Mika Hakkinen, former World Champion was back behind the wheel of Mclaren, the MP4-21 in Thursday's test session at Barcelona. This was the first time he has driven an F1 car since his retirement in 2001. And he was a massive 3.205 seconds off the pace.
The supposed purpose of the test was to see a difference between the latest car and his MP4-16. This was what Mika had to say.
"The purpose for today was not to impress anybody, we just had to find a good feeling and understand Formula 1 and find out if it has changed a lot since 2001. Surprisingly, the change was very little.
"There is a lot more electronics in the car, nowadays. That can be a good or a bad thing, because it helps you in the corners, but it can also be very confusing. So you really have to stay calm and a focused mind, because it can influence your lap time easily by more than a second and the driver doesn't even notice it.
"The V10 had more explosive power and very impressive torque, now it seems like you have less. Technology has gone forward, so the drivability is very smooth and that feels fantastic. I think Mercedes has done very good work. We didn't have any problems."
Mika obviously enjoyed the drive. And of his fans, including me, would love to see him race again. And there is a distinct possiblity that he would. Lewis Hamilton who is set partner Fernando Alonso at Mclaren is a promising driver. But some are saying he may be entering Formula 1 too soon. If Mika does return Mclaren would have two champion drivers racking up the points.
Friday, December 01, 2006
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