Kimi Räikkönen announces his retirement

It was through a message on his Instagram account, the only social network that this taciturn animal agrees to use, that Kimi Räikkönen announced his departure from the Formula 1 on the evening of the 2021 campaign. 

An essential figure in the paddock for 20 years with his mute and enigmatic personality which earned him the status of a cult character, Iceman also and above all remains the last driver to have been crowned under the colors of the Team Ferrari. It was in 2007 during his first season in red.

BREAKING: Kimi Raikkonen announces this will be his final season in #F1 pic.twitter.com/U4m9xMEyzJ

- Formula 1 (@ F1) September 1, 2021

Almost 42 years old, the oldest member of the field started in the category in 2001 when he had only 23 single-seater races, all in Formula Renault what's more, in the legs. 

Established at Sauber after catching the eye of Michael Schumacher who said a word about it to Peter Sauber during a test at Mugello. 

The Finn did not take long to confirm the hopes placed in him since he entered the points from his debut by finishing 6th in the 2001 Australian GP. 10th in the Drivers' standings at the end of a season concluded in 4th among the Manufacturers for Sauber , Räikkönen is recruited by McLaren to replace his compatriot and double world champion Mika Häkkinen. 

Although he scored his first podiums in 2002, we had to wait until the following season to find him on the highest step, during the 2003 Malaysian GP. The shark from Espoo (Finland) then became one of the youngest winners in F1 at 23 years, 5 months, and 6 days.

During the 2005 season, which marked the end of Michael Schumacher's reign, he found himself battling with another young hopeful, Fernando Alonso. At the wheel of a McLaren as fast as it is fragile, the Finn signed what remains probably his best season in F1 even if he had to admit defeat in the end. 

After McLaren's relapse in 2006, the Finn decided to take his genius and his nonchalance to Italy where Ferrari imagined him as Schumacher's successor, gently pushed towards retirement. 

 

 

 

 

 

See this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Kimi Räikkönen (@kimimatiasraikkonen)

The debut in red is convincing with a victory in its first in Melbourne. The rest will be more laborious before the Finn recovers from mid-season. Taking advantage of the internal war between McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, Räikkönen erased 17 points behind in the last two races and won a title in Brazil that was unexpected but not stolen in his entire career.

After starting 2008 with a bang, the Finn fell into line and it was as a spectator that he witnessed the Hamilton-Felipe Massa duel, the Brazilian having taken the lead in Maranello. 

Ferrari negotiated the aerodynamic revolution of 2009 poorly but Räikkönen allowed his employer to save the furniture by snatching a prestigious victory in his garden at Spa-Francorchamps where he had already won 3 times. 

Despite this uptick, the Scuderia prefers to part ways with its champion to make way for Fernando Alonso. Räikkönen then bounced back WRC where he shows himself to be as quick as he is quick to bend cars, fortunately without gravity. 

Frenchman Éric Boullier brought him out of F1 retirement by recruiting him at Lotus for the 2012 season. Good pick for enstone because the new Kimi has lost none of his racing knowledge and seems to have regained the enthusiasm of his McLaren years. He won two gold-and-black successes (Abu Dhabi 2012 and Australia 2013) and regained his reputation which sent him back to Ferrari starting in the 2014 season. 

This second stint in red will alternate the good and the less good, Räikkönen having for example all the trouble in the world against Alonso before sometimes playing on par, if not better, against his successor Sebastian Vettel. 

He adds a final line to his record in Austin in 2018 with a great victory against Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Replaced by Charles Leclerc in 2019, the Finn is not finished with F1 and decides to return to his first love by signing with Alfa Romeo (ex-Sauber) where he will have spent his last 3 seasons in F1 when he finally hangs up his helmet. 

With 21 victories, 18 pole positions, and 46 fastest laps in the race, Räikkönen has a very good track record in the premier category. But given the Finn's natural talent, we are almost entitled to be disappointed and we say to ourselves that greater seriousness would have allowed him to reach much higher heights. 

This does not detract from the charm of Räikkönen, of whom we will always remember the Homeric comeback during the 2005 Japanese GP, punctuated by an anthological overtaking of Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault) at the start of the last lap when he was left 17th. 

« And there you have it, this will be my last season in F1, writes the Finn on Instagram. The decision dates from last winter. It wasn't easy to take but it's time to try new things. Even though the season is not over, I would like to thank my family, all my teams, and everyone involved in my career, starting with the super fans who have supported me all this time. F1 may be over for me but life has a lot more to offer. See you soon ». 

With 342 starts on the clock, current series, Räikkönen is the most successful driver in history. As for his replacement, his compatriot Valtteri Bottas is expected to take up the torch at Alfa Romeo during the next financial year, the Finn being expected from Mercedes where George Russell is about to be promoted.