Before the Italian Grand Prix, Häkkinen announced that he would be on a sabbatical for the 2002 season, citing the reason to spend more time with his family. His seat was taken by fellow countryman Kimi Räikkönen in 2002. Häkkinen later stated that fear after crashes during practice for the 1995 Australian Grand Prix and the 2001 Australian Grand Prix as well as a loss of a desire to compete for race victories were factors. He was forced into another retirement during the race due to a gearbox issue. He raced to his final victory of his career in the United States despite incurring a grid penalty, and ended the season with a fourth-place finish in Japan. Häkkinen finished the season fifth in the Drivers' Championship, with 37 points.