Former world champion Mika Häkkinen is full of praise for his McLaren successor Oscar Piastri. The Finn even took the world title twice in the service of the British racing team, but nowadays enjoys the driving style of the Australian. ‘I always have a bit of trouble choosing my words the right way, but Oscar drove truly beautifully,’ Häkkinen praises the young driver. ‘There is no doubt about that.’
Read more Ocon understands Komatsu’s dissatisfaction: ‘I don’t necessarily want to talk about 2025 anymore’
Mika Häkkinen himself drove in Formula 1 between 1991 and 2001. The driver soon earned the nickname the ‘Flying Finn’ and won the drivers’ title twice with McLaren in 1998 and 1999. Even though he has been out of the premier class for a while now, Häkkinen still follows current developments within F1 closely. At his old team McLaren, the Finn is particularly impressed by Oscar Piastri, the McLaren driver who was born during Häkkinen’s final season in the motorsport class.
“First of all, Oscar is a great personality. A great guy. Really down to earth,” Häkkinen tells Speedcafe. “Great talent. Great car control. He can drive the car really well. I think the cars and the tires are one of the biggest challenges in Formula 1 today, and Oscar can handle the tires very well. He drove very smoothly with them. I always have a bit of trouble choosing my words the right way, but Oscar drove truly beautifully. There is no doubt about that. He was indeed very consistent.”
Read more Last F1 season for Hamilton and Alonso? ‘Don’t see them stopping’, says Domenicali
Häkkinen foresees ‘great future’ for Piastri
The Finn also saw how Piastri made some mistakes towards the end of 2025, causing him to lose the lead in the championship. However, Häkkinen understands that the Australian could not continue to perform perfectly until the end. “When I started my career, I started making mistakes halfway through the season, say during the last three Grands Prix of the season,” the two-time world champion explains. “I was tired. Because of the constant travel, the pressure, the media. It was so incredibly tough. But over the years, I started to develop. I gained experience. And I managed to drive a full season without mistakes.”
According to Häkkinen, it is therefore also a matter of gaining experience for Piastri. “Oscar is still young and is actually just starting his career in Formula 1. So he will develop. He will become stronger. And that is what I see happening with him. He is going to do great in the future.”
Read more Last F1 season for Hamilton and Alonso? ‘Don’t see them stopping’, says Domenicali
View the 2026 F1 calendar here
