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F1 legend Mika Hakkinen to become McLaren's public face

Two-time Formula 1 World Champion Mika Hakkinen is back at McLaren. The manufacturer announced Hakkinen is taking up a PR position at McLaren, becoming a Partner Ambassador, and it was at McLaren Mercedes that Hakkinen scored his championships in the late 1990s. For Hakkinen, the ambassador position means joining members of the manufacturer's marketing arm, so it is likely he will be seen in prominent McLaren advertisements and business ventures. In its press release, McLaren mentions executive director Zak Brown and CEO Mike Flewitt as Hakkinen's future collaborators. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. As Hakkinen says: "I've always considered McLaren to be my home in Formula 1, and I still have an enormous place in my heart for everyone in the team. Of course, the past few years for McLaren haven't been easy, but I've always believed that it's only a matter of 'when' rather than 'if' McLaren will come good again – and I want to play my part in helping that happen. "Returning to McLaren was an easy decision for me – I've never really lost contact, and I still know a lot of the hard-working men and women there from my eight-and-a-bit seasons with the team." This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Hakkinen also says he drives a McLaren P1 supercar. "I'm looking forward to immersing myself in the exciting world of McLaren Automotive. I have a modern-day McLaren in my fleet of road cars, and it's a truly superb machine." Related Video:

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason crashes his McLaren F1 at Goodwood

Call it a momentary lapse of reason? Whatever the cause, Pink Floyd's drummer Nick Mason has the same ordeal ahead of him as Rowan Atkinson: taking a crashed McLaren F1 to Woking for some bodywork. At the 75 th Goodwood Members' Meeting, Mason took his 1995 McLaren F1 GTR onto the track, and sadly bounced it off the wall in a none-too-glamorous fashion. The impact can be seen in the end of this clip featuring a very nice-looking Ferrari F40. Mason's car is one of 28 road legal F1 GTRs. We're still using the present tense, because while massaging the F1 back into shape will undoubtedly cost a pretty penny, it's all worth it. Rowan Atkinson's 2011 shunt in his non-GTR 1997 F1 cost $1.4 million to repair, and the Blackadder/Mr. Bean star sold his car in 2015 for $12 million! If the valuation of Atkinson's twice-crashed regular-specification car was all down to his star power, it is likely Mason's prog rock celebrity status also guarantees the GTR's worth. The Drive says the car was worth $3,7 million – a conservative valuation. Mason's distinctive red-and-yellow GTR has been featured in the automotive media a lot over the years, which makes it even more of a shame to see it all banged up. We wish both the driver and the car a speedy recovery. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Image Credit: JMann880/Youtube Celebrities McLaren Videos mclaren f1 gtr nick mason

Watch a Ford Bronco casually jump a McLaren 720S

Michael Cox can't stop jumping his classic Ford Bronco. He's jumped it on the beach. He's jumped it in the desert. He's jumped it at racetracks. Now he's jumped it in Hoonigan's backyard playground. Upping the ante on this one, he completed the jump while a modded McLaren 720S drifted underneath.  For those who don't know Michael Cox, he's a builder, racer, mad man extraordinaire who's worked with BMW and Porsche and specializes in off-road racing. Possibly more famous than the man is the vehicle he's known for driving, a custom-built Bronco that sports a cat-themed desert camo wrap.  Technically, this is not the first time Cox has visited Hoonigan and jumped his Bronco. But last time, the Bronco soared over nothing but tire crumbs and those tiny pebbles that get stuck in tread. This time, the stakes grew significantly, as a custom 720S drifted under the Bronco while it was in the air.  After a few donuts, Cox first tries a jump over a flatbed trailer. Once he easily clears that obstacle, Hoonigan brings the McLaren into the picture. Watch the video above to see a few crazy men show total disregard for the cost of a supercar.  This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.