Hakkinen and Coulthard drive classic McLarens

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Former McLaren team mates Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard reunited to drive some of their former team’s classic F1 cars.

Hakkinen was reunited with the MP4-13 he won the 1998 world championship with. Meanwhile Coulthard got to drive the car which Lewis Hamilton took to the drivers’ championship ten year’s later, during Coulthard’s final season.

Coulthard also drove an MP4-4, the team’s most successful car, which won 15 out of 16 races in 1988. And Hakkinen sampled an M23 similar to that used by Emerson Fittipaldi and James Hunt to win world championships in 1974 an 1976.

The day was filmed by BBC for a special feature on McLaren’s 50th anniversary.

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Images © BBC/Thane Bruckland

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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26 comments on “Hakkinen and Coulthard drive classic McLarens”

  1. I can’t imagine how that feels, stepping back into your car after so many years and to have the chance to drive some of the all time greats!

  2. I’m annoyed that the cars have been stripped of the tobacco sponsors. Don’t get me wrong, I’m an ex-smoker and would support an all-out ban on tobacco products, but this feels like changing history in a way.
    Maybe they should remove all sponsors from old cars?

    1. @mtlracer I agree somewhat: they still retain the tobacco liveries at least but yes the logos are part of the design and as such are integral to the aesthetics. However, Tobacco advertising on tv is banned during the day if I recall correctly, so they wouldn’t be allowed to show the cars on the BBC.

      1. Video editing technology would allow them to blur the logos in real-time if they needed, so not an issue for a prerecorded show.
        Also, I thought _all_ tobacco advertising was banned, not just TV and not just certain times. (That’s how it is here in Canada).
        Maybe they should have the fake logos — West replaced with Mika.
        Removing the logos actually makes me think of what is supposed to be in the blank space… if the normal logo were still there, I wouldn’t think twice about it.

        1. I agree with the blurring or something… I cannot stand to see the old liveries “destroyed” like this :(

      2. surely they could have changed the name, like they used to for Canadian GPs.

        I remember Jordan’s Benson and Hedges reading something like Buzzing Hornets

        1. I thought they just put a McLaren logo there for a time (such as Senna’s win at Donington) – that would be better than nothing, and might even sell a car or two…

          1. BBC still show classic f1 which has the tobbaco liveries and I am sure there are full liveries in rushand this is not banned from uk cinemas. Its historic so should not be included in the tobbaco advertising ban?

    2. I know what you mean. It’s a frustrating if ironic part of left wing ‘liberal’ politics that the politicians feel they know best and impose restrictions to save their citizens from themselves. Somehow I can’t quite see the same thing happening in the Middle East or China any time soon.

      Tobacco does kill but with so many long term smokers living into their very late years, the link is at the very least questionable.

      Sticking logos on the cars, especially vintage cars is all a part of their history so removing them just seems OTT. Thankfully, if you feel confident that you won’t dive into a pack of twenty Marlboro, you can go here and restore history to your models: http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.Xmarlboro+sticke&_nkw=marlboro+sticker&_sacat=0&_from=R40

      Besides, it’s not as though Texaco, Shell or Exxon Mobil are such spotless companies when it comes to exploitation or world health.

      1. Tobacco does kill but with so many long term smokers living into their very late years, the link is at the very least questionable.

        No, no it’s not.
        Tobacco is harmful to our society.

        Whether or not you can show it or smoke it is one thing, but saying it isn’t harmful is like saying the sky isn’t blue. It just is.

        1. True. Plus it hurts non-smokers.

          Though you cannot erase history. Tobacco sponsorship has bee fundamental to F1. Deleting the logos is just stupid.

        2. I referred to death rather than simply harm. Just because you smoke doesn’t mean you’ll die from it.

          Perhaps you need to open your eyes a little?

          In 1974, 45% of UK adults smoked. Are they all dead now? No. Are their children suffering from it? No. Have lots of them given up since? Yes and so life goes on.

          Of course the real problem with society is diet, alcohol, obesity and just lack of exercise but tobacco is a far easier target.

    3. Isn’t is more a case of McLaren taking all companies of the cars if they are not CURRENT sponsors anymore? I think I read that is why Ron Dennis had these logos taken down. Otherwise they could have just let Hakkenen run with the “MIKA” on the sidepod like they did in the countries where Tobacco advertising wasn’t allowed

    4. I’m not a smoker, I also remember having a mind of my own and I remember watching those cars when I was a kid and in the end all I feel is a lack of authenticity that fades the history of those cars.

  3. such a joy to seem them together again

  4. OmarR-Pepper (@)
    5th September 2013, 19:19

    I know it’s an important event, but… it’s not David under Red Bull contract? And Hakkinen for Mercedes?

  5. Need to see the video!

    Those old Marlboro liveries put the current ones to shame. Wish they could go back…

    1. Hopefully the livery will look very different when the contracts with Vodafone and Merc end. Something entirely new would be nice, rather than going back to old

      1. Maybe I’m old school but I love the papaya orange.

  6. Loving the old school laptops needed for the MP4-13 (in the shot from behind the car in the garage).
    Fantastic to see these four greats from McLaren’s past on the track where they belong and in the hands of Mika and DC too, wonderful.

  7. They look fast! I love it!

  8. I would like to now who makes the tires for the old F-1 cars. Do they request to each manufacturer a special set? or is another company that makes the tires for this kind of events?

    1. Most classic F1 cars and classic race cars in general use Avon tyres, they’re the main supplier for historic racing. Not sure about the more modern cars though.

  9. The front wing of MP4/ 13 looks like a bit of pasta gone wrong.

  10. Anyone knows what soundtrack is played at the end? Seems like film music, but what movie?

    1. Over a year late but it’s M83 from the Oblivion movie soundtrack

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