HäkkinenJournalist is[[Peter knownWindsor]] foranalysed his uniqueHäkkinen's driving style;journalistfor [[Peteran Windsor]] analysedarticle in ''[[F1 Racing]]'' magazine, writing that Häkkinen was an "oversteering" driver, resultingwhich inmade drivinghim faster on slippery surfaces and themeant preference of usingthat "tail-happy" cars suited him.<ref>{{cite web|last=Tytler|first=Ewan M.|title=Do Champions Need Team Orders?|url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/98/hun/preview/tytler.html|work=Atlas F1|publisher=Haymarket Publications|date=12 August 1998|access-date=9 September 2014|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303213019/http://atlasf1.autosport.com/98/hun/preview/tytler.html|url-status=live}}</ref> This allowed him to perform better at circuits that have medium-speed corners.<ref>{{cite web|last=Murray|first=Paul|title=David Coulthard: The Quest For Success|url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/feb23/murray.html|work=Atlas F1|publisher=Haymarket Publications|date=23 February 2000|access-date=11 September 2014|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002234/http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/feb23/murray.html|url-status=live}}</ref> During his karting career, Häkkinen developed the skillhabit of using the brake pedal with his left foot. He reverted to using his right foot when he participated in DTM, later discovering hebut became uncomfortable with this style and revertedswitched again to left-foot braking in mid-2006.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bradley|first=Charles|title=Hakkinen reverts to left-foot braking|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/53003|work=Autosport|publisher=Haymarket Publications|date=6 July 2006|access-date=4 October 2014|archive-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006070025/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/53003|url-status=live}}</ref> He became known as a "late season driver"; the second half of a season suited Häkkinen due to experience on these tracks and allowed time for his car to be altered towards his preference.<ref name="atlasf1oct1998" />
Häkkinen was criticized for being a poor car developer, though this may have been exaggerated due to his initial struggles with the English language early in his career.<ref name="atlasf1oct1998"/> [[Adrian Newey]], the designer of Häkkinen's championship-winning McLarens, described an instance of Häkkinen's approach to input on car development when Häkkinen kept telling him during the initial testing of the [[McLaren MP4/13]] that the car was understeering. Newey subsequently adjusted the car to correct for understeer, but this only made it slower. After digging deeper into the test data and listening closely to what Häkkinen was describing Newey realized the car was not understeering but had rear end biased instability on corner entry that Mika was compensating for with understeer. This experience proved crucial for Newey's relationship with Häkkinen during their run together at McLaren, as after that Newey no longer had issues understanding Häkkinen's inputs on car development.<ref name="auto">Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/kmb02SBmE1I Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20201105011422/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmb02SBmE1I&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web |title=Engineering the Greats: Adrian Newey |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmb02SBmE1I&t=368s |website=Youtube |publisher=Motor Sport |access-date=4 August 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Newey also said Mikathat Häkkinen's countryman, protege, and future McLaren driver [[Kimi Räikkönen]] also had a similar approach to input on car development.<ref name="auto"/>
During his Formula One career, Häkkinen becamewas knownregarded as a "taciturn", character—an individual who tooktaking lengthy pauses before answeringgiving questionsterse placed before him and would give virtually nothing awayresponses to the mediaquestions.<ref name="bbcf1greatest">{{cite web|last=Benson|first=Andrew|title=Formula 1's greatest drivers. Number 14: Mika Hakkinen|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/18281041|work=BBC Sport|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|date=5 June 2012|access-date=9 September 2014|archive-date=5 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140105014214/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/18281041|url-status=live}}</ref> This allowed him to prevent problems and potential scandals from within his team becoming public knowledge.<ref>{{cite web|title=Getting back to being Häkkinen...|url=http://www2.hs.fi/english/archive/news.asp?id=20011023IE14|website=HS.fi|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006105758/http://www2.hs.fi/english/archive/news.asp?id=20011023IE14|archive-date=6 October 2014|date=23 October 2001}}</ref> Since his retirement, Häkkinen has often been voted among the greatest Formula One drivers.<ref name="bbcf1greatest" /><ref name="hakkinenautosport">{{cite web|title=Formula 1's Greatest Drivers – 15: Mika Hakkinen|url=http://greatestdrivers.autosport.com/?driver=15|access-date=4 October 2014|work=Autosport|publisher=Haymarket Publications|archive-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006084559/http://greatestdrivers.autosport.com/?driver=15|url-status=live}}</ref> Michael Schumacher has stated that Häkkinen was the driver whom he gained the most satisfaction of racing against.<ref name="bbcf1greatest" />
