Ron Dennis once said, “If you want to win, get the Finn” before signing Kimi Raikkonen, when Kimi joined the famous team in 2002, success seemed almost certain.
In Formula 1, things never go according to plan, despite a string of race wins, McLaren’s shocking reliability robbed Raikkonen of another title win, while Kimi remained the steadfast professional during the ups and downs. Success finally came on the Finn’s path in 2007. Raikkonen joined the few elite who were successful in Formula 1 and drove to something special for Scuderia Ferrari, the most famous team of them all.
Success on the track falls by the wayside compared to the huge fan support that follows the F1 superstar around the world. Kimi Raikkonen is the most popular driver on the current grid.
10
Ice hockey, karts and clean
Via Pinterest
Growing up in a nation that had almost robbed motorsport of one of its greatest stars, Raikkonen had to choose between karting and ice hockey at an early age. Luckily for us, the latter, which required very early starts in the morning, made Kimi stick with the race.
About Paddock Legends
Karting experience, often seen as a prerequisite for the bigger leagues, showed Kimi’s natural ability and determination as he competed in his first European Cup at the young age of 10. The rapid rise to the ranks of Formula A and Formula Renault drew the attention of F1 team owner Peter Sauber. With only 23 single-seater races, Raikkonen had arrived in F1.
9
As cool as ice
Via Twitter
Called Eskimo during a stint at Sauber F1, it would require a move to Woking’s McLaren F1, which earned Kimi the nickname “Iceman”, which was bestowed on him by none other than team boss Ron Dennis for his cool and imperturbable manner.
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To put this cool demeanor to the ultimate test in 2002 and ride the Raidillon Eau Rouge completely, there was just a 300-mile sprint down the high-speed Kemmel straight waiting. In an earlier incident, the straight line was shrouded in smoke with limited visibility. Any other driver would have withdrawn, not Raikkonen, who attacked the track at full throttle.
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TV experts worst nightmare
About Planet-F1
Famous for his aversion to anything media-related but contracted to attend, Kimi makes some hilariously short, and often abrupt, responses. Faced with a lengthy question about the new Pirelli tires and their effects, a reporter turned to Raikkonen and asked: “Kimi, would you like to answer that?” followed by “no”. Kimi at his best.
About the Kimi Raikkonen room
What you see is what you get, there are no hidden agenda or corporate BS on Kimi, just simple answers that made him a fan favorite. One of the rare in-depth Raikkonen interviews led to the biography of The Unknown Kimi Raikkonen, published in 2018.
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Ferrari’s last world champion
Via Pinterest
Every driver dreams of driving for Scuderia Ferrari. Kimi joined the Maranello squad in 2007 as a replacement for the legendary seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher. The season opener couldn’t have started better with a win in Australia, the first driver since 1989 to cost a win on his debut.
Via Pinterest
With five more victories, Raikkonen was back in touch for the title and the championship would last until the last race. In a show of breathtaking speed and skill, Raikkonen overtook Hamilton and his then teammate Massa to lead the race. Coming the checkered flag, Kimi had won the title by one point, Ferrari’s last WDC.
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Pretty handy behind the wheel of a rally car
Via Wikimedia
Due to the compulsory break of two seasons in Formula 1, Raikkonen was able to experience the world of motorsport away from the single-seaters. The world of rallying, a sport that has long been associated with fast Finnish drivers, beckons.
Via Wikimedia
Probably the toughest motorsport series to be contested and mastered turned out to be a steep learning curve, but by the middle of the season Raikkonen had the knack of pushing the tail around the corners and finished 2010 with 25 points and was rookie of the year. The following year, driving under his own team name “Ice 1 Racing” in a WRC-prepared Citroën DS3 earned more points.
5
Also NASCAR camping trucks
Via CNN
Nothing on all-wheel drive Kimi Raikkonen, the change from F1 to WRC would have been a great challenge for most drivers, let alone the jump to NASCAR for 2011. First a stint behind the wheel for Kyle Busch in the Camping World Truck Series the move to Nemco Motorsports took a 27th place.
Via CNN
Later in the tests, in front of the Toyota / Save Mart 350, an unfortunate accident ruined plans to work with Robby Gordon Motorsports.
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The Iceman’s too successful return to F1
Via Pinterest
A return to the grid in 2012 with Lotus F1 showed that Kimi had lost none of his speed and skill and ended the season in third place overall with 207 points and a single win. Remaining with Lotus for 2013 began again with a win in Australia in a Red Bull Racing-dominated season, with Kimi often landing in the points.
About USA today
The Iceman’s return to Formula 1 began with a 27-point streak that nearly bankrupted Lotus F1. In two seasons with a total of 390 points, Raikkonen brought in $ 19.5 million with a predetermined bonus of $ 50,000 per point. His success surprised the team.
3
Back at the sharp end of the grid
About Red Bull
A return to Ferrari in 2014 that would eventually last five seasons before finally standing on the podium at the 2018 US Grand Prix. It had taken a long time and silenced critics who claimed Raikkonen was past his prime and too old for Formula 1.
Via Reddit
On the first lap, Raikkonen threw himself inside pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton, stole the lead and never looked back, holding back both Hamilton and Verstappen for victory. On this day, a unique record was set that will never be exceeded: Raikkonen is the only driver who wins with V10, V8 and current V6 engines.
2
The love of fast cars
About WSupercars
If it has four or even two wheels, you can bet Raikkonen either owned it or at least drove it. The world of motorsport with the biggest names has its pluses, even if it is connected with media partner media strings. Kimi is no stranger to fast cars and owns several Ferraris including a rare Enzo, a Ferrari F12 and his winning 2018 F1 car.
About WSupercars
Speed is certainly a gift to Raikkonen, a natural skill that has earned him some serious toys, cars, yachts and bicycles all have their time and space. It wasn’t always a glamorous lifestyle, Raikkonen’s first car was a Lada.
1
The most experienced F1 driver and Kimi still has what it takes
Via Scuderia Race fans
The oldest and most experienced driver in Formula 1 with 18 seasons, 21 victories, 103 podium visits from 350 races by the end of his last season. Impressive numbers, by all standards, and with a recent retirement announcement, you can expect the boredom of media duties to take its toll on the performances of the tracks.
About Formula1
You would be wrong! We’re talking about Kimi Raikkonen, and for anyone who is not convinced that the Flying Finn still has what it takes, head back to the 2021 French Grand Prix. Under changing conditions as driving an uncompetitive Alfa Romeo, Raikkonen proved to the world that he still had the fire and overtook 11 cars in a single lap.
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About the author
Jason Garbutt
(323 published articles)
Growing up in a car-obsessed environment from an early age, generated a keen interest in everything to do with cars. primarily an F1 fan, but also an avid fan of other motorsports. Professional background who has worked closely with an established UK supercar manufacturer over the past few years.
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