Famous F1 teammates reunite for Adelaide Festival

Before Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, the last McLaren championship-winning pairing was Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard, and they are coming to Adelaide.

The two McLaren legends will be stars of the 2026 Adelaide Motorsport Festival on February 28-March 1.

Both Häkkinen and Coulthard played big roles in the final years of the Australian Grand Prix at the Adelaide street circuit before both standing on the top step in Melbourne.

It will be the first time since 1995 that the pair will be in Adelaide.

When Piastri and Norris drove McLaren to last year’s constructors’ championship, it ended a 17-year drought.

The last drivers to give McLaren a constructors’ title were Häkkinen and Coulthard in 1998.

That success marked a resurgence following McLaren’s tough run since the loss of Ayrton Senna.

Leading the way was Häkkinen as he took eight wins to fend off Michael Schumacher to a famous triumph, while the flying Finn took five more wins in 1999 to go back-to-back in a thrilling fight with Eddie Irvine.

Coulthard’s only win of 1998 was in Imola, but he still played his part with five one-two finishes as the Scot won twice in 1999.

All up Häkkinen and Coulthard won 20 and 13 Grands Prix respectively across their celebrated careers.

Häkkinen has the most history with Adelaide due to a terrifying qualifying crash in 1995, which left him in the Royal Adelaide Hospital for weeks. He returned in 1997 to open a new helipad at the hospital.

“Returning to Adelaide after so many years promises to be a special experience,” the Finn said. 

“I am excited to be part of the 2026 Adelaide Motorsport Festival, alongside David. 

“The city holds a range of emotions and memories for me, personally, not least the support I received following my crash in 1995. I’m looking forward to coming back.”

Sadly, Coulthard’s only Adelaide race ended after crashing into the pit entry in 1995, but he is looking forward to the experience.

“Adelaide was my first-ever Australian Grand Prix in F1 back in 1995, so it will be a trip down memory lane at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival,” he said. 

“It’s going to be a lot of fun to be part of such a celebratory event. Adelaide played an important role in the history of Formula 1, so it’s a fitting venue to share our passion for motorsport with fans.”

Tickets to the 2026 Repco Adelaide Motorsport Festival are on sale now, with early bird pricing available across all ticket types for a limited time only – 2025 prices for 2026.

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