The final round of the 1995 Formula 1 season was also the last time F1 was hosted by the city of Adelaide. But for Finnish driver Mika Häkkinen, a dramatic crash during Friday afternoon’s qualifying session soon turned it into the most important race of his career; the race to save his life.
Approaching Brewery Bend, the street circuit’s fastest corner, his McLaren’s left rear tyre deflated, causing the Finn to lose control at 120mph, launching his car airborne over a kerb, before it crashed heavily into the barrier. The resulting impact was so severe that his helmet struck the side of his car, causing him to swallow his tongue and fracture his skull. On almost any other day, the story would not have ended well, but the swift and knowing actions of two local surgeons (volunteering as emergency crew) and Formula 1’s then Chief Medical Officer, Professor Sid Watkins turned the headlines from tragedy to triumph. What these three, and the care team at the Royal Adelaide Hospital performed that day, and during the weeks later, not only saw their patient make a complete recovery, but also go on to fulfil his destiny.
Fast forward 31 years, and the now former two-time world champion was back in Adelaide and back in a McLaren for the 2026 Adelaide Motorsport Festival. This time, he was behind the wheel of the exceptional, ultra-rare Solus GT hypercar, a once-gaming concept, now turned into a track-only megastar. Part Formula 1 car, seemingly part jet fighter, only 25 were made, each housing a 829bhp V10 engine, capable of propelling the all-carbon fibre titan to 100kph in under three seconds. It’s not just a supercar; it’s a phenomenon. Crafted using the most advanced materials and techniques, Häkkinen’s laps around the parkland circuit looked effortless, despite the earlier deluge that saturated the track.
Sadly, even if you have £3m/US$4m/€3.5/15AED/AU$5.7m (plus local taxes) spare, the chances of owning a Solus GT anytime soon don’t look good. All 25 were snapped up immediately the order book opened, so for now, all we can do is share our images from the event, and hope that another one appears somewhere near you, sometime soon.
Images by Steve Hindle
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