McLaren honours Mika Hakkinen with bronze statue amid 1000th grand prix celebrations

McLaren has unveiled a stunning bronze statue of two-time Formula 1 champion Mika Hakkinen at its Woking headquarters, commemorating the 'Flying Finn' as part of the team's 1000th grand prix celebrations.

Crafted by renowned motorsport artist Paul Oz, the sculpture shows Hakkinen celebrating at the season finale at Suzuka, where he won his maiden title in 1998.

The statue takes pride of place on the factory's Boulevard, standing alongside his championship-winning MP4/13. It also joins the bronze statues of other McLaren legends - Bruce McLaren, James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna.

Hakkinen was present for the unveiling alongside McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, team principal Andrea Stella and current drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

"Wow… Good memories! This is me in Suzuka, when I won my first World Championship, the beginning of something very special," Hakkinen said.

"When you spend your whole life racing, there is pressure on you to win a World Championship, and you never know whether you are going to. That day in Suzuka, before the race, I just remember thinking, ‘okay, let’s do this, let’s go for it’. An amazing moment. Thank you all."

The statue was part of the team's wider celebrations of reaching 1000 grands prix. "More than 100 Formula 1 teams have come and gone since McLaren made its debut," Brown said.

"We are the second-most successful team in history and the second oldest. That all comes down to the DNA Bruce McLaren instilled in this team. It is unbelievably special to work here, and it’s important for us all to take a moment to enjoy that, because we are the ones in the room at this moment in time, and we are the ones making history happen."

Stella added: "It's an incredible honour. We have a responsibility to keep filling our trophy cabinets as those before us have done. That is both honour, and immensely motivating."