Mika Hakkinen has now changed his mind about Michael Schumacher’s driving, ‘nothing too special’

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Mika Hakkinen sparked a tense championship rivalry with Michael Schumacher in the late 1990s and early 2000s as McLaren and Ferrari battled for supremacy.

After winning the 1994 and 1995 titles with Benetton, Schumacher joined Ferrari in 1996, hoping to bring success back to Maranello – they had not had a champion since 1979 with Jody Scheckter.

However, Ferrari could not compete with Williams, who had become the dominant force in F1. Likewise, at McLaren, Hakkinen struggled to keep up with the Grove outfit, with Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve winning in 1996 and 1997 respectively.

Hakkinen sees McLaren’s signing of Adrian Newey as a pivotal moment in his career, as the engineer suddenly gave McLaren the tools to fight. The Finn used it to his advantage, claiming his two world championships in 1998 and 1999.

Schumacher fought closely in 1998, finishing second by 14 points, while a broken leg in a crash at Silverstone ruled him out of contention in 1999. He eventually dethroned Hakkinen in 2000 and went on to dominate the sport with Ferrari, becoming a seven-time champion.

Mika Hakkinen now says he saw ‘nothing too special’ from Michael Schumacher when studying his driving

Hakkinen has admitted that he followed his German rival closely during their tense battles on the track. Schumacher’s aggressive driving style and his control of the car are what made him one of the greatest drivers in F1 history.

Previously, Hakkinen said it was ‘beautiful’ following Schumacher during practice sessions. However, speaking on the High Performance Podcast, he has changed his tone, saying he saw ‘nothing too special’ from the German.

“If I looked over the total picture of Michael in a car and outside of the car, he was just [an] incredible racing driver,” he said.

“Great personality, how he was able to motivate the team to give the commitment of his life. He has his football sport, he had his family, he has motor racing, but it was very extreme.

“I was also flat out but I always thought little bit that way, there’s also life outside of the motor racing. Motor racing is not everything, even [if] it’s a great sport, of course, but it’s not everything. But Michael was, he was just giving everything.

“I followed him many times, studying his lines, why he’s doing this, where he’s using steering, understanding all this, but it, I think, nothing too special in my opinion. I think I was little better.

“Oh, absolutely. Of course. But he was physically very strong with the car, right?

“How he was able to use the tyres and the suspension, the loading of a car, using just physical power to drive the car. And then his talent included and how he was thinking how to balance in a car. The car control that he had was amazing.”

READ MORE: Valtteri Bottas shares what Mika Hakkinen did to Michael Schumacher that made him fall in love with F1

When Mika Hakkinen realised he could beat Michael Schumacher

Hakkinen had not come close to Schumacher in the standings during most of the 1990s, as his McLaren was not as competitive as the German’s Benetton or Ferrari.

But after Newey arrived in Woking, he suddenly had what he needed. Hakkinen realised he could beat Schumacher when he knew he had to concentrate on starting well in races – this approach worked a treat as he claimed two titles.

The drivers locked horns several times during their careers, having some of the closest and most tense battles on the track. Hakkinen was furious with Schumacher over a ‘nasty’ move at Spa in 2000, when he closed the door on him after a fast run down from Eau Rouge.

The McLaren driver eventually got the move done, in what is widely regarded by fans as one of Hakkinen’s best ever overtakes. He would call time on his F1 career at the end of the 2001 season, when Schumacher won his fourth title.