Motor Racing: Champion's tag eases pressure on Hakkinen
Finn contented with life at McLaren as he holds an eight-point advantage over his old rival. By Derick Allsop
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Your support makes all the difference.IT IS a measure of Mika Hakkinen's ability, ambition and temperament that he is leading another Formula One world championship under relentless pressure from Ferrari's Michael Schumacher. Hakkinen's McLaren Mercedes remains slightly the better car but such is the persistence of Schumacher and his strategically nimble team that lesser drivers would have succumbed by now.
As the season reaches the halfway stage with Sunday's British Grand Prix, Hakkinen, the defending champion, holds an eight-point advantage and, importantly, shows every sign of holding his nerve also.
"I feel less pressure this year than last year," the 30-year- old Finn said. "When you have won the championship you are more relaxed, you're more content, and therefore you work better with the team so everything seems easier.
"OK, you know the championship is still tough. With nine races to go anything can happen. It looks comfortable at the moment, but just as Michael suddenly caught up in the middle of last season so he can do it again this time. But there's no point taking any stress over it or panicking. I think that is what the experience of being world champion brings you."
That cool conviction is palpably transmitting itself to the rest of the team. "There is definitely a difference in the team," Hakkinen said. "It's a positive difference. My relationship with the engineers and mechanics is much stronger than ever. It is a natural thing when you have success together."
While stories of a strained relationship between Schumacher and Eddie Irvine circulate Formula One, Hakkinen's partnership with David Coulthard appears as amicable as it has been for the past 18 months. The Scot's respect for his team-mate has grown. Hakkinen, in turn, acknowledges his colleague's misfortune this season and last, and suggests he might face a contender from within his own camp.
"I believe David is definitely still in the championship," Hakkinen said, despite the 28-point gap. "We were work as a team and help each other. It is down to him and what he believes. This season has been bad for him in terms of technical problems. All sorts of things are happening. But he can motivate himself and commit himself to win this grand prix, and then he can go on from there. He just has to believe in himself."
That could be interpreted as slightly trite, even patronising, but Hakkinen is big on belief, as he feels his knack of producing, to order, a super quick lap in qualifying confirms.
"You just have to believe you can do it," he said. "You have to be relaxed in your mind. That helps. If there are any doubts at all in your mind then you cannot do it. Just say to yourself `I'm gonna do it'.
"You always have to think you can go faster. I have never done the perfect lap. There are always one or two corners where you can improve a little. I always hope one day I will drive the perfect lap, but as long as I finish on pole it doesn't matter."
The McLaren should again be strong this weekend and another pole would give Hakkinen a crucial edge. He said: "In normal conditions overtaking is difficult in Formula One now and unless people have problems it is going to be very difficult on Sunday. You have to be very brave - or try the pit lane!
"When you look at the results for the past few races it looks as if the balance is coming back in our favour. But it's very close with Ferrari all the time, and I'm sure it will be at Silverstone."
The ultimate examination of Hakkinen's self-belief would be a straight fight with Schumacher, in cars of the same make and equal capabilities. So how would he like to have the German as his team-mate?
"It is normal for drivers to test themselves and have challenges in life," he said a touch falteringly. "Me and Michael in the same team, it would be an interesting situation. I don't know. I'd be confident."
But would he want it to happen? "Don't ask difficult questions," he said, getting up from his chair with an uneasy smile on his face.
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