Formula 1 News: Hakkinen’s daughter could make it to F1 – Salo (Update)

(GMM) The billionaire who helped launch Valtteri Bottas’ career has confirmed he is also financing Ella Hakkinen – reinforcing that the 14-year-old McLaren junior has serious backing behind her rise.

Antti Aarnio-Wihuri, 85, told Iltalehti that he agreed earlier this year to support the daughter of two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen.

“Mika recently visited me to ask if it would be possible for me to help,” Aarnio-Wihuri revealed. “We decided that we also need to support female drivers. Mika has helped me before, so this is a kind of return service for him.”

Aarnio-Wihuri owns Wihuri Group, one of Finland’s biggest family-owned conglomerates – a familiar brand inside the F1 paddock.

He said the initial funding was a “fairly modest amount”, given Hakkinen is still at the start of her career, but noted he only backs a very small number of drivers.

The Finnish tycoon said he receives more than 50 funding requests every year from “future world champions”, but selects only a few.

Ella Hakkinen has raced karts under Czech and Monaco licenses, reflecting her family roots, although Aarnio-Wihuri says she also speaks Finnish and displays the Finnish flag on her social media.

Her recent campaigns took place in the Champions Karting Academy series with a Czech license.

(GMM) Mika Salo believes Ella Hakkinen (pictured) has taken a “significant” step toward a possible Formula 1 future after being signed to McLaren’s Driver Development Program – and says there is no reason she could not become the first woman in decades to race in F1.

Related Article:  Ella Hakkinen joins expanded McLaren female driver program

McLaren has confirmed it is expanding its F1 Academy presence for 2026 while adding 14-year-old Hakkinen – daughter of two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen – to its junior roster. She will begin single-seater testing ahead of a planned 2027 debut.

Speaking to Iltalehti, former F1 driver Salo said he has been impressed by her pace in karting.

“Ella has been really fast, incredibly fast,” said the former Toyota and Ferrari driver. “She has been able to compete seriously against the boys. It was just a matter of time,” Salo said of the McLaren agreement.

He described entry into a works academy as a decisive career move.

“Nowadays it’s really hard to get ahead if you’re not in a team’s junior program. It’s pretty much impossible,” he said. “Of course, you can get financial support from there, but you can also get help with training and, for example, mental and physical coaching. In the best teams, you can get advice on absolutely everything.”

When Asked directly whether Hakkinen could one day reach Formula 1, Salo was unequivocal.

“If the speed is good enough, why not?” he answered.

“She can drive there just as well as the men. That’s not a problem, but Ella is a young girl, so she still has a long way to go before she can compete in F1.”

Salo said joining McLaren gives her the correct foundation for that path.

“Now we are on the right track,” he concluded.