Mika hints at retirement.

Mika Hakkinen has let slip the first clue that his one-year sabbatical may develop into something a lot more permanent, as he tried to explain his feelings at Suzuka this weekend.

The Finn has opted to take a break from Formula One, ostensibly to spend more time with his growing family, but paddock insiders believe that he will find it hard to return once the twelve months are up.

"As you all understand, what I'm planning to do next year is to just take it easy, and to experience the time with the family, and to have a lot of good time with them, and to say in one place for a long time," Hakkinen reiterated, "It will also be interesting to see if I get the feeling when I wake up in the morning that I am hungry to do something, and whether that something is going to be racing or something else?

"Every time when you sit in a grand prix car it's quite a special feeling, but it is the last grand prix for me for a long time, maybe for ever, we don't know yet, I don't know myself yet to be honest, but that's what we have to wait and see. Probably, after the weekend, I will find it easier to talk about what I'm really feeling."

Much has also been made about Hakkinen being unable to retire gracefully, particularly with manager Keke Rosberg's involvement with both German F3 and the rejuvenated DTM series. Asked if he was going to try his hand in one of his mentor's Mercedes entries, Hakkinen pointed instead to a possible F1 return.

"There are definitely a couple of examples [of drivers] who have come [back] into Formula One and have done a tremendous job, so I see no problem at all in that," he said.

Asked if, as a Finn, he had tried to persuade McLaren to hire compatriot Kimi Raikkonen in his place, Hakkinen gave his trademark wry grin, and said that the decision was an obvious one.

"No, I didn't have any influence on the team to take Kimi," he grinned, "But Ron knows that obviously if, they want to win, they have to get the Finn!"