Hakkinen and Nardo

[Sami Aaltonen]

Yesterday evening Unibets live proacast was out in FB and there we a possibilty to send questions to Mika Hakkinen about his career, life and so on. So I send him a question about Nardo's F1 testings those early 90s as we all know. Mika tested the XP3 there and recorded over 370kmh top speeds there.

Anyway, Mika was taken that question. First he thought that "Mclaren roadcar..." not really was interested that time, becouse they run Activity suspension in F1 and it needed work to be done, as he said. But still he had to go Nardo to test McLaren's new car there. And then he said that those days were actually pretty fantastic. The car was and is still one of the top cars he said. Beautifull desing and light, carbonfibre and big V12. So he was delighted to have that job after all.

The reasons why he went there were 2. Slalom test and top speed test. Slalom test was critical, they found something from the rear which did not worked that it was planned, things changed and things were Ok. Mika said that "this is not doing what it supposed to do..." so something with handling there was an issue, setup issue at least. They fixed it and it was fine after that.

Topspeed. Well..I never believed until he told that proacast that he had all the time BMW-McLaren staff onboard, with computer. And he went flat out, watched his face which was white.... Mika told that some point windscreen wiper snaps to middle of the windscreen and then engine bay started to move over 350kmh speeds. And the mechanic was white still white. Then they hit rewlimiter around 380 or something and went back to pits. Before that when he backed off the throttle, the car was moving side by side a bit and the mechanic was more white again.. He managed to get it stable and went back to pits.

MIka said that proadcarst that he told the mechanics there that the car would go over 400...so do things and lets try. So they did. And just when he got 6th gear in..the engine stops. The reason was that they forgot to refuel it....
He told also that perhaps it was ment to go out of fuel..who knows what might happen.....

That's was what he told there. Also he told that 1988 Mclaren - Senna Prost car is the most beautifull Formula One that he knows......

Anyway, it was good proacast. Lanquage was Finnish and so on. Really nice to hear from him these stories from those Nardo's days, which really haven't got any information than DA book has.

[Sami Aaltonen]

Here's Mika's Story!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLMG...tu.be&t=32m58s