'Join the Pact', says Hakkinen

Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

Two-time Formula One champion, Mika Hakkinen, has labeled the 'Join the Pact' campaign as "excellent ... with a strong message", noting it can save lives.

Hakkinen was in the island on a two-day visit to promote the Johnnie Walker-sponsored 'Join the Pact' campaign, which is aimed at getting people to pledge to never drink and drive.

He stated that 'Join the Pact' was a good adventure because it would help our local drivers to become aware of the dangers of driving after drinking.

"I think this campaign is excellent and I think the message is very strong and very important, and with this campaign and what we are doing, I think we can save some lives," said Finland-born Hakkinen.

"I believe that it is also very much up to the media to show the work that we are doing to educate people never to drink and drive," Hakkinen reasoned.

" I think that work will help to make the people aware of the danger if you drink and drive, because if you drink and drive and if you do have an accident, then it will be too late for you."

Financial support

He told The Gleaner, during a press conference at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel yesterday, that the local authorities must also help to develop our drivers from a tender age, as it would take a great deal of financial support from the Jamaica Race Drivers' Association and corporate companies, for local drivers to become involved in Formula One racing.

"You never know because one day you may have a Grand Prix and a Formula One pro driver from Jamaica, but it will need a lot of work from the racing federation of Jamaica," said Hakkinen.

"It needs a lot of financial support from the companies to be open-minded, and also the parents need to make sacrifices with their monies for their children, and that is the only way that one day you are going to have a great racing driver from Jamaica," Hakkinen said.

"When a boy or girl is five or six years old, slowly put them into the sport and make them develop and give them a lot of support because this is very important at this stage of their driving career," he pointed out.

Finland's Hakkinen, who won back-to-back Formula One championships in 1998 and 1999, added that becoming a race driver is not very difficult, but you have to set a target to become a world-class driver and to secure a manager who can assist with developments in the sport.

"I would also tell them that they better have the right management behind them, who can create the right financial package and the right teams to race with and the right connections, not just Jamaica but around the world, to be able to get your dream," the 42-year-old Hakkinen said.

His Formula One career spanned a decade (1991-2001), during which he had 161 starts, 20 wins, and 51 podium finishes. He retired from the sport in November 2007.