Hakkinen to race in Touring series
 |  Hakkinen won the world Formula One title for McLaren in 1998 and 1999 |
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Stuttgart, Germany -- Former Formula One world champion Mika Hakkinen has said he will come out of retirement next year to compete in the German Touring Car Masters series.
Hakkinen confirmed a report in Germany's Bild daily from last Wednesday week that he will drive in the DTM for Mercedes.
The Finn drove for McLaren-Mercedes in Formula One, winning back-to-back world titles in 1998 and 1999. He retired in 2001, saying his career was over.
The 36-year-old has recently been linked to a possible Formula One comeback with Williams, who still have a vacancy after failing to secure Briton Jenson Button from BAR.
"After the end of my Formula One career in 2001, I soon realised that I'm not ready to retire for good," Hakkinen said in a Mercedes statement.
"It was just the right moment that Mercedes-Benz offered me to test a DTM car. I saw immediately that I still enjoy racing very much and, during the test three weeks ago, my lap times were at the same level as those of the touring car specialists."
Hakkinen hopes to be competitive soon in a championship that has given a career extension to other retired Formula One drivers such as France's Jean Alesi and Germany's Heinz-Harald Frentzen.
"I look forward to an interesting season with exciting battles against my former Formula One colleagues, as well as against the young DTM drivers, and to see again my fans," said Hakkinen.
"I'm especially happy about returning to the Mercedes family -- I'm back, but I've never been really gone."
Ferrari for sale
The Ferrari that Michael Schumacher drove to victory in the first five races of the 2004 Formula One season is to auctioned off at the Italian team's Maranello headquarters in May.
Auctioneers Sotheby's announced they would hold a sale of cars and Ferrari memorabilia on May 23, with the F2004 racer one of the star lots, in the first auction of its kind to be supported by Ferrari.
Schumacher, the most successful racer in Formula One history, won a record 13 races this year on his way to an unprecedented seventh title.
A 1958 Ferrari 412S, once driven by 1961 world champion Phil Hill of the United States and compatriot Richie Ginther, will also be sold.
