Little Known Fact about The Cranky One

[Liz]

Flying Finn, within reach of Formula One title
By Nesha Starcevic / Associated Press Writer

.
He learned to drive as a 6-year-old in a go-kart and wanted to pursue a racing career. But Hakkinen's father was not impressed, and sent him to a circus school in Helsinki.
Although he never became a clown or a tightrope walker, Hakkinen says it was a good "school of life."


[Just when you thought you had heard everything.]

[Ralf's Girl]

And his father though clown town was impressive???

[Liz]

What worries me is that Mika apparently thinks "Clown Town" is just like real life! (Well maybe he is right.)

[Ralf's Girl]

Well, you know they always refer to F1 as a circus...

[SL]

Well, walking the tight-rope and being a clown I would say is part of F1 life, along with acting. You mean to say are all drivers not schooled in this art at karting college ?

Mika has shown all aspest of these skills, maybe apart from the skilled driving, during the last 5 odd years. It must be true.

Simon

[Valve Bounce]

I think sometimes we tend to forget that Mika is Scandinavian, and that his response to the usual repeated, inane, and often leading questions in a foreign language can be dificult. I have worked with Scandinavians for some years, and I find them usually truthful and straight. Quite unlike some Pommes and Kiwis who can be very devious. I, for one, appreciate the guys humour, and I think that he is a great driver. His expression of joy on the podium last weekend was uninhibited, and he was obviously responding to the multitude of Finns who had come to see him win. The guy was happy to win. Unfortunately, we did not get to see who he was gesturing to. The bottom line is, I would rather see him win than to see TGF Silvester win.

[Liz]

I'd rather see Zonta win. Or Frenzy, or Trulli, or darned near anybody not in a McLaren or Ferrari. Just for a change.

I just had a hard time imagining Mika as a clown. Other F1 pilots, yes. Not he!

[Racer X]

Well you know that they have to keep Bernie happy

[Valve Bounce]

Not fair, Liz. You didn't mention Gene in the Minardi-Renault.

[EERO]

I think I could easily imagine him as an acrobat.

And I agree with Valve Bounce, I have found Hakinnen's dry wry sense of humor quite funny. I think he is a far more complex guy than he lets on.

VB, Finland is not techniclly "Scandinavian", though it shares many aspects of its culture with its Scandinavian Neighbors, it is more appropriately referred to as "Nordic".
Scandinavia refers to the culture of the those speaking the North Germanic derived languages of Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Faroese and Icelandic.

Finnish, or Suomi, is not even an Indo-European Language. It is most closely related to Estonian and Karelian and has a distant relation to Hungarian.

Though Finland is legally bi-lingual, (10% of the Population are ethnic Swedes, including the former WDC Keke Rosberg) and shares a common history with Sweden, it really is a distinct culture.

I realize this is seemingly nit-picking-but as a Half-Swede married to a Half-Finn, the distictions are driven home to me every day. And I have the scars to prove it.

[Valve Bounce]

I bow to superior knowledge. Nevertheless, I look on you guys as having an incredible sense of being straight with people when dealing with them. Nevertheless, I found Scandinavians to have a different sense of humour to Euro's and Americans. I remember a Danish colleague used to tell us jokes that we could not understand, and when explained to us, they were really unfunny. That used to make us laugh like mad, and our colleague took it all in great fun. I suppose that is how I look at Mika, someone who has a different sense of humour to the interviewers, but who tries to join in the humour just the same. I know I am not making any sense, over to you EERO.

[Minardi fan]

Correct Valve - NEVER FORGET GENE IN A MINARDI-RENAULT!

[Liz]

The great thing about motor racing is the chance we have to see people from different and diverse places and how they react in the same setting - sort of a laboratory for learning.

Occasionally I think Mika might have made a good magician.

Jacques and DC would make better clowns. And Eddie if you look at the hair.

[Toth]

Ehm, I don't know if I've got my genetics right but does this mean that Eero's kids are quarter Finnish and Sweedish wich makes them half keke?

[Bononi]

I remember Cranky Mika riding a one-wheel bike in TV Show after his 1st WC... I always wondered how he managed to learn that so fast ! Well now, it is clear that it has been his bussiness for life.

[Valve Bounce]

I think EERO's kids are SWISH, and they wil be future rallying champions.

[Liz]

They may also do well in the BTCC.

[Minardi fan]

SWISH? Sounds like a career in the multi-faceted curtain industry beckons...

[EERO]

Yeah, well "Swish" means sump'in else over here an' them's fightin' words!!
And besides, there's only one. (That I'm aware of)


VB, the sense of humor thing is really strange-their idea of a joke is so different than ours.

[Liz]

Well so is the British sense of humour different. Why do Brits think saying "knickers" is so funny?

[Minardi fan]

hehehehe...

*oops*

[EERO]

What's so funny about golf pants that end below the knee and are worn with kneesock?

[Neil C]

Originally posted by EERO
VB, the sense of humor thing is really strange-their idea of a joke is so different than ours.

So that's why Ingmar Bergman is called the "Jerry Lewis" of Swedish films!

[Valve Bounce]

Who is Ingmar Bergman?? Which team did he drive for? I don't recall him at all!!

[Nuvolari]

Ingrid Bergman used to drive for Ferrari.