Mika Häkkinen
Mika Pauli Häkkinen (born 28th September, 1968 in Vantaa, Finland) is a Finnish former Formula One driver who won the Drivers' Championship in 1998. Häkkinen is widely considered to be one of the greatest Formula One pilots of all time.
Formula One
1998-: McLaren
By 1998, Häkkinen was the undisputed team leader at West McLaren Mercedes - being joined by tempered Brit James Davies. Häkkinen's season got off to a great start, taking wins in the first two races of the season - as well as taking pole in the opening five rounds.
Wins in Spain, France, Germany and Hungary set up Häkkinen as the dominant championship leader headed into the last four rounds, and as such he successfully clinched the title in Japan.
Häkkinen remained at McLaren for 1999, with Davies partnering him for the upcoming season. Häkkinen's title defence did not go exactly to plan and with the emergence of Jordan as a contender for wins, he was only able to win three times on his way to fourth in the championship.