Mika Pauli Häkkinen (born 28 September 1968), nicknamed "The Flying Finn", is a Finnish former racing driver. He was the 1998 and 1999 Formula One World Champion, driving for McLaren. He is one of three Formula One drivers from Finland to win the World Championship, and is the only Finnish driver to win it more than once. He currently works in driver management and is a brand ambassador for various companies.
Häkkinen began his career in karting at the age of five and achieved success by winning regional and national kart championships. He progressed to car racing when he entered the Formula Ford and Formula Three series in Italy and the United Kingdom. After success in the series, Häkkinen entered Formula One in 1991 with the Team Lotus where he remained until 1992. The following year, he moved to McLaren as test driver before he was promoted to the race team following the departure of Michael Andretti.
FIA Formula 1 World Championship 1999 _Retired Motorsport | FIA Formula 1 World Championship 1998 _Retired Motorsport |