Happy with McLaren’s development: Mika Hakkinen

CHENNAI: The Formula One season has picked up pace and the competition has become intense in the last few races. Three-time F1 champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull, who had won seven of the first 10 races this season, has been a shadow of his former self in recent times. The 26-year-old Verstappen won his last race at the Spanish Grand Prix in June and has since struggled to make it to the podium (finishing second in two races).
Apart from Verstappen, the current season has seen six different winners.Two-time F1 winner Mika Hakkinen – he had clinched his titles in the 1998 and 1999 seasons – remarked that a number of racers have elevated their game.
“It has been a brilliant season. The new drivers have come in and shown their potential. This season has seen multiple racers and teams winning. I think that it is very exciting, particularly for the fans,” Hakkinen said after inaugurating the Madras International Karting Arena (MIKA) here on Thursday.
Hakkinen said that McLaren has evolved over the years and look strong this season. After struggling as a team to finish in the top-three in the previous season, McLaren (476) has bounced back strongly and is currently leading the pack in the constructor standings. “I am very happy to see how McLaren has been developing over the years. Not just this year, but the last five or six years,” said Hakkinen.
The first-place finish by Oscar Piastri at the Azerbaijan GP last week helped McLaren reach the top position ahead of Red Bull (456). In the driver standings, Lando Norris is trying to stop Verstappen from winning a quadruple. Norris, with 254 points, is currently placed second behind Verstappen (313).
“Mathematically, Lando has a chance to win the World Championship. The team is giving him a chance to achieve that goal. They are leading the constructor championship and there is a chance to win a driver world championship as well.”
‘Maini has the potential to compete in F1’
Hakkinen has been mentoring India’s Kush Maini for the past one year. Asked if Maini, competing for Invicta Racing in F2, could follow the footsteps of Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok by making it to F1, Hakkinen said, “Yes 100 per cent, he can be in F1. He has a karting background. He is young, is a developing driver and will get better.”
Maini started the season on a good note but failed to remain consistent. With 74 points (sprint and feature races combined) in his kitty, Maini is placed 11th in the driver rankings. “His F2 season can be better. It is unknown why his performance dropped (with respect to speed). I understand that drivers lose a few milliseconds but, in his case, it was one or two seconds, which is not acceptable.”