By GMM
Former world champion Mika Hakkinen had to flee one of his homes on Saturday after it caught fire while he slept, according to reports.
The 39-year-old Finn, and two women - one believed to be his new girlfriend - escaped the blaze in southern France, but a dog reportedly perished.
They were taken to hospital as a precaution but later discharged without injury.
Two of the villa's three storeys were extensively damaged, and the fire is believed to have been traced to an electrical fault in a cabinet displaying the trophies of the former McLaren driver.
Hakkinen's $12m, ten-bedroom villa was located in the village of Callian, in the Provence region.
Former world champion Mika Hakkinen had to flee one of his homes on Saturday after it caught fire while he slept, according to reports.
The 39-year-old Finn, and two women - one believed to be his new girlfriend - escaped the blaze in southern France, but a dog reportedly perished.
They were taken to hospital as a precaution but later discharged without injury.
Two of the villa's three storeys were extensively damaged, and the fire is believed to have been traced to an electrical fault in a cabinet displaying the trophies of the former McLaren driver.
Hakkinen's $12m, ten-bedroom villa was located in the village of Callian, in the Provence region.