In close collaboration with Carrera and its #DRIVEYOURSTORY campaign, it is easy to see that Raikkonen’s rise bears similarities with the brand identity of the eyewear manufacturer; stand up for free spirits, adopt a courageous attitude and have the courage to succeed. It is these personal attributes that drove Kimi from karting sensation to F1 legend on his motorsport journey.
Raikkonen began his F1 journey with the Sauber-led team and two decades later there are still people in the Hinwil camp who worked with Kimi for the first time, especially sporting director Beat Zehnder.
Raikkonen’s story is inspiring to live by your own rules and not be afraid to go the unconventional route. He came from a humble background and his family could only provide limited support to boost his career. Even so, Kimi stood out in the Finnish karting scene and his progress caught the attention of father and son David and Steve Robertson’s management team – who helped Jenson Button along the way. They allowed Kimi to advance to auto racing in Formula Renault, and he set the pace in 2000, but at that point F1 seemed a long way off.
Perhaps inspired by Button’s jump from F3 to F1 with Williams, Peter Sauber was receptive to Raikkonen’s potential and offered Kimi an F1 test in September 2000. Another test convinced Sauber that Raikkonen could move to F1, but the next task was to convince the FIA that it was possible. Kimi received a provisional super license on the basis that he had to prove himself in the first races of the 2001 season.
Once in Formula 1, Kimi defied conventions from the start. He didn’t go wrong on his debut in Australia, crossing the finish line in seventh, but taking sixth – and a championship point – when a rival was punished. It was a brilliant debut season for the 21-year-old who added two fourths and one fifth to his record.
Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren Mercedes MP4 / 17D, crosses the finish line and takes his first F1 victory
Photo by: Motorsport Images
His pace had caught the rival teams, especially McLaren. When Mika Häkkinen retired, Kimi became the target of the British team and became a McLaren driver in 2002. Kimi continued to develop, taking four podiums in 2002. He scored his first win in Malaysia in 2003 and was on the verge of winning the championship. In 2005 he finished second in the championship.
Kimi continued on his own path and in 2007 his career took another step forward when he moved to Scuderia Ferrari. This year’s title fight between McLaren’s Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton was turned on its head when Raikkonen took the F1 driver’s crown after a brilliant end to his year in the Brazil Finals.
He lived by his own rules and made himself popular with a legion of fans who saw that in an overtly traditional sport, Kimi represented something else. He continued to win races with Ferrari until he was sensationally discontinued for Alonso in late 2009.
It was a tough blow to Finn, but when he accepted that it wasn’t wanted, Kimi again showed his brave attitude by immersing himself in the high-tech world of rallying. Here Kimi showed that even as an F1 world champion, he wasn’t afraid to do something different.
Kimi Raikkonen and Kaj Lindstrom, Citroën DS3 WRC, ICE 1 Racing
Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images
The adventure continued and Kimi’s journey took him to the heartland of American motorsport, to NASCAR, where he made two guest appearances, one in the Nationwide Series and the other in the legendary Truck Series.
Kimi, always one step ahead, never closed the door to the part of his life where he was most successful. For 2012 he returned to Formula 1 with Lotus and immediately reinforced his own personal brand traits of daring and a life without fear. He won the season finale in Abu Dhabi and again in Australia in 2013.
Against all expectations, Kimi once again took an unexpected path and returned to Scuderia Ferrari in 2014. The fact that a reunion was possible after the previous separation says a lot about his personality and the respect he had from the team. Kimi would drive for the Italian team for another five years and get many podiums at the 2018 US GP, but only one victory. At that point, the team’s protégé, Charles Leclerc, was ready to graduate from Sauber, and Kimi left the team.
Many thought this was the end of his career, but Kimi had other ideas and returned to his former Sauber team – now Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN – to raise the team’s level and earn points. He still loved driving Formula 1 cars and just saw no reason to stop.
Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo Racing C41
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Kimi is now in the third season of his second stint in the Swiss team. He will turn 42 in October and remains fully motivated and showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.
As the official glasses partner of Alfa Romeo Racing, ORLEN Carrera offers you and a guest the chance to win two places in an exclusive driving experience at the Silverstone Circuit in Great Britain. As part of the experience, you will drive a variety of high performance street cars prepared for the circuit under the guidance of expert instructors around iconic parts of the famous Silverstone Circuit such as the Hamilton Straight, Hangar Straight & Stowe Corner.
* You and your guest will enjoy a day of excitement that cannot be bought, including the opportunity to meet Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN F1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi.
To enter, go to: motorsport.com/competition
* Terms and conditions apply
The post How the Iceman became an F1 legend first appeared on monter-une-startup.
