Kimi Räikkönen

1. Who is Kimi Räikkönen?

Kimi Räikkönen is a Finnish Formula 1 driver, born October 17, 1979 in Espoo (Finland), and aged 42. Now retired, Raïkkönen finished his career in Formula 1 with the Alfa Romeo team.

2. Kimi Räikkönen’s junior career

Kimi Räikkönen began his career in a single-seater in 1999 in the Formula Renault championship. The same year, he won the Formula Renault Winter Series, winning all four races. The following year, the Finnish driver won the British Formula Renault championship, finishing in first position in seven races (out of 10 in total). He finished his season by doing free testing in Formula 1 for the Sauber team.

Kimi Räikkönen in Formula Renault on the Spa Francorchamps circuit in 2000 © Henri Thibault / DPPI

3. Kimi Räikkönen’s Grand Prix (F1) journey

While he only completed 17 races in a single-seater, Iceman is hired by Sauber as a regular driver, alongside Nick Heidfeld. Very inexperienced and only 21 years old, the Finnish driver was initially and provisionally granted a super license essential to drive in Formula 1. Kimi Räikkönen's F1 career began on March 4, 2001, at the GP from Australia. Starting in 13th place on the starting grid, he announced the color and finished the race in 6th place. During his first season, the Finn finished in fourth place twice (at the Austrian and Canadian Grand Prix) and won a fifth place in Great Britain. Räikkönen concluded his first season in Formula 1 with a 10th place in the general classification. Encouraging results which will promote him next season in the McLaren team.

Kimi Räikkönen makes his F1 debut in Melbourne (Australia) for Sauber © Gilles Levent /DPPI

Kimi Räikkönen's first season at McLaren (his second in F1) is not easy. In total, the Finn retired eleven times, the fault of a car that was not always very reliable on the track. Bad luck… Apart from these technical problems, Iceman will score some highlights. He will be on the podium four times (Australian GP, ​​Germany, France and Japan). Kimi Räikkönen will finish the season in sixth place in the championship, one place behind his McLaren teammate David Coulthard, with 24 points scored. The Finnish driver's 2003 season in Formula 1 was marked by his first victory in a Grand Prix, that of Malaysia. Thanks to this victory and his third place in Australia, Kimi Räikkönen climbs to first place in the ranking and will be in the fight for the world champion title with Michael Schumacher and JP Montoya. In total, he won ten podiums and finished the season in second place in the general classification, 9 points behind Schumacher.

In 2004, the start of Kimi Räikkönen's third season at McLaren turned into a nightmare. After retiring from the first three Grand Prix, he scored his first point in Italy, and finished eleventh in Spain before experiencing two more retirements. A disastrous start! In the first seven races of the championship, he only crossed the finish line twice, for a small point scored. At that time, he ranked in 16th position, and the fight for the title of world champion moved away definitively, to the great happiness of Michael Schumacher. Following these poor performances, McLaren will profoundly change the Finn's car to allow him to raise his head for the rest of the F1 championship. The results are much better, and Iceman will end the season with a victory, in Belgium, and four podiums (Great Britain, Brazil, China and Belgium). A burst of pride which will allow the man born in Espoo to finish the season in seventh place, with 45 points scored.

Kimi Räikkönen continues his career with McLaren ©Gilles Levent / DPPI

Kimi Räikkönen will raise his head during the 2005 Formula 1 season. The Finn will win seven Grand Prix (Japan, Belgium, Turkey, Hungary, Canada, Monaco and Barcelona) and reach the podium five times (China, Brazil, Great Britain, France and Bahrain). He had his best season in F1 since his debut and finished vice-world champion behind Fernando Alonso, with 112 points scored. He equals the record for the number of GPs won in a season for a vice-world champion, held by Alain Prost.

Kimi Räikkönen's final season with McLaren will be another season without a world champion title. Victim of new problems with his car, Iceman will not be able to join the fight with Ferrari and Renault. The atmosphere within the team is not good, after the announcement of the recruitment of Fernando Alonso for the following season. The Finn will finish the season with six podiums (Italy, Germany, Canada, Great Britain, Australia and Bahrain). However, he will not win any Formula 1 Grand Prix, a first since 2002. Iceman finished the season in fifth place with 65 points. Once the season is over, Kimi Räikkönen is slow to decide on his future. Solicited by Renault in particular, Räikkönen decided to sign with Ferrari, in order to replace Michael Schumacher, who had just retired.

Kimi Räikkönen joins Ferrari in 2007 © Frank Faugere / DPPI

In 2007, having just arrived at Ferrari, Kimi Räikkönen hit hard for the first GP of the season, in Australia. He achieved his first hat trick of his career (Pole position, fastest lap in the race, victory), a first for a Scuderia driver since Juan Manuel Fangio in 1956. Räikkönen won ahead of Fernando Alonso and a young leader named Lewis Hamilton . With a very efficient car, Räikkönen will fight all season for the world champion title. After seven Grands Prix, he ranks fourth in the general classification. The Finn, still not very talkative with the media, got back on track well by finishing first at the Grand Prix of France, Great Britain and Belgium. There are only two GPs left before the end of the season and Kimi Räikkönen is 17 points behind Lewis Hamilton. During the Shanghai GP, the Finn took advantage of the British driver's retirement to fall back to 7 points. The outcome of the championship will therefore be decided at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Kimi Räikkönen finished ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso became F1 world champion for the first time in his career. After Schumacher in 2004, a new Ferrari driver wins the supreme Formula 1 title.

In 2007, Räikkönen won the F1 championship with Ferrari with only 7 points ahead of Hamilton © Gilles Levent /DPPI

In 2008, Kimi Räikkönen, with the crown on his head, won the second Grand Prix of the season, in Malaysia. After picking up a point in Australia and a second place in Bahrain, the Finn finds himself leader of the championship after three races and is in a very good position to retain his title. Fernando Alonso having left McLaren for his favorite team, Renault, Räikkönen's opponents are no longer so numerous in Formula 1. His victory in Spain (the second of the season) will consolidate his leadership position. But, following a third and ninth place at the Turkish and Monaco Grand Prix, Iceman will return to second behind Hamilton.

The exchange of arms between the Briton, the Finn and Felipe Massa will fuel the suspense for the F1 champion title until the end of the year. The last three European Grand Prix (Spain, Belgium, Italy) and Singapore will be a nightmare for the Finn. He retired twice, in Spain and Belgium, and finished ninth in Italy, before retiring again at the Singapore Grand Prix. The Formula 1 championship title is now out of reach for the Ferrari driver after his third place at the Japanese GP. Kimi Räikkönen will finish the championship in third place, behind champion Lewis Hamilton and his Ferrari teammate, Felipe Massa.

Kimi Räikkönen will have a complicated 2009 season with Ferrari. The Finnish driver will only win once, at the Belgian Formula 1 Grand Prix. The Finn will be in great difficulty, finishing in the points zone only nine times (his worst total since 2004). ). The Espoo native will finish the season in sixth place in the general classification. Ferrari announces that he will not be renewed for the next season, replaced by Fernando Alonso. Räikkönen makes the decision not to participate in the 2010 F1 season. He will participate in rallies with the Citroën Junior Team.

Räikkönen during the Acropolis Rally in Greece in 2011 © Bastien Baudin / DPPI

After three years, it is with the Lotus team that Kimi Räikkönen returns to Formula 1 for the 2012 season. The Finn will be Romain Grosjean's new teammate. His new start in Formula 1 will be more than convincing. In addition to winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Lotus' first F1 victory since 1987), Kimi Räikkönen finished on the podium six times (Bahrain Grand Prix, Spain, Europe, Germany, Abu Dhabi, Belgium). Convincing results which will allow him to finish the championship in third place, behind Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel.

For his second and final season with Lotus F1, Kimi Räikkönen confirms the good results obtained the previous season. The Finn will reach the podium eight times (one more than the previous season). Iceman only won one Grand Prix, that of Australia. However, his final season at Lotus will end sooner than expected. Räikkönen was forced to have back surgery in November 2013 and will therefore not participate in the final races. He will be replaced by Heikki Kovalainen. The Finn will finish in fifth place in the rankings with 183 points.

Räikkönen with Lotus during the Indian Grand Prix in 2013 © Eric Vargiolu / DPPI

In 2014, Kimi Räikkönen made his comeback at Ferrari and became the teammate of Fernando Alonso, with whom he fought for the world champion title for a long time in the 2000s. However, his return did not go as planned. After the first ten Grand Prix, the Finn could not do better than seventh place, and is in twelfth place in the standings with 17 points, very far behind Fernando Alonso, 4th with 97 points and Lewis Hamilton, world champion. . In the end, he won no podium (a first since 2001) and no victory (a situation unprecedented since 2014). His best result of the season was a fourth place at the Belgian GP. He finished in 12th place with 55 points, his worst result since the start of his career (since beaten in 2020).

For the 2015 season, Kimi Räikkönen welcomes a new teammate to the Scuderia. Having left for McLaren, Fernando Alonso is replaced by Sebastien Vettel. The 2007 world champion will raise his head and improve his results compared to the previous F1 season. With 150 points scored, the Finn is positioned in 4th place in the ranking. He won 3 podiums, at the Chinese GP, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. The following season, Räikkönen would have four podiums (Bahrain, Russia, Spain, Austria) and finish in 6th place in the championship. In 2017, he returned to fourth place in the championship with 205 points and 7 podiums (Russian GP, ​​Monaco, Great Britain, Hungary, United States, Mexico, Brazil).

Return of Kimi Raikkonen to Scuderia Ferrari in 2014 © DPPI

In 2018, he will return to victory (his first since 2013) at the United States Grand Prix, for his last year at Ferrari. The Finn will also reach the podium 12 times (his career record, as in 2005 and 2007) and will finish the season in 3rd place behind Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. On September 11, the Scuderia announced that it was terminating the contract of Kimi Räikkönen, who would be replaced by Charles Leclerc. The Finnish driver will take charge of Alfa Romeo F1.

Alongside Giovinazzi, Kimi Räikkönen drives for the Alfa Romeo team for the 2019/2020/2021 seasons. If the first season was successful thanks to the 42 points scored and a 12th place in the championship, the following two will be much more complicated. The Finn will only score 4 points in 2020.

Still alongside Antonio Giovinazzi for a third consecutive season at Alfa Romeo, Kimi Räikkönen becomes the driver who has competed in the greatest number of Formula 1 Grand Prix. At 42, he announces that he will retire at the end of Formula 1 season. He thus leaves the place of dean of the Formula 1 grid to Fernando Alonso. Alfa Romeo replaces him, in the role of driver n°1, with his compatriot Valtteri Bottas. The end of a magnificent career.

Räikkönen ends his long career in F1 in Alfa Romeo colors © Antonin Vincent / DPPI

4. AUTO hebdo's opinion on Kimi Räikkönen

A character apart from Formula 1, due to his precocious talent at the wheel of a single-seater but also by his unique and taciturn character, Kimi Räikkönen will remain in the history of this sport. A career full of ups and downs for the Finn who has several records in F1, such as the fastest lap in history at Monza, or that of the greatest number of Grand Prix starts (342). He is also the last Ferrari driver to win the world champion title in 2007. He will be missed in the F1 landscape.