Mika Hakkinen on Spa 2000:
“You really are so pissed off, you know, when somebody does something like that. You are so pissed off. The words you are thinking in your head in that moment they are something that you don’t want to repeat. And even to pushing a button and talk to radio or team it would not make a difference but the frustration is enormous. Not frustration because you are getting overtaken but understanding how somebody can do that? Because you have to, a few laps later, when you finish the grand prix you have to face the other person, you have to face the team, you have to face the TV, you have to face the fans, and you have to explain your act. And when you are on those speeds on a racetrack and you are doing such an act and when you are really pushing somebody on the grass at that high speed. There is no way you can look somebody in the eyes and say “well, I didn’t really mean to do that it was just my steering accident to turn in that direction.” So there is no excuse! There is no way you can go round it. It is purposefully done, very nasty move. When you think about the fans looking at the TV, reading magazines, and supporting their driver. It automatically makes you think, hey hold on a second, how can somebody do that? I’m supporting this driver to be a great racing driver. But when they are going over 300kph and you are pushing your racing colleague to go on the grass, this is not anymore—this is something where if it goes wrong it’s going to be a really seriously fatal accident. It can be really something bad. That’s what goes in your head when you are racing in that moment. It’s incredible! And you get so upset. But simply because I’ve been racing so long and been in so many situations it goes through your mind and then you go back into racing mode and start looking for new possibilities to be able to overtake Michael—because I knew this is what he’s going to do for the rest of the laps. This is the only place where I can overtake him and he knows that, so he will do anything to stop me from overtaking him. So I really wonder if this situation with the backmarker if this never would have happened what really would have happened. I think I would have gotten so pissed off something weird would have happen. Luckily it did!”
(x)
