Highlights

McLaren can deliver for Raikkonen, says Hakkinen

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-03-22 09:48

BRANDS HATCH, England, March 21 - Twice world champion Mika Hakkinen believes Kimi Raikkonen would be well-advised to ignore offers from other Formula One teams and stick with McLaren.

Raikkonen, 26, has been linked to Ferrari as a possible successor to seven times champion Michael Schumacher after twice finishing overall runner-up with McLaren.

The speculation about his future increased after McLaren signed Spaniard Fernando Alonso, world champion with Renault last year, for 2007.

Stopping short of offering advice to his fellow Finn, Hakkinen said on Tuesday that his own career had taught him that patience pays off and that McLaren could deliver.

"When I was a test driver in 1993...(team boss) Ron (Dennis) said to me 'Mika, you are going to race this year'," Hakkinen, who drives for McLaren's partners Mercedes in the DTM touring car series, told reporters when asked at a test session about Raikkonen's situation.

"I said 'Yes, but I am a test driver.' He kept his promise and I said 'Hey, I can trust this man.'

"In 1994 we continued racing and Ron said 'We are going to do it together, we are going to win a world championship together. It will take time but we are going to do it.'

"And we did it. So I suppose that answers a bit the question. That was my decision and I did the right thing.

BUTTON SYMPATHY

"In my career I had a lot of offers from loads of different teams, naturally, but what I did was the right thing," continued the Finn, who retired from Formula One in 2001.

"I was committed and confident that the McLaren team would do it. And we did it.

"What Kimi should do, that is for him to decide.