Mika Hakkinen is pleased with his daughter's progress.

      We have talked more than once about the sporting successes of young Ella Hakkinen, the daughter of the two-time world champion, including her recent debut in Formula 4. The 15-year-old racer is competing this season under a Czech license in the F4 CEZ series – the championship of Central and Eastern Europe.

      Mika Hakkinen is helping his daughter build her career correctly, as he believes that in about five years, representatives of both genders will compete in Formula 1.

      Ella was accepted into the McLaren Racing Academy last fall, and judging by the fact that in the first round of F4 CEZ she scored 17 points in three races and is in 3rd place in the women's standings and 14th overall, she is living up to her famous father's hopes.

      "The year is going better than expected," Finnish tabloid Iltalehti quotes Mika. "The pace of progress is indeed very high. In racing, there is only one way to learn – to constantly practice, work on tests, and so on.

      In Ella's case, all of this is progressing very well. At this stage of her career, the McLaren Racing Academy is absolutely the right place."

      The next round of the F4 CEZ championship will take place on the last weekend of May at the Austrian racetrack Salzburgring.

      Ella's younger brother, 12-year-old Daniel, is also involved in motorsport and is competing this year in the karting series Rotax Max Euro Trophy.