McLaren Unveils Bronze Statue of Mika Hakkinen at Technology Centre

McLaren has unveiled a bronze statue of two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen at its Technology Centre, capturing his celebration after securing the 1998 title at Suzuka. Created by sculptor Paul Oz, the tribute stands alongside the MP4-13 in the Woking facility's boulevard, joining monuments to Bruce McLaren, Senna, Prost, Lauda, and Hunt. The reveal punctuates the team's 1,000th grand prix celebrations and underscores the bond between the outfit's legendary past and current dominance.

Why it matters:

Hakkinen's titles in 1998 and 1999 represented McLaren's last world championship peak before its recent resurgence. Placing him permanently in the MTC boulevard acts as a daily reminder to the current workforce—and to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri—of the elite standard the team demands.

The details:

• The statue depicts Hakkinen's raw emotion upon clinching his maiden crown at the 1998 Japanese Grand Prix, displayed permanently next to the title-winning MP4-13.
• Hakkinen joined Norris, Piastri, Andrea Stella, and Zak Brown for the presentation, reflecting on 35 years with the team and the unchanged "family feeling."
• The tribute arrives as McLaren enjoys a golden era, having secured consecutive constructors' titles in 2024 and 2025, plus the 2025 drivers' crown with Norris.

Looking ahead:

The ceremony bridged generations of McLaren success.

• Hakkinen urged the team to maintain faith in its current drivers, praising the operation as "incredible."
• Norris acknowledged the weight of the team's lineage, while Piastri called the legacy "good pressure" that fuels the desire to remain atop the mountain.
• With McLaren leading the 2026 grid, honoring its history appears only to sharpen its focus on staying there.