SUZUKA, Japan – Two-time Formula One champion Mika Häkkinen is making a rare return to racing in August to compete in the Suzuka 10 Hour endurance race.
Häkkinen, who won back-to-back Formula One titles in 1998-99, will co-drive a customer racing McLaren 720S GT3 in the 10-hour endurance event at the Suzuka Int’l Circuit. He’ll share driving duties with two-time Super Formula champion Hiroaki Ishiura and Japanese Formula 3 racer Katsuaki Kubota.
The trio will drive the new 720S GT3 during the fourth round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli on Aug. 23-25. Further information on the entry, including details of the customer team that will be running the car, will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Häkkinen spent 11 years competing in Formula One, nearly all of it driving for McLaren. He earned 20 victories during his career, including a victory in the Monaco Grand Prix in 1998.
After retiring from Formula One competition at the end of the 2001 season, Häkkinen competed in rally events before returning to racing full-time in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) series for three seasons from 2005 to 2007.
Since then he has raced sparingly, occasionally entering sports car or rally races.