Not for the faint-hearted: an insane duel between Häkkinen and Schumacher, an astonishing sequence

Always a welcome guest in the Formula 1 paddock: Mika Häkkinen. The 58-year-old Finn has never lost touch with the premier class; 27 years ago today (31 October 2026), he secured his second world championship title at the season-ending race in Suzuka.

Mika’s Formula 1 statistics: 26 pole positions, 25 fastest laps, 20 Grand Prix victories, 51 podium finishes. He became World Champion with McLaren-Mercedes in 1998 and 1999.

Häkkinen was the only driver whom Michael Schumacher regarded as an equal opponent. One of their duels, at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in late August 2000, has become legendary and is celebrated by many fans as the best overtaking manoeuvre in Formula 1 history.

This unforgettable duel remains relevant to this day, in a modern Formula 1 era where drivers are quick to whinge over the radio and complain whenever things get tight or there is even the slightest contact between cars.

27 August 2000, Belgian Grand Prix: a breathtaking wheel-to-wheel battle between Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) and Mika Häkkinen (McLaren-Mercedes) at Spa-Francorchamps.

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Mika made his first move on the long uphill straight leading to the Les Combes corner; Michael spread his Ferrari out veeeery wide, forcing Häkkinen to back off. Later, Häkkinen launched a fresh attack at the same spot, cutting in on the inside, Schumi stayed on the far left, whilst the two superstars simultaneously shot past BAR driver Ricardo Zonta; the Brazilian still wonders to this day how that was possible. Häkkinen took the lead and won, one second ahead of his rival.

Whilst still in the parc fermé, the Finn approached his rival and, with a flurry of gestures, gave him a piece of his mind. When we asked Mika after the race what he’d said to Schumi, Häkkinen replied: “I’m sorry, but that stays between us.”

Nach dem Belgien-GP 2000: Schumi (2.), Sieger Häkkinen, Ralf auf P3

Foto: Grand Prix Photo

For years, the Finn remained silent about what he’d said to Michael Schumacher back then – until a video series for Unibet. It was then that Mika Häkkinen finally revealed what he’d said to Michael Schumacher at the time. The two-time world champion looked back: “It was immediately clear to me that I had to speak to Michael after the race. I said to him: ‘You can’t force an opponent onto the grass at 300 things. This is a matter of life and death – use a bit of common sense!’”

“Schumacher tilted his head to one side and looked at me, then he said: ‘What did I do wrong?’ But he didn’t apologise; he didn’t say: ‘Sorry, I suppose I was a bit too aggressive there.’ That’s just how he drove.”

Häkkinen goes on to say in the video that he found Schumacher’s behaviour on the track back then ‘unacceptable. If a borderline manoeuvre happens in a slow corner, then I can just about tolerate it – after all, I had my own bag of tricks too. But 300 km/h is so bloody fast. When you’re on the grass in Belgium, with just 15 millimetres of ground clearance on the front axle, even the tiniest bump is enough to lift the car off the ground, and God knows where you’ll end up. That’s why I wanted to make it clear to Michael: ‘Let’s be honest – think about it!’»

“Michael didn’t like it one bit when I overtook both Zonta and him at the same time. But he did appreciate that we’d had a great battle and nothing had happened. With any other driver, a front wing would have flown off sooner or later.”

“Michael was an incredibly talented racing driver. He always gave his all, both as a driver and when working with the team. There are so many aspects of his work that I admire boundlessly. He never let up. ‘Giving up’ wasn’t in his vocabulary. He was always pushing the limit, with red-hot brake discs – unbelievable!”

“When it came to one-on-one battles, he was extremely adept at defending his position, especially as the chequered flag approached. Midway through a Grand Prix, he’d always leave a bit of space between his tyres and his opponent’s. But towards the end of a World Championship race, he wasn’t afraid of making contact with other cars.”