Ex-Champion Mika Hakkinen Once Paid $2.38Mn to Beat Mr. Bean for a Special McLaren Supercar

Saying F1 drivers love cars is like saying fish love water. It’s almost redundant, as that’s all they are surrounded by all the time. Almost every F1 driver ends up buying a supercar, and former F1 world champion Mika Hakkinen is no exception. Despite already owning the McLaren P1 and the Senna, the former F1 racer had his eyes on another rare car from his favorite manufacturer.

However, Hakkinen was not the only one who had his eyes on the rare McLaren. Another Motorsports super fan, Rowan Atkinson, was also chasing the car, only to lose it to the F1 legend. But things change with time, and Hakkinen has decided to sell the limited edition McLaren. Does this mean that Mr. Bean will finally buy the car?

The Flying Finn cuts off its speed tail

The story starts back in 2018 when Mika Hakkinen called his McLaren contact to get himself behind the wheel of the McLaren F1 GTR that won Le Mans in Laguna Seca. Marca stated that’s where one of the engineers told him about the Speedtail, the car that will only be made 106 times. After hearing the specs of the car, he said to himself, “Okay, this is not like other supercars; this is going to be very special.”

But he was not the only supercar fan to want it, so when Atkinson had his eyes on the car, the engineers told the 2-time world champion, “We could supply you with a car, but we have Rowan Atkinson asking too, and you are both VIPs, but we only have one spot left.” That being said, he received the car two years later, and he got the number he wanted. Getting hands on the car with the number 106, he was very happy to own the car.

To get his hands on the car before Atkinson had a chance to, the Flying Finn filled out the application along with sending them a booking fee of 348,000 euros, along with an extra 232,000 euros for the production space reservation. Ultimately, he paid 2.03 million euros in tariff price and decided to deck the car up with 203,000 euros in options, paying an estimated whopping 2,239,222 euros.

But what exactly did he pay for?

Details of Mika Hakkinen’s McLaren Speedtail

The Flying Finn’s speedtail was delivered in Volcano Red with a Tan Brown interior. The Speedtail features a hybrid powertrain with a twin-turbo V8 engine coupled with electric power, whose combined output is 1,035 horsepower. The Speedtail was a lightweight supercar, half a ton lighter than a Bugatti Chiron. Its active aerodynamics and elongated tail, reminiscent of Le Mans racing cars, enable it to exceed 400 km/h and accelerate from 0 to 300 km/h in just 12.8 seconds.

Hakkinen recently made a statement that shocked the world, saying, “I am very pleased with the way this car turned out, the colors, the attention to detail, its technical ability, and its unique look. The McLaren team has done everything they can for me, and I am very grateful. I was hoping to be less busy now and with more time to enjoy driving in my free time, but life goes on at full speed, so I have finally decided to let the Speedtail go. If the new owner wants it, I will of course sign him on the car. And if he has time. …I also know a good place to eat afterwards!”

Now that Hakkinen plans on selling his car, does this mean it is Rowan Atkinson’s turn to own the Speedtail? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.