Hakkinen is finished: Murray Walker

Retired "Voice of Formula One" Murray Walker has decided Mika Hakkinen is finished as an F1 driver. Hakkinen quit at the end of last year to take a year out after a difficult season that saw him struggle to keep his McLaren in the points. The double world champion said he was lacking in inspiration and needed a year out to be with his wife and baby son.

Walker, a veteran F1 commentator who had over 50 years in the business, thinks there is little point in Hakkinen returning. "He won two world championships and X number of grands prix," he said. "He's (Hakkinen) achieved all he aimed to and I think he was finding it difficult to get motivated."

"I don't even know that Mika knows for sure whether he'll come back," Walker mused. "But why should he? He's happily married and now he wants to spend time with his wife and son. Who can blame him? He's made a massive amount of money - more than enough to ever need to work again. It shows that he realises there is something outside F1."

F1 comebacks are rare, but they do happen: Niki Lauda and Alain Prost both took time out before returning to take another title. But with McLaren's David Coulthard looking for full team support and rising star Kimi Raikkonen already proving his worth, will there be any room at McLaren for Hakkinen should he decide to come back?