Mika Häkkinen To Race DTM In 2005

From speedarena.com

DTM News
Mika Häkkinen To Race DTM In 2005
By Source: Mercedes-Benz
Nov 6, 2004, 11:00

Mika Häkkinen, 36, had retired from Formula One at the end of the 2001 season. During his 10-year career, he had won 20 Grands Prix with West 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 made first experience with a DTM car in 2001, when he drove an AMG-Mercedes-Benz CLK at Brno, Czech Republic on the occasion of a promotion activity.

Mika Häkkinen is one of the most famous and popular racing drivers and has a lot of supporters all over the world – and particularly in Germany. Apart from his successes in the sport he became well known also through his pleasant commercials for the Mercedes-Benz C- and A-Classes.

Mika Häkkinen: „After the end of my Formula One career in 2001, I soon realised that I'm not ready to retire for good. It was just the right moment that Mercedes-Benz offered me to test a DTM car. I saw immediately that I still enjoy racing very much and during the test three weeks ago, my lap times were at the same level as those of the touring car specialists. I know, of course, that I first have to get used to a DTM car to be able to fight with the front runners. The AMG-Mercedes C-Class, however, is a great car and with it I want to be consistently competitive soon. I look forward to an interesting season with exciting battles – against my former Formula One colleages as well as against the young DTM drivers – and to see again my fans. I'm especially happy about returning to the Mercedes family – I'm back, but I've never been really gone."

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: „We are very happy about Mika's decision to race in the DTM. Our engagement and the Championship will gain a lot from his commitment. Since Mika was driving for us, he was always interested in DTM and we talked a lot about it. Watching the 2004 season on TV Mika has become a real DTM fan, as he told us. During his test he proved that he didn't lose his speed. We look forward to exciting battles next year."