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The creche of motor racing sons trying to emulate their parents' success is a driver down as Hugo Hakkinen, son of two-time world champion Mika, has called time on his career at the ripe old age of 15.Hugo—pictured above with his parents at age two—has spent the last few years racing karts in France and, despite finding some success as a cadet, has decided to hang his helmet up alongside his father's. According to Mika, the 1998 and 1999 Formula 1 World Champion, Hugo has lost the passion needed to push onwards in the world of motorsport."Hugo tried karting, and he was good, but it was not his passion," Mika wrote in his McLaren blog. "He is 15 now, and his passion is football. He is committed to trying to become a professional football player and I will support him in that."Mika doesn't seem to mind Hugo trading in his fireproofs for football boots, but Mika is sure he would have supported Hugo regardless."I do not mind that he will not become a professional racing driver, although I would have supported him if that is what he wanted. You support your kids like that, don't you?" the elder Finn wrote."So, football it is for Hugo, with my maximum support. I am there for him. For Hugo and Valtteri [Botas, whom Hakkinen represents]. For both of them."Hakkinen seems to understand the bullet which his son has dodged by stepping away from the racing world."It's tough for a racing driver to be the son of a double Formula 1 world champion, because it makes things harder as well as easier—just ask my old friend and rival Damon Hill [whose father was double Formula 1 world champion Graham Hill]," he added.While now-retired Damon may be the sport's most successful racing-son, there is a new generation coming up trying to take that mantle. Hugo may have stepped away from that particular race, as has Damon's own son Josh Hill, but there are plenty of others vying for the honour.Formula 1 already has Max Verstappen, son of the human fireball Jos, leading the charge of second-generation racers, with most in the paddock tipping the young Dutchman as a future world champion. His Toro Rosso teammate Carlos Sainz Jr—son of two-time World Rally champ and one-time Dakar Rally winner Carlos Sainz—is in hot pursuit, surviving the cutthroat Red Bull Young Driver Programme to impress in F1.Just behind them, though, lurks one of the biggest names in Formula 1: Schumacher. Mick Schumacher, another karting stand out, currently races in the hyper-competitive German Formula 4 series. The son of seven-time world champion Michael (and nephew of crash-magnet Ralf), Mick has started racing under the burden of his last name, having gone by 'Mick Junior' in karting, and is trying to rise up through the ranks.However, with Hugo Hakkinen turning his attention to football, fans hopes of seeing a second generation of Schumacher vs Hakkinen have been dashed.@benhalls
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