Mika Hakkinen's Net Worth, Salary and Endorsements

Former F1 world champion Mika Hakkinen is considered a legend. Many also see him as Michael Schumacher's greatest rival. The 'Flying Finn', as he is popularly known, won the 1998 and 1999 championships from Schumacher.

He made his F1 debut in 1991 for Lotus and raced with them for two years. He them joined McLaren in 1993 and remained there until 2001. He announced that he was taking a sabbatical, but it turned into a full-fledged retirement.

On-track Achievements

He scored his first points in his debut year, with a 5th place at San Marino for Lotus. When he joined McLaren in 1993, he was replacing Michael Andretti for the final 3 races. In just his second race, he bagged a podium at the Japanese GP, his first ever podium.

Apart from occasional podiums, Mika never took the top step for three years. He finally got his big break in the season-ending 1997 European Grand Prix in Jerez.

In 1998, he was highly consistent, with numerous wins and podiums. That year, the lowest he ever finished was 6th at the Hungarian GP. Despite two retirements, he managed to clinch the title in 1998, his maiden. A year later, he was at it again and the lowest position he held was 5th at the Nurburgring.

In his final F1 season, he was beset by numerous reliability issues and finished 5th in the championship.

Mika Hakkinen's Endorsements

The Finnish driver secured his McLaren seat after impressing sponsor, Marlboro.

Charity

The former McLaren racing driver co-founded a new tech startup. It is the first Premium-tier social media App enabling monetization and fundraising in social media. For fans, it gives an insider access to stars in their social media timeline.

He also supported anti-Drink and Drive causes to promote safer roads.