Hakkinen laps commuter town in Formula One triumph
Posted: Sunday November 22, 1998 04:45 PM
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Hakkinen won his first Formula One championship this season AP |
WOKING, England (Reuters) -- Formula One world
champion Mika Hakkinen returned to the home town of his McLaren
team for a triumphal lap of honor on Sunday in front of 15,000
British fans.
The 30-year-old Finn lapped the town center perched on the
back of a sleek Mercedes SL 500 convertible before taking the
wheel of the MP4-13 racecar that powered him to first place in
the 1998 championship at the Japanese Grand Prix on November 1.
The Monaco-based champion paused only to comment that it was
freezing' before disappearing into the crowd to sign autographs
amid a sea of British and Finnish flags in the town square.
McLaren team boss Ron Dennis was presented with an award in
recognition of his team's contribution to the local community.
McLaren is currently constructing a new test track just
outside the commuter town, about 30 miles southwest of London.
Hakkinen took the 1998 title ahead of Michael Schumacher,
scoring 100 points to the German's 86. McLaren won the
constructors' championship ahead of Schumacher's Ferrari stable.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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