Dennis doubts Hakkinen return

Ron Dennis doubts his former star Mika Hakkinen is on the verge of a Formula One comeback.

McLaren boss Dennis nurtured the Finn to two world titles after signing him as a youngster from Lotus.

The pair struck up a close relationship in the aftermath of Hakkinen’s near-fatal accident in Australia in 1995, and Dennis still stays in touch with his former charge even after his retirement in 2002.

Reports emanating from Germany suggested Hakkinen had lost weight in a bid to return to Formula One with Williams.

Williams have moved to quieten that talk and Dennis believes Hakkinen is too much a family man now to look for a return to the non-stop world of Formula One.

He said: “I spoke to Mika just before Monaco and I didn’t sense he had any thoughts of a return to Formula One.

“He talks about most things with me and it seems unlikely he has a clear-cut decision to come back.

"People change their mind. Maybe he has, but I somewhat doubt it.

“When you go out of motor racing and you build a relationship with your family, you are seeing them every day, seeing the kids grow up. I would imagine it would be very difficult to say: ‘Now we are going to go test endlessly and go to race meetings.'"

Mercedes engine boss Norbert Haug, who provided the power behind Hakkinen’s time at the summit of Formula One, left the door open for a return to McLaren should the Finn decide to return.

“I certainly hope that if Mika wants a comeback that he would come back with us,” he said. “We are friends and I would hope he would talk to us if he was hoping to come back.”

That sentiment was echoed by David Coulthard, who played second fiddle to Hakkinen when the pair spent seven years as team-mates.

“I’d be extremely surprised,” the Scot said. “I think if Mika was going to make a comeback it would be at McLaren.”

Hakkinen is one of two former world champions linked with a return to the sport.

Jacques Villeneuve has spoken with Williams about a potential return, with the Grove-based outfit likely to have two spare race seats in 2005.

The Canadian won the 1997 world title with Williams and is believed to be one of several drivers they are considering.

Dennis, who guided Niki Lauda to a third world championship when he returned after retirement, believes Villeneuve is the right kind of personality to succeed at Formula One a second time.

He said: “I would think that with someone like Jacques it would be easier to come back than someone like Mika. Jacques is more of an insular character like Niki was. For Niki, motor racing was everything, to the detriment of his personal and professional life.”

Frank Williams remains coy on the identity of his candidates for a drive next year.

The team has yet to confirm Ralf Schumacher’s departure, although with contract talks at a standstill that is likely, but expects to announce its 2005 line-up later this summer.

Asked whether Villeneuve is, as believed, preparing to test a Williams, he said: “We have no date on that. We’ve had conversation with lots of people but there’s no intent yet to test any driver.

“It’s preferable a driver has Formula One experience in such a difficult, specialised business.”