Mika Hakkinen Extends Contract With AMG Mercedes DTM Team

Posted by www.eMercedesBenz.com on November 15, 2005 at 9:15 AM CST

In DTM racing news, Mika Häkkinen will extend his contract with the  
AMG Mercedes team and race again in the 2006 season.

This year marked the first year back for Häkkinen after retiring in  
2001.  During his career, Mika 20 has won Grand Prix with Team  
McLaren Mercedes, achieved 26 Pole Positions, 25 fastest race laps  
and scored 420 World Championship points. In 1998 and 1999 he  
clinched the Drivers' titles and finished runner-up in 2000.

This year, Häkkinen won his third DTM race at Spa, and achieved one  
pole position and three fastest race laps.  According to Norbert  
Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: "We are very happy  
that Mika will race again with an AMG-Mercedes C-Class in the DTM  
next year. After his comeback he got used to his new series quick and  
won his third race, held on such a challenging circuit like Spa- 
Francorchamps. We had always planned that Mika will stay in the DTM  
for more than one year, therefore it's great to get his confirmation."

For more info on Mika's extension, you can check out Mercedes' full  
press release at www.eMercedesBenz.com

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


Mika Häkkinen Continues in the 2006 DTM

Stuttgart, Nov 15, 2005

This year, Mika Häkkinen, 37, came back from his retirement  
successfully and raced with Mercedes-Benz in the DTM. In the 2005  
season's 11 championship races, he won his third DTM race at Spa, and  
achieved one pole position and three fastest race laps. He qualified  
eight times for the Super Pole single-lap qualifying of the ten  
fastest driv-ers. He finished the season fifth overall as the third  
best Mercedes driver behind champion Gary Paffett and record winner  
Bernd Schneider in fourth place.
Mika Häkkinen had retired from Formula One at the end of the 2001  
season. During his 10-year career, he had won 20 Grands Prix with  
Team McLaren Mercedes, achieved 26 Pole Positions, 25 fastest race  
laps and scored 420 World Championship points. In 1998 and 1999 he  
clinched the Drivers' titles and finished runner-up in 2000.

Mika Häkkinen: "I decided to extend my contract after only a short  
time of thinking. Mercedes-Benz and HWA are a fantastic team. From  
the very beginning, everybody sup-ported me very well and I felt  
really comfortable. Winning my third DTM race at Spa was the  
highlight of my season and I want to continue winning races next  
year. In my opin-ion, the DTM is the best touring car series in the  
world with close fights for every tenth of a second which I like a  
lot. As I know from many encounters in the paddock, the fans like it,  
too. There is no other top racing series offering the spectators such  
a big return on their money and I'm happy to be part of it again in  
2006."

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: "We are very  
happy that Mika will race again with an AMG-Mercedes C-Class in the  
DTM next year. After his comeback he got used to his new series quick  
and won his third race, held on such a challenging circuit like Spa- 
Francorchamps. We had always planned that Mika will stay in the DTM  
for more than one year, therefore it's great to get his confirmation."

For more Mercedes-Benz news and information, visit eMercedesBenz at  
www.eMercedesBenz.com