UNITED KINGDOM: WORLD GRAND PRIX CHAMPION MIKA HAKKINEN DRIVES HIS MCLAREN FORMULA ONE CAR THROUGH STREETS OF WOKING TO THANK LOCAL RESIDENTS FOR THEIR SUPPORT

Record ID: 337814

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: WORLD GRAND PRIX CHAMPION MIKA HAKKINEN DRIVES HIS MCLAREN FORMULA ONE CAR THROUGH STREETS OF WOKING TO THANK LOCAL RESIDENTS FOR THEIR SUPPORT
  • Date: 22nd November 1998
  • Summary: WOKING, SURREY, UNITED KINGDOM (NOVEMBER 22 1998) 1. CARS DRIVING IN CENTRE OF WOKING PAST SPECTATORS WAITING TO SEE MIKA HAKKINEN DRIVE PAST 2. CHILDREN WITH FINNISH AND UNION JACK FLAGS 3. SPECTATORS WAITING FOR HAKKINEN 4. WORLD CHAMPION MIKA HAKKINEN WAVES TO FANS AS HE RIDES IN OPEN-TOP MERCEDES CAR 5. WOMAN WATCHING FRO
  • Embargoed: 7th December 1998 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: WOKING, SURREY, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • City:
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVAR95MIDNT25488KEHZAWBY705
  • Story Text: Grand Prix champion Mika Hakkinen of Finland drove his
    Formula One McLaren car round the English town of Woking to
    thank the local residents for their support of the winning
    McLaren team which is based there.

    Thousands of Woking residents packed the kerbs and
    walkways around the town on Sunday (November 22) as their
    favourite driver gave a noisy demonstration lap.

    The McLaren team boss Ron Dennis joined Hakkinen to
    receive a vote of thanks from the town's mayor Rosemary
    Johnson, and he in turn thanked the townspeople for their
    support.

    Hakkinen won the 1998 world championship at the beginning
    of November when he won the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka,
    while his rival Michael Schumacher retired with a blown tyre.

    McLaren also won the constructors' title.

    After the demonstration run Hakkinen said he greatly
    appreciated that so many people came out to cheer the team.

    The champion said he was delighted that it gave people the
    opportunity to get close to a Formula One car, and he hoped it
    would attract more people to motorsport.

    Asked about his season-long rivalry with Michael
    Schumacher, Hakkinen said it had been great.He added that he
    loved competition and to appreciate a win it is always better
    to fight for it.

    Ron Dennis spoke about how Woking, and the region of
    southern England around it, contributes to the excellence of
    the British motorsport industry.

    He said the area, north of London, has become a centre for
    technical expertise.Specialist companies, that first supplied
    the early aerospace industry, are now catering for the
    specialised needs of motor-racing, and that has attracted
    racing teams to become based there.

    McLaren, Jordan, Benetton, Arrows, Stewart, British
    American Racing and Williams are all located within about
    fifty miles of each other in the region.

    Only teams like Ferrari, Prost, Sauber and Minardi are
    based elsewhere.


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