MAY 27, 2004

Hakkinen? Why not Mansell?

The latest rumour of the very silly season in 2004 is that Mika Hakkinen will be coming out of retirement to join Williams next year. This is about as likely as the team turning again to Nigel Mansell.

Mika Hakkinen, Japanese GP 2001
© The Cahier Archive

The latest rumour of the very silly season in 2004 is that Mika Hakkinen will be coming out of retirement to join Williams next year. This is about as likely as the team turning again to Nigel Mansell. The rumours have presumably come to light because Hakkinen briefly appeared in the F1 paddock in Monaco, where he lives when he is not in Finland.

"If Williams had a fishing team, I suppose he might consider joining that," said a source close to Hakkinen, "but I don't think we need to worry too much about him in Formula 1 again."

The riddle of Williams's 2005 drivers are causing more and more rumours but the team says that there is no hurry to make decisions and that the priority remains to make the cars go faster.