[COLOR=royal blue]All Good Things Must Come To An End[/COLOR]

All Good Things Must Come To An End

Mika Hakkinen and Keke Rosberg have ended their strong and successful business relationship after 11 years in F1. Mika became Rosberg's client in 1988 when starting as a professional in the English Formula GM Lotus class. The end of the partnership will see Mika negotiate his own contracts in the future if there's any need for that. It is thought to be unlikely that Mika is looking for a new manager as he has always been very much Rosberg's client.

"I wish Mika all the best and I feel that I've done my part of the job. The contract which makes Mika's return back to McLaren possible has already been made. It has been a real privilege to work with a true champion", praised Rosberg as he spoke of his long time prot嶲?to Heikki Kulta, the F1 reporter of Turun Sanomat.

Meanwhile, Mika was speaking to Nigel Roebuck of Autosport."It's time to move forward and I'm ready to take care of my own business affairs," said Mika. "Keke has provided me a tough but honest education on this side all through my career and I wonder if I would have been as successful as I have been without him."

Keke said that Mika made the decision to end their business relationship at the end of last year. The 1982 champion noticed signs of stress in Mika last season and saw that he was feeling anxious. Keke and Mika remain close and Keke feels that this relationship will improve further now that there are no longer any business ties. The partnership began in 1988 and was cemented when Keke put up $1 million of his own money to secure Mika's entry into F1 at Lotus.

It does seem as if the contract enabling Mika to return to McLaren is signed, sealed and delivered. If it is a done deal, as Keke implies, and if Mika does decide to return, which of the current drivers would make way?

McLaren are rumoured to have paid a tidy sum to Peter Sauber's outfit in order to secure the talent of the youngest Flying Finn in F1, yet they have also stated that all drivers under contract to McLaren have long and far-reaching deals with the team.

Mika's return to McLaren is rumoured to be priced at around $15-20 million, although Keke hints that Mika may have other plans. "Mika surely has big plans," he said. "Without a doubt he will encounter difficulties when carrying out these plans but that's the only way to learn."

So, do these "big plans" involve driving for McLaren again, or something different? The German media speculates that Mika could become Kimi's manager, however Kimi says he is very happy with and grateful to the Robertson management team who had the uphill struggle of getting him into F1 without a superlicence. Of course, Kimi is not the only young Finn showing promise in the world of motorsport, F3 star Heikki Kovalainen who has been hailed as the new R鄜kk霵en has been signed to Renault F1, and there are surely many more youngsters wanting to emulate their heroes.

Maybe Mika fancies a venture into the WRC, or intends to set up his own racing team, or is planning a cinematic biopic of his career? Perhaps it is reporter Heikki Kulta who sums this conundrum up best, when he says that it might be that the mere speculations about the end of Mika's career will create such an adrenaline rush that he's forced to make a comeback.

As ever in this sport, there are more questions than answers.

By Kylie Bull