Top 25 Formula 1 drivers of all-time
By Asher Fair
Top Formula 1 drivers of all-time: #20 – Mika Hakkinen
Coming in at #20 is Mika Hakkinen, also known as the “Flying Finn”. It took him until the final race of his seventh season in Formula 1 and his fifth with McLaren to finally secure his first career victory. From that point forward, he was tough to beat in the right equipment.
Hakkinen got his first career win in his 96th career start, which took place in the 1997 European Grand Prix at Circuito Permanente de Jerez, and what he did over the next few seasons pushed him into this position on this list.
He won 19 races over his final four seasons of competition, which included 65 starts. He won half of the 16 races on the 1998 schedule to secure his first world championship, including the crown jewel Monaco Grand Prix, and he went on to win the 1999 title with five victories as well to become just the eighth driver to win back-to-back championships.
He won another four races in the 2000 but finished runner-up in the championship battle to none other than Michael Schumacher, who went on to win the next four world titles as well. Although many would argue that he clearly had something left in the tank following his two-win 2001 season, he retired from Formula 1.