While rumors about Max Verstappen and McLaren persist, Mika Häkkinen believes the British team would make a mistake by changing its driver duo.
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Speculations about Max Verstappen’s future continue to fuel the paddock. While Mercedes was long presented as the most likely destination if the Dutchman left Red Bull, McLaren now appears as another option mentioned in recent weeks.
However, this hypothesis does not convince Mika Häkkinen. A two-time world champion with McLaren, the Finn believes the Woking team would be well advised to keep its current duo composed of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
“Don’t take the risk of breaking this dynamic”
According to several rumors, a performance clause present in Max Verstappen’s contract with Red Bull would now be activatable, fueling speculation about a possible team change.
Despite this, Häkkinen thinks McLaren should not give in to the temptation to recruit the four-time world champion.
“It’s a very interesting topic. Of course, Max is not the only one on the market, there are many other drivers.”
The former driver explains that McLaren has primarily built itself around a strong collective, an element he considers essential to aim for titles.
“From what I’ve seen, McLaren is always looking to build the best possible team. It’s the only way to succeed: create an exceptional team spirit.”
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For him, the arrival of a new driver, no matter how talented, would represent an unnecessary risk.
“In their place, I would try to minimize this risk. You could lose the harmony that exists today. If you already have two excellent drivers, why want to change everything?”
The example of his duo with David Coulthard
Mika Häkkinen also draws on his own experience at McLaren. Alongside David Coulthard, he formed one of the most enduring tandems in recent Formula 1 history.
This stability, according to him, largely contributed to the team’s successes in the late 1990s.
“McLaren already has a world champion with Lando Norris. Look at David and me: we were the longest-standing teammates in Formula 1.”
The Finn believes this longevity was not a matter of chance.
“If a team benefits from good internal harmony, why go looking for someone else?”
While rumors about Max Verstappen are expected to continue fueling the second half of the season, Mika Häkkinen thus sends a clear message to McLaren: preserving the current team balance could be worth much more than such a prestigious recruitment.
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