Hakkinen predicts that his daughter Ella could enter F1 within five years.

      "She is a highly skilled racing driver."

      Mika Hakkinen is confident that his 14-year-old daughter Ella could join Formula 1 within five years and anticipates that female drivers will enter the sport by 2030. The two-time world champion, who was in Singapore last weekend, shared with Ilta-Sanomat that Ella, currently competing in the Champions of the Future karting series, demonstrates the ambition and talent needed to succeed. "Ella is a highly skilled racing driver," Hakkinen stated. "I’m not just expressing this as a father but based on my insights as a former elite driver."

      Recently, the teenager secured pole position and finished second in Slovakia. "The trajectory is absolutely right," Hakkinen remarked. "Her motivation is truly remarkable. She is determined to be a racing driver. At this stage, she’s genuinely impressive."

      Hakkinen has engaged a full-time trainer from Hintsa Performance - the same group previously utilized by Lewis Hamilton - to physically and mentally prepare Ella and her younger brother Daniel for elite racing. "They train at the same intensity as Hamilton," he noted. "Everything is being addressed."

      "The emergence of female drivers at the highest levels will occur by 2030, whether it's Ella or another competitor," the Finnish driver predicted. "This new wave of fans is 40 percent female, and the sport must mirror that."