Mika Hakkinen to set foot in the BAR?

By Phil Huff (06/08/2004)
August 10 2004

It is now a possibility that Mika Hakkinen could be returning to Formula One and, despite the team issuing a denial earlier, it may be with Lucky Strike BAR Honda.

Media reports recently suggested that Mika Hakkinen, the 1998 and 1999 champion, would be testing the BAR006 later in the year, but these reports were disregarded as pure speculation.

This speculation then increased when it was found that Hakkinen will be meeting BAR team principal David Richards at this weekends Nestle Rally Finland. This was said by BAR to be nothing more than a social meeting, with David Richards also being boss of the Prodrive outfit that runs the Subaru WRC team.

However, with the shock exit of Jenson Button, the rumours of Hakkinen returning are gathering pace once again, and one person not helping is, er, Mika himself.

"There is no smoke without fire," Mika said, according to Finnish national broadcasters YLE. "At this moment I do not want to comment more on the issue, especially as discussions around the BAR team are so hot."