Editing Mika Häkkinen (section)

==Early life and career==
[[File:Ralt RT34 1988 Macau Mika Hakkinen replica.jpg|thumb|A Ralt RT34 driven by Häkkinen in the [[1990 Macau Grand Prix]]]]
Häkkinen was born in [[Vantaa|Helsingin maalaiskunta]], [[Finland]], on 28 September 1968 to Harri, a [[shortwave radio]] operator and a part-time taxi driver, and Aila Häkkinen, who worked as a secretary. He has one sister, Nina, who ran a fan site for him until its closure in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|title=Legender: Mika Hakkinen|url=http://www.bmf1.dk/nyheder/legender.asp?Id=3203|trans-title=Legends: Mika Hakkinen|language=da|publisher=bilmagasinet.dk|access-date=2 November 2014|archive-date=11 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141211083854/http://www.bmf1.dk/nyheder/legender.asp?Id=3203|url-status=live}}</ref> Häkkinen lived in the same street as [[Mika Salo]] with the two later becoming friends.<ref>{{cite web|title=Drivers: Mika Salo|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/drv-salmik.html|work=GrandPrix.com|publisher=Inside F1, Inc.|access-date=2 November 2014|archive-date=26 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426175538/http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/drv-salmik.html|url-status=live}}</ref> As a child, Häkkinen played [[ice hockey]] and [[association football|football]].<ref name="skyf1legends">{{cite AV media|people=Häkkinen, Mika – [[Steve Rider|Rider, Steve]]|date=24 June 2012|title=[[F1 Legends|F1 Legends – Mika Hakkinen]]|medium=Television production|location=[[Monte Carlo]], [[Monaco]]|publisher=Sky Sports}}</ref>

When Häkkinen was five years old, his parents rented a [[go-kart]] for him to take to a track near their home. Despite an early crash, Häkkinen wished to continue racing, and his father bought him his first go-kart, one that [[Henri Toivonen]] had previously competed with.<ref>{{cite web |author=Gagnon |first=Marie–Julie |author-link=Marie-Julie Gagnon |title=Le fil de Mika |url=http://www.radio-canada.ca/Branche/v4/93/F1.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130318211914/http://www.radio-canada.ca/Branche/v4/93/F1.htm |archive-date=18 March 2013 |access-date=7 September 2014 |work=[[Ici Radio-Canada Télé|Radio Canada]] |language=fr}}</ref> He later won his first karting race in 1975 at the [[Keimola Motor Stadium]] where he raced in the regional karting championships in 1978 and 1979, winning the Keimola Club Championship in both years. Häkkinen found further success in 1980 when he won the Swedish Lapland Cup and finished fourth in the 85cc class of the Lapland Karting Championship. Around this time, Häkkinen also drove a [[Volkswagen Beetle]] on the frozen lakes of Finland with friend Mika Sohlberg.<ref>{{cite web|last=Saward|first=Joe|title=Farewell Mika Hakkinen|url=http://www.grandprix.com/ft/ftjs047.html|work=GrandPrix.com|publisher=Inside F1, Inc.|date=2 August 2002|access-date=4 October 2014|archive-date=3 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140803133524/http://www.grandprix.com/ft/ftjs047.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1981, Häkkinen won his first major karting title, the 85cc class of the Finnish Karting Championship. The following year, he finished runner-up in the 85cc class of the Formula Mini series and later won the Ronnie Peterson Memorial event and the Salpauselka Cup in Lahti. Häkkinen moved to the Formula Nordic 100cc class for 1983, where he became the champion on his first attempt and also participated in the A Junior Team Races for Finland alongside [[Taru Rinne]], Jaana Nyman and Marko Mankonen, with the line-up taking the championship.<ref name="career">{{cite book |last=Hilton |first=Christopher |date=1997 |title=Mika Hakkinen: Doing what comes naturally |location= Sparkford |publisher=Haynes Publishing |isbn=1859604021 }}</ref>

In 1984, Häkkinen won the 100cc Formula Nordic title and later participated in the [[Karting World Championship|World Kart Championship]] race held in [[Liedolsheim]]. He took his second consecutive 100cc Formula Nordic Championship in 1985 ahead of Jukka Savolainen. He took part in the Nordic Championship A-Class in the same year, finishing runner-up to [[Tom Kristensen (racing driver)|Tom Kristensen]]. Häkkinen went to [[Parma]] to participate in the World Kart Championship where he retired before the event's final heat due to a mechanical problem. In 1986, he reached his third consecutive Formula Nordic 100cc title and also took part in karting events across Europe.<ref name="career"/> To further fund his career, Häkkinen got a job with a friend repairing bicycles.<ref>{{cite journal |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=How I Spend it with Mika Hakkinen |url=http://www.thepaddockmagazine.com/articles/lifestyle/how-i-spend-it-with-mika-hakkinen-103705 |journal=Paddock Magazine |issue=32 |date=2010 |access-date=2 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219235721/http://www.thepaddockmagazine.com/articles/lifestyle/how-i-spend-it-with-mika-hakkinen-103705 |archive-date=19 December 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1987, Häkkinen made the transition from karting to car racing when he purchased a 1986 Reynard Formula Ford 1600 from fellow Finn [[JJ Lehto]]. In that year, he entered the Finnish, Swedish and Nordic Formula Ford Championships, winning each title on his first attempt and won nine races combined. Häkkinen also entered two races of the EDFA 1600 Championship and raced in the Formula Ford Festival held at [[Brands Hatch]], where he finished in seventh position.<ref name="interviewhakkinen">{{cite journal|last=Taylor|first=Simon|title=Lunch with...Mika Hakkinen|url=http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/september-2010/80/lunch-mika-hakkinen|journal=Motor Sport|location=London|date=September 2010|pages=80–86|access-date=1 November 2014|archive-date=28 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528123131/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/september-2010/80/lunch-mika-hakkinen|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1988, Häkkinen entered the GM Vauxhall-Lotus Challenge with the [[Dragon Motorsport|Dragon]] team, where he secured three victories and finished the runner-up in the championship, behind [[Allan McNish]]. He later entered the Opel-Lotus EDFA Euroseries in the same year, taking four victories and became Champion with 126 points, ahead of nearest rival [[Henrik Larsen (racing driver)|Henrik Larsen]].<ref name="interviewhakkinen"/>

Going into 1989, Häkkinen moved from the Euroseries into the [[British Formula 3 Championship]] driving a Reynard 893 chassis for Dragon. He finished seventh position in the championship, scoring 18 points. He was later invited to participate in the Cellnet Formula Three SuperPrix for [[West Surrey Racing]] as a guest driver where he secured pole position and the victory.<ref name="hakkinendb">{{cite web|title=Mika Häkkinen|url=https://www.driverdb.com/drivers/mika-hakkinen/|publisher=DriverDB|access-date=1 November 2014|archive-date=2 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141102210744/https://www.driverdb.com/drivers/mika-hakkinen/|url-status=live}}</ref> He also raced in the tenth round of the French Formula 3 championship at Le Mans-Bugatti on 24 September and finished third behind Éric Hélary and Laurent Daumet.

In 1990, Häkkinen applied to become a member of the "''[[Marlboro (cigarette)|Marlboro]] World Championship Team''" through what was akin to a fully sponsored racing driver academy. Its members were short-listed for testing by a judging panel including Marlboro [[McLaren]] team principal [[Ron Dennis]], {{F1|1976}} Formula One World Drivers' Champion [[James Hunt]], and Formula 3000 team bosses, Mike Earle and Hugues de Chaunac. Häkkinen was also a [[protégé]] of {{F1|1982}} World Drivers' Champion [[Keke Rosberg]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pirelli.com/global/en-ww/race/racingspot/formula-1/on-this-week-39-mika-hakkinen-143289/|title=On this week #39: Mika Häkkinen|access-date=7 October 2024|website=Pirelli}}</ref> In an April 2015 interview, Earle recounted that Häkkinen's application was the last one that he reviewed at the end of a long day, despite protests by Hunt who had already made plans to head to a pub for a beer.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dale|first=Will|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/motor-sport/formula-one/formula-1-future-world-champion-was-nearly-passed-over-in-junior-ranks-over-trip-to-pub-pit-talk/story-e6frf3zl-1227324745414|title=Formula 1: Future world champion was nearly passed over in junior ranks over trip to pub|work=Fox Sports|date=28 April 2015|access-date=28 April 2015|archive-date=20 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420120913/https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/formula-1-future-world-champion-was-nearly-passed-over-in-junior-ranks-over-trip-to-pub-pit-talk/story-e6frf3zl-1227324745414?nk=6b9a72b69da610642ea6795d39b1b164-1681992553|url-status=live}}</ref> Häkkinen performed strongly in his test and went on to secure Marlboro's sponsorship. That same year, therefore, Häkkinen left Dragon and moved to the West Surrey Racing team and won the British Formula 3 series, by taking nine victories en route to the Championship, with 121 points, ahead of fellow Finn Salo. In November, Häkkinen entered the [[1990 Macau Grand Prix|Macau Grand Prix]] where he drove to pole position and won the first heat of the event. He retired from the second heat due to a last-lap collision with [[German Formula Three]] driver and future Formula One rival [[Michael Schumacher]], who was classified as the overall winner.<ref name="interviewhakkinen"/>