderful battles") can also be translated as magnificent, great, terrific, etc.

Original German text:

Herr Häkkinen, wir treffen uns hier in der McLaren-Fabrik in Woking nahe von London. Sind Sie öfters vor Ort?

"Ja, ich bin Botschafter meines ehemaligen Teams, mit dem ich 1998 und 1999 meine beiden WM-Titel gewinnen konnte. Ich habe sogar ein eigenes Büro im Motorhome an jeder Rennstrecke. Heute bin ich in Woking, weil McLaren gerade ein Projekt vorstellt, dass ich voll unterstütze. Die Formel 1 muss sich noch mehr um die Fans weltweit kümmern und sich mehr öffnen. Dazu gehört auch, den Fans, von denen Bernie Ecclestone immer gesagt hat, dass sie am Ende unser Gehalt bezahlen, die Möglichkeit zu bietet, einen Blick hinter die Kulissen einer Formel-1-Fabrik werfen zu dürfen. Damit haben wir jetzt angefangen."

Sie reden von der Zusammenarbeit mit dem deutschen Reise-Startup GetYourGuide. Bei dieser Berliner Firma kann man jetzt eine Tour durch McLarens Formel-1-Fabrik buchen und unter anderem auch Ihre Weltmeister-Autos betrachten. Was ist so besonders daran. Und: Werden die Fans auch Sie bei der Tour treffen?

"Das hängt von meinem Terminkalender ab, aber grundsätzlich ist es möglich. Ich finde die Idee brillant. Andere sollten ihr folgen. Das Besondere an der Formel 1 ist ja auch die Technik, die Professionalität beim Bau der Autos, das Business. Die McLaren-Fabrik ist ein Hightech-Kunstwerk, ein Arbeitsplatz, der auf höchster Ebene motiviert. Das sollten viel mehr Menschen zu Gesicht bekommen, auch um davon für sich selbst zu lernen."

Wenn Sie vor ihren beiden WM-Autos von 1998 und 1999 stehen: Was denken Sie dann?

"Das Auto war für damalige Verhältnisse brillant. In schnellen Kurven schrie es quasi „mehr, mehr, mehr“ und hat mir so geholfen, sogar Michael Schumacher im Ferrari zu besiegen."

Genau! Die Fans, besonders die aus Deutschland, werden Sie dann auch nach Ihren legendären Duellen mit Michael Schumacher fragen. Was werden Sie ihnen, etwas über 20 Jahre später antworten? Erzählen Sie von Ihrem Duell gegen Schumacher!

"Wir haben eine lange Historie zusammen. Wir fuhren ja schon mit 14 gegeneinander Kart. Unsere irgendwie lustige Rivalität begann schon damals. Bei einem Rennen der deutschen Formel 3 habe ich ihn als Gaststarter mal besiegt. Das gefiel ihm gar nicht. Trotzdem hatten wir großartige Duelle. Er war ein ziemlich harter Gegner, hat nie viel Raum gelassen, immer extrem hart verteidigt. Es gibt so viele Aspekte, die ich an ihm bewundert habe. Der Wichtigste: Er ließ nie locker. Aufgeben gehörte einfach nicht zu seinem Wortschatz. Ich hoffe, dass ihm diese Eigenschaft auch heute hilft."

Waren Sie manchmal auch sauer auf ihn?

"Manchmal? Oft! Zum Beispiel im Jahr 2000 in Spa, als er mich bei Tempo 300 aufs Gras drückte. Damals sagte ich ihm, er solle mal seinen gesunden Menschenverstand benutzen. Bei diesem Tempo geht es doch um Leben und Tod. Er legte nur den Kopf zur Seite und schaute mich fragend an. Für ihn war das Racing. Das machte ihn am Ende zum Besten von uns. Michael war neben dem großen Naturtalent jemand, der unglaublich hart gearbeitet hat, mental sehr stark war und auch noch sehr clever. Er wusste ganz genau, was er wollte und er hat das auch sehr direkt gesagt. Für die Leute, die heute an der Spitze stehen, ist es ja ganz genau so: Siege kommen nicht von ungefähr. Sie sind das Ergebnis harter Arbeit. Noch ein Punkt, in dem Michael besonders gut war: Er hat es geschafft, die richtigen Leute für sich zu finden. Es geht in erster Linie nicht um das Auto, es geht um die Leute. Die sind das Wichtigste."

An welche Momente in ihren Duellen mit Michael Schumacher erinnern Sie sich besonders?

"An die, in denen ich ihn in meinem Rückspiegel gesehen habe. Das waren die allerbesten... (lacht)"

In Deutschland waren Sie im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen Schumacher-Gegnern immer sehr beliebt – gerade, weil Sie als der „Gentleman“ galten...

"Ich glaube, alles dreht sich – alles was man tut, kommt zu einem zurück. Und so bildet sich eben ein Image heraus."

Michaels Sohn Mick hat jetzt seinen Platz in der Formel 1 verloren – wie schätzen Sie seine Situation ein?

"Es ist für junge Fahrer heute generell sehr schwer. Früher, zu meiner Zeit, da gab es noch viel mehr Tests, da hatten die Fahrer Zeit, sich zu entwickeln, technisch, in der Zusammenarbeit mit dem Team. Heute gibt es praktisch keine Tests mehr, man sitzt höchstens noch im Simulator und wird danach beurteilt. Es ist sehr schwierig für die jungen Fahrer zu zeigen, dass sie sich entwickeln, wirklich gut werden. Man muss ja eigentlich erst einmal die ganzen unterschiedlichen Aspekte zusammenbringen. Als ich zu McLaren kam, hat das Team mir Zeit gegeben, mich zu entwickeln. Heute musst du auf Anhieb Erfolg haben. Wenn nicht, bist du raus... Deshalb ist es meiner Meinung nach eben auch für die Zukunft so wichtig, mit welchen Leuten man zusammen arbeitet."

Haben Sie irgendeinen Rat an Mick, wie er zurückkommen könnte?

"Später bremsen, früher Gas geben... (lacht)."

Ihr Sohn Hugo ist ja auch einmal Kart gefahren – warum hat er eigentlich aufgehört?

"Hugo ist sechs Jahre gefahren, aber irgendwie hat er es dann als zu stressig empfunden. Die Schule, das Fahren – für ihn hat das nicht mehr zusammen gepasst. Wenn er heute noch einmal anfangen würde, dann würde ich vielleicht auch einige Dinge anders machen. Aber jetzt fährt ja meine 12-jährige Tochter Ella, genauso wie mein 9-jähriger Sohn Daniel. Sie ist sehr talentiert, wirklich speziell, hat sehr, sehr viel Power."

Ihre Tochter hat sich Ihre Weltmeister-Silberpfeile von 1998 und 1999 hier sicher auch schon angeschaut. Würden Sie sich wünschen, dass sie in Ihre Fußstapfen tritt und in die Formel 1 kommt?

"Ich muss da sehr vorsichtig sein, was ich jetzt sage, damit ich da keinen Druck aufbaue. Aber der Rennsport heute sucht Frauen, will Frauen. Und sie liebt den Rennsport extrem. Deshalb unterstütze ich sie, so gut ich kann. Es eines Tages bis in die Formel 1 zu schaffen ist natürlich ein sehr harter Weg. Wenn sie hierher kommen will, dann muss sie alles dafür tun, muss sehr hart arbeiten. Dann kann sie es schaffen. Sicher habe ich Erfahrung, wie man sich auf alles vorbereiten muss, bis dahin, wie man Weltmeisterschaften gewinnt. Ich könnte ihr also schon bis zu einem gewissen Grad helfen. Aber man muss natürlich sehen, wie sie sich entwickelt..."

#Mika

Mika Häkkinen First F1 test ever

1990 Silverstone / Benetton - Ford V8 B188

Mika Hakkinen  1991

Russian Grand Prix post-race press conference with Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Sergio Perez (2015)