McLaren Star®
International
Presents:
INTERVIEW WITH ERJA HAKKINEN
Erja Hakkinen,
the woman behind the double world champion. Of all women behind the drivers
she was most often in the picture. Right after Mika's victory in Monaco
the driver and his seven years older girlfriend entered the matrimony.
What does the title mean to Mika?
I think it means a lot to him, because he has worked
very hard to achieve it for many years and he has always dreamed of being
a World Champion. It went like he wanted in every way. From the driver's
point of view it was perfect. There were a lot of highlights and good times.
Because of that he could accept the technical problems better than before.
Last year they were much harder to accept. This year he led the Championship
from the beginning and that made it easier for him
Were the victories a stimulant to him?
Since 1998 they have been a big motivator for him. It
worked out well, especially for his self confidence.
Has he changed since you first met him?
When you get older, you understand things better, the
good and the bad. I have known Mika now for three and a half years. I met
him six months before his accident in Adelaide. That was a very traumatic
experience. We still talk about it. There is nothing negative about it.
He learned a lot because of it. Now he thinks a bit differently about things
like life, his work, his family and friends. He can calm down and think
about everything in a positive way and that makes him stronger.
What was the worst thing about the accident for you?
For me the worst thing was that when it happened I was
in Paris. I saw it happen live at four o'clock in the morning and there
was nothing I could do. I tried every phone in the area, but I just couldn't
get through. The relief came next morning, when I managed to get a flight
to Australia. I had to fly 24 hours before I knew what was going on. But
as soon as I saw him, I knew he would be OK.
It
looks like Mika keeps his private life for himself and that we don't know
him really?
That is true. You have to keep a private life private
and you have to keep some things for yourself. That is a part of your inner
strength. The results do the talking, not what is going on in your mind.
It is a sort of self-protection and that is what gives him the mental power.
Does he ever get emotional?
Of course, he is a human. When he has to get over a big
disappointment, sometimes that can take half an hour. He doesn't want to
share that feeling with anybody. He fights it out with by himself and tries
to understand why he is disappointed, he tries to analyse it. When he is
finished with that he continues with the daily routine.
What are his best qualities?
I think it is the way he can concentrate and the way
how he treats other people. Mika is a teamworker. He is not the man who
says: it's all mine. It is very important that everybody in the team work
together, that they understand him and that he understands them. I think
that is his power. He is not an egocentric person.
Is the support he gets from Ron Dennis important to
him?
Maybe he needs the support, but I don't know if that
is the right way to say it. The support has growed. Mika has worked with
Ron for so many years and there has been both good and bad moments. They
have brought them close together. Ron is someone who knows Mika very well.
He is someone who cares a lot about other people. Mika and Ron have a close
relationship between them.
Does Mika like the life as a married man?
It is too early to answer to that. We will have to wait
and see.