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#13 Mika Hakkinen
Mika Hakkinen is at 13 on the list of the best drivers in F1, the Finnish driver won two drivers titles with McLaren in the late 90's.
Like most Finnish drivers he let his driving do the talking, he was a consistent driver who knew how to get the best out of their car. Over half of his races in the sport, he finished with points and his great rival in F1 Michael Schumacher said he was the driver he respected the most.
He nearly missed out on winning his world championships with a near-fatal accident in 1995.
The accident took place in Adelaide, during practice some debris punctured a tyre which saw his McLaren make contact with a wall.
Rescue crews found Mika critically injured. Doctors, led by FIA medical delegate Professor Sid Watkins, performed an emergency tracheotomy, making an incision into his throat and inserting a tube so he could breathe.
He was transported to the hospital where his life hung in the balance, he slowly regained consciousness after some time.
His first victory came in 1997 at Jerez and became the start of something big for Hakkinen. Schumacher and Hakkinen battled hard in the 1998 season but in the end, the Finnish driver came out on top.
He secured the chequered flag in eight races to Schumacher’s six to win the 1998 world title. In the 1999 season, he defeated Ferrari's Eddie Irvine to win his second drivers title, with Schumacher out of the running after missing several races due to a broken leg.
At the end of the 2001 season, he announced he was going to take a year off from F1 to spend more quality time with his family.
After nine years at McLaren that year sabbatical turned into retirement, many fans missed the Finnish driver once he retired and who knows he could have upset the pages of history had he battled Schumacher during his dominant years?
Stats
World Championships – 2 (1998, 1999)
GP Entries - 165
GP Wins – 20
Podiums – 51
Last Win – 2001 USA GP
