It's the weekend, and the usually jam-packed roads in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex are relatively empty. It's perfect for a drive but what makes it even more special is sitting in a car being driven by two-time Formula-1 Champion Mika Häkkinen.
The ‘Flying Finn', as he is popularly known, was a little cautious as he navigated through Mumbai's traffic on Friday. But the racing DNA that won him two Formula-1 World Championships surfaced every now and then. He was here as part of Johnnie Walker's global campaign for responsible driving in partnership with Ola.
Häkkinen first felt the thrill of getting behind the wheel at age five. “It started in a really strange way,” he says. “The very first time I sat in a racing car, in a go-kart when I was five years old, the very first corner, I had an accident.” And this taught him a valuable lesson – “to know your limits” in what he realised was a very dangerous sport.
So, every time you turn a corner, don't be too greedy. Leave a little gap. Go flat out attack, of course, but don't take too many risks.Mika Häkkinen, Formula-1 Champion
Häkkinen was one of racing legend Michael Schumacher's biggest rivals. The two remained rivals right from the time when they competed against each other in the Formula-3 competition till Häkkinen retired in 2001 at the age of 33. But one of his oldest rivalries was with a female racer, whom he lost to on a regular basis as a child on the track.
“It was quite a challenge. I think I was 11-12 years old. Super talented girl, racing so fantastic lines, driving beautifully! She was winning! And I wasn't very happy about that, you know, but then when we got older, she decided to get into motorbike racing,” says Häkkinen.
His rival then had a few injuries and decided to hang up her racing boots. “I wish she would have continued with car racing,” he says. “Because she was absolutely fantastic.”
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