Woman Spotlight Wednesday: Ella Häkkinen

Written by Kavi Khandelwal, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri

Women have played an influential role throughout the history of motor racing. Many have taken to the wheels of motorsport machines, while numerous figures have worked tirelessly on the sidelines in various roles, shaping the motor racing world to the present day. 

Credit: F1 Academy

Woman Spotlight Wednesday aims to take a look at the tales of these superwomen, who have surpassed various hurdles to reach where they are today. In this article, we spotlight a rising star with a familiar surname, set to take the racing world by storm in the future.

The Häkkinen name certainly echoes through the walls of the McLaren Technology Centre, standing synonymous with blinding speed, quiet intensity and two World Drivers’ Championships won at the sport’s zenith. It is a new voice that carries that legacy, as Ella Häkkinen takes the spotlight as a fearless 14-year-old pioneer, determined to chart her own course to the summit.

The weight of carrying the “Flying Finn” mantle, the nickname given to her father, Mika Häkkinen, for his ice-cold speed and dramatic rivalry with Michael Schumacher, is immense, yet the younger Häkkinen approaches it as fuel, not burden. 

“I love racing because I just love the speed,” Häkkinen shared as she recalled the moment she found her calling in a go-kart at 11 years old. This is, after all, a sport where inherited pressure can be crushing, and motivation is purely driven by an inner fire her father knows well.

Forging speed in the karting crucible

Ella Häkkinen’s early career was defined by a rapid, unyielding progression that caught the eye of McLaren. She garnered victories and podiums across Europe in top junior karting categories, and confirmed her status as a genuine talent by taking her first major international win at the 2024 Champions of the Future Academy.

Credit: F1i.com

Winning a major international competition like the Champions of Future Academy in a demanding OK-N Junior category was no small feat, as Häkkinen demonstrated a capacity to execute under global pressure. She approaches the sport with a measured ruthlessness that belies her age. 

Her illustrious two-time champion father commented on her performance as well, saying, “Ella is an extremely talented racing driver. I’m not just saying this as a father, but based on my observations as a former top driver. The direction is completely right. Her motivation is simply incomprehensible. She wants to be a racing driver. At this point, she’s a real badass.” 

Such an endorsement coming from a man who wrestled championships from Schumacher carries immense weight, confirming the teenager’s dedication to the physical and mental preparation required. It extends beyond the track, as she works with professional performance trainers, Hintsa Performance, which is the same organisation that once guided Lewis Hamilton.

This institutionalised dedication to physical and mental conditioning sets her apart as she builds a foundation that is required for the step up to single-seaters. 

Rejoining the papaya family

In November 2025, Häkkinen materialised her commitment to forging her own path by joining the McLaren driver development programme, formally linking the Häkkinen name back to Woking. This move positions her as the youngest driver in the program with the goal of testing single-seater cars in preparation for a full car racing debut around 2027.

This deliberate, long-term pathway showcases the difference between McLaren’s focused development program and the chaotic nature of the general junior series. The tailored curriculum of testing and simulation was designed to master the technical nuances of an open-wheel car.

The significance of this pairing is twofold. Häkkinen receives the elite infrastructure and resources needed to transition from karting’s fierce intensity and technical demands of open-wheel racing. McLaren is the crucial, high-profile step that will advance female representation in motorsport.

[left to right] Ella Häkkinen, Ella Stevens, Ella Lloyd | Credit: Formula One

Häkkinen joins rising talents like Ella Stevens and Ella Lloyd, symbolising McLaren’s efforts to move past rhetoric and establish a viable pipeline for female drivers.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown emphasised the organisational commitment before signing: 

"While I recognise that more remains to be done to increase female representation in motorsport, I'm immensely proud of the progress we've made in this space. 

“To now have three talented young female drivers in our Driver Development Programme is really exciting, and I cannot wait to see them hit the track."

Häkkinen’s decision to join McLaren is not a retreat into history, but an aggressive leap into the future. Securing this developmental path where loyalty is valued and expertise is plentiful, sidesteps the pressures of a less stable environment. 

The road to F1 is long, brutal and unforgiving. Häkkinen’s journey has just begun with the backing of her father’s belief and the resources of a championship-winning team. The return of the Finnish flag and the Häkkinen name is closer than ever, as she aims to fulfil the prophecy of her name.