The evolution of Formula One, he says, is a natural progression. Data, simulation and artificial intelligence have made it possible to analyse a car’s performance in greater detail and address problems with greater precision.

Hakkinen, who won consecutive world championships with McLaren in 1998 and 1999, remembers a different working environment. After a Grand Prix, teams would head to another circuit for three or four days of testing, using track time to develop the car. Today, drivers return to the factory, where simulators allow engineers to test changes and study the car’s behaviour.

The scale of the operation has changed, too. In his time, Hakkinen would work with four or five engineers after practice. Now, he says, around 40 people can be involved, each concentrating on a specific area of the car. “You can make such a detailed operation of how you could improve the car to suit your driving,” he says, in an interview facilitated by Fancode, the F1 broadcasters.

Yet, data has not made a driver’s feel for the car redundant. Drivers still have to communicate precisely what is happening, whether the car is losing grip in a corner or behaving differently under acceleration. The difference is how quickly engineers can identify the cause.

In Hakkinen’s era, they sometimes had to rely on experience and memory when the available data could not explain a problem. Today, sensors can help pinpoint what is happening at a particular moment on the circuit, allowing engineers to find a solution faster. “There is no shortcut,” he says. “You have to be very precise.”

The cars themselves offer a more immediate contrast. Those Hakkinen drove weighed roughly 600 kg, compared with around 800 kg for modern cars. He expects today’s drivers to enjoy the lighter machinery of his era, even if they find it more challenging to handle.

He points to Pato O’Ward, the McLaren driver who experienced Hakkinen’s car at Laguna Seca in the United States. O’Ward, he recalls, was delighted by the experience. “He said it’s unbelievable. He just, he was so happy about it.”

The sound of the V10 would be part of the appeal. Asked to choose between the old engines and modern F1 technology, Hakkinen does not hesitate. “The torque, the sound, the power,” he says. “I would take the V10.”

His preference for the old engine, however, does not extend to the machinery as a whole. Given a choice between his title-winning McLaren and a current car for a single lap, he would choose the latter. “I would be so fascinated, so interested to understand how you can improve this car with engineers, he says.

That curiosity also informs his view of the drivers who have followed him. Modern competitors have more opportunities to prepare, study their cars and improve their fitness and reactions. They can also train to manage several tasks simultaneously while driving at the limit. Hakkinen does not see that as diminishing the achievement of earlier generations; he sees it as the sport moving forward.

If he were starting his career today, he would particularly like to race Oscar Piastri. He admires the Australian’s smooth driving, aggression and respect for his rivals, qualities he believes would make for close racing without unnecessary collisions.

For a team-mate, he would choose Piastri’s McLaren colleague Lando Norris, whose speed and aggressive approach appeal to him. “I’m interested to see his way of working with engineers,” he says.

For all the advances in technology and preparation, though, Hakkinen believes one requirement has remained constant across generations. “The same thing which is required is your talent,” he says. “And being able to handle the pressure in those situations.”