McLaren icon's "badass" daughter training like Lewis Hamilton to join F1 grid by 2030

McLaren icon Mika Hakkinen
McLaren icon Mika Hakkinen's daughter following in Lewis Hamilton's footsteps to race in F1 by 2030 | Image via Getty

McLaren icon Mika Hakkinen has shared that his 14-year-old daughter, Ella, is training like Lewis Hamilton to become an F1 driver. The two-time F1 champion also shared that he expects Ella or some other female driver to compete at the pinnacle of motorsport by the end of the decade.

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Ella Hakkinen has followed in her father's footsteps and continues to impress in the karting world. She took her first major international karting victory in the Champions of the Future Academy in April 2024 in Cremona.

In a recent interview with Ilta-Sanomat, Mika Hakkinen shared that his daughter trains at the "same level as Lewis Hamilton." Ella's trainer is affiliated with Hintsa Performance, the same company that the seven-time F1 champion's close aide and trainer, Angella Cullen, worked for. Hakkinen mentioned that the 14-year-old's fitness routine consists of 10-kilometer (6.2 miles) runs and stretching and strengthening of muscles on a daily basis.

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"Whether or not racing becomes a profession for children one day, they will still get a good education in everything related to human fitness, sports, eating habits, and sleep, in other words, everything possible. I can say that my children train at the same level as Lewis Hamilton, as an F1 driver under the leadership of Hintsa Performance. Nothing is left undone," said the Finnish former driver.
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Over the years, Lewis Hamilton has been very vocal about the importance of fitness, both physical and mental. The Ferrari driver remains at the top of his game even in his 40s and in the hunt for a record-breaking eighth F1 title.

Hakkinen also set a timeline for when F1 could welcome Ella or another female driver to join the grid on par with their male counterparts. The "Flying Finn" said:

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"The belief in it does not waver, but is a full hundred percent. The female driver will rise to the highest level by 2030, be it Ella or someone else. Some team will definitely choose the girl as their driver at some point."

The 57-year-old also called his teenage daughter a "badass" whose "motivation is simply incomprehensible."

Lewis Hamilton's clear view about female drivers competing in F1 in the future

Lewis Hamilton with Susie Wolff at the F1 Singapore Grand Prix - Source: Getty
Lewis Hamilton with Susie Wolff at the F1 Singapore Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Lewis Hamilton, a strong supporter of F1 Academy, the female-only single-seater championship, shared in 2023 that he believes F1 will see female drivers compete in the series in the future. F1 has seen only a handful of female drivers compete in the series.

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The first woman to compete in a Grand Prix was Maria Teresa de Filippis, who entered five GPs and started three, with a best result of P10 at the 1958 Belgian GP. Following in her footsteps were Lella Lombardi (1974-1976), Divina Galica (1976 and 1978), Desire Wilson (1980), and Giovanna Amati (1992). However, since Amati, no woman has competed in an F1 Grand Prix.

In December 2023, Hamilton was asked during an interview with ABC News whether there would be a female F1 driver in the future, to which he said:

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"I personally do think so. I think there’s a lot of work that needs to go on in the background to continue to allow access. I think that's what the F1 Academy is doing. It’s showing that there is an opportunity for you to be here, so hopefully there’s going to be more young girls that are going to be asking their parents so they can go karting."

Lewis Hamilton has praised the Susie Wolff-led F1 Academy several times in the past. He has lauded Wolff, a former driver, for "fighting for that inclusivity" in the male-dominated world of F1.

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Edited by Yash Kotak
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