‘Flying Finn’ Mika Hakkinen is one of the best drivers to have ever featured in Formula One, winning back-to-back championships with McLaren in 1998 and 1999.
Hakkinen, 47 today, began his career in karting and won regional and national championships. He progressed to the Formula Ford and Formula Three series in Italy and the UK before entering F1 with Team Lotus in 1991.
He moved to McLaren as a test driver the following year and was promoted to the race team following the departure of Michael Andretti.
He clinched his first F1 victory in 1997, winning eight races the following season on his way to securing his maiden drivers’ championship, clinching it at the season-ending Japanese Grand Prix.
Hakkinen repeated the feat a year later, taking five victories. He was runner-up to Michael Schumacher in 2000 before leaving F1 in 2002.
1982: Ray Emery, Canadian ice hockey goalie won NHL’s 2013 Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks (33).
1984: Mathieu Valbuena, French footballer who has 50 caps for Les Bleus. Formerly of Marseille, now at Lyon (31).
1988: Marin Cilic, Croatian tennis player ranked 14 in the world who beat Kei Nishikori to win 2014 US Open (27).
1993: Jodie Williams, British sprinter who won 4x100m relay gold at European Championships in 2014 (22).
