Formula One has seen some great rivalries throughout its illustrious history. We are currently witnessing the beginning of a rivalry between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, while Niki Lauda and James Hunt’s rivalry in the mid-70s is legendary. However, the rivalry between Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen is legendary.
Michael Schumacher is one of the biggest names in motorsport. He was the first seven-time world champion and still holds the record for finishing every race on the podium in the 2002 season. He described Mika Hakkinen as the “best opponent he ever faced.” They battled for titles in the late-90’s and early 2000’s and were both regarded as the best of that time.
Early years of the rivalry
The two racing stars first clashed in the 1990 Macau Grand Prix. The race is split into two 15-minute sessions, with the overall time combined to crown the winner. Hakkinen won the first session, but when going for a move on Schumacher in the second, the two collided. Hakkinen had to retire with too much damage. However, Schumacher continued to win the Grand Prix.
Both drivers debuted in Formula One in 1991. Hakkinen joined an uncompetitive Lotus team, while Schumacher joined mid-season with Jordan before joining Benetton. The two rarely raced each other. Hakkinen joined ↗︎McLaren in 1994, the year Schumacher won his first title. However, the 1998 season saw the two drivers battle it out for the title
The peak years of the Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen rivalry
The 1997 season saw Hakkinen take his first F1 victory at the European Grand Prix. That season saw Michael Schumacher disqualified from the season for attempting to block Jacques Villeneuve in an unsportsmanlike manner. At this point, Schumacher was in a very competitive ↗︎Ferrari. The 1998 season saw McLaren able to match the Scuderia for pace, and the fierce but respectful rivalry began.
The 1998 season belonged to Hakkinen. He won eight out of the sixteen races and only finished on the podium five times. Schumacher musted six victories and was still in the title fight at the season finale in Japan. However, it all went wrong for Schumacher, who started last due to technical issues and failed to finish the race.
The 1999 season saw the rivalry continue with Schumacher starting strong and with the upper hand. However, a crash at the British Grand Prix saw the German break one of his legs. This left Hakkinen to battle the second Ferrari driver, Eddie Irvine. Schumacher returned for the final two races of the season to help his teammate beat his foe, but it was Mika who edged to the title.
The following season, battle commenced with Schumacher starting strong and gaining the upper hand. However, four retirements in five races for the German saw Mika catch up. The rivalry came to a head in Belgium, where Schumacher blocked Hakkinen’s line in the braking zone after the Kemmel Straight. Hakkinen produced a masterful overtake on Michael with three laps remaining when passing both the Ferrari driver and a backmarker. The drivers could be seen arguing post-race.
However, the season swung back to Schumacher, who won the final four races, claiming his third title and first with the Prancing Horse. This season was the final one where both were fiercely challenging for the title, as Schumacher dominated the 2001 season. Following the defeat and only finishing fifth in the standings, Hakkinen retired, ending the great rivalry.
