Highlights

Hakkinen can help McLaren, says team boss

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-11-25 11:41

Former Formula One world champion Mika Hakkinen could play a role in preparing McLaren for next season, team boss Ron Dennis said on Friday.

Hakkinen attended the final grand prix of the season in Brazil last month as a guest of the Mercedes-powered team and has spent some time in a simulator at the Woking factory in southern England since then.

Speculation that the 38-year-old Finn, who retired from Formula One in 2001, could race next season was quashed on Friday when McLaren announced Briton Lewis Hamilton would partner double champion Fernando Alonso in 2007.

Dennis told reporters that Hakkinen had wanted to 'rekindle his emotional involvement' with the team that took him to championships in 1998 and 1999.

"His interest in what we were doing was surprising to many people and it certainly was to me," he said.

"The programme that we've been involved in over the last few weeks is really one to try and support Mika's desire to be involved better in motorsport.

"I think he has yet to agree with Mercedes whether to continue in DTM (German touring cars). He has a very positive proposal from Mercedes but he is very keen to understand what he can and can't contribute to our own programme."

Dennis said Hakkinen had spent time in the simulator to get an idea of what the current car felt like and could be useful for a team that failed to win a race this year and starts 2007 with an all-new line-up.

Alonso is joining from Renault while Hamilton has yet to make his grand prix debut.

"Mika's always been a part of our family, he's keen to contribute," said Dennis.

"And on the basis of Kimi (Raikkonen) and Juan Pablo (Montoya) not being appropriate to bring in to the work that we're doing for next year, Mika was a very interesting person to bring and evaluate some of the things we are developing and which we can simulate on the car."

Hakkinen's compatriot Raikkonen has joined Ferrari while Montoya left McLaren in July for the U.S. NASCAR series.