Hakkinen is confident going into 2001 season

"Victory is all that counts for me is. That is the only reason why I race. "I will enter the new season with the same frame of mind as the previous years," Hakkinen told German weekly motorsport aktuell. The 32-year-old added that his McLaren-Mercedes team shared this dedication and that he would also not slow down after beoming a father of son Hugo in the offseason.

"It is nonsense that people may think I will drive slower because I have become a father. Quite the contrary. I feel much stronger. My baby son gives me a lot of motivation and a very good feeling," he said. Hakkinen, who was denied a title hattrick by Ferrari's Michael Schumacher in 2000, said his priority was now to get the new McLaren-Mercedes ready for 2001 campaign starting March 4 in Melbourne, Australia. "The new Mercedes FO110K has a lot of potential and is definitely a step forward," Hakkinen said. Hakkinen said the older he got the less test drives he actually needed, but that the start of each season was still a challenge.

"It was great to be back in the car. The first laps are always a challenge. You don't always know how the car reacts. But I got used to driving again quickly," he said. Hakkinen won the drivers title 1998 and 1999, but was beaten by Schumacher last season although the Finn had the most consistant campaign of his 10-year career - finishing 14 of the 17 races with four victories and seven runner-up spots. He also said he will only concentrate on himself and not look at the Ferrari camp in general and Schumacher in particular.

"I doesn't help me to think whether Michael will be slower or faster than last season. I now what he is captable of which is enough to know that he and Ferrari will be very strong again in 2001," Hakkinen said. "Nothing has changed. A world title alone doesn't make a driver faster," he said.

(la/dpa)