FORMER FORMULA 1 WORLD CHAMPION world champion Kimi Raikonen has announced retirement from F1.
Nicknamed “The Iceman”, Kimi was known for his rather quiet nature and preferred doing the talking on the track. In a career spanning over 20 years, Kimi was the most experienced driver on the grid. He made his debut with Sauber in 2001 becoming the youngest driver at that time having only done 23 races before professionally and replaced Mika Heikkinen in 2002 at McLaren and became a title contender by finishing runner-up in the championship to Michael Schumacher in 2003, and Fernando Alonso in 2005. He moved to Ferrari in 2007 where he won his world championship by one point against then rookie Lewis Hamilton.
After 2009 he moved away from F1 where he tried his luck in the World Rally Championship and Nascar truck championship. On his return to f1, Räikkönen drove for Lotus in 2012 and 2013, scoring the team’s only victories. In September 2013, Ferrari announced his re-signing on a two-year contract, beginning in the 2014 season. Kimi left Ferrari again at the end of the 2018 season returning to Sauber.
With 103 podium finishes, he is one of only five drivers to have taken over 100 podiums. Räikkönen has won 21 Grands Prix, making him the most successful Finnish driver in terms of Formula One race wins, and is the only driver to win in the V10, V8 and the V6 turbo hybrid engine eras.
“This is it,” he said on Instagram. “This will be my last season in Formula 1. This is a decision I did during last winter. It was not an easy decision but after this season it is time for new things. “Even though the season is still on, I want to thank my family, all my teams, everyone involved in my racing career and especially all of you great fans that have been rooting for me all this time.
“Formula 1 might come to an end for me but there is a lot more in life that I want to experience and enjoy. See you around after all of this.” Said Kimi in an emotional post. He will surely be missed.
“A bit of a legend”, “very unique” and a “an incredible talent” were all phrases used by the current crop of F1 drivers to describe Kimi Raikkonen, following the Iceman’s announcement that he would leave the sport at the end of the year – with Lewis Hamilton, who replaced the Finn at McLaren in 2007, leading the tributes.
“I remember before I got to Formula 1, in computer games I’d always be in Kimi’s car,” chuckled Hamilton. “So I had this crazy experience of racing against him, losing a championship to him and then [having] lots of great battles [with him]. He will be missed.”
Hamilton’s assertion that Raikkonen was “tough but very, very fair” in on-track battling was echoed by another of Raikkonen’s great rivals and team mates, meanwhile, with Fernando Alonso saying that the Finn was “always fair, always respectful, always a tough competitor but also cool… No tricks.
“In that aspect I will miss him because you knew you could trust Kimi when you were side by side,” added Alonso, who partnered Raikkonen at Ferrari in 2014. “He will never do any crazy thing or anything that would put you in danger.”
One driver who knows Raikkonen better than most is another former Ferrari team mate Sebastian Vettel – who joked when asked what he would miss most about the Finn in Formula 1.
“The silence!” said Vettel, adding: “He’s an incredible talent and seeing that first-hand as a team mate for some years was impressive, just the amount of speed he has right from the get-go and the ability he has to get used to different cars, different conditions. He definitely earned his place and had a long, great career.”
Vettel said he would miss “the silence” with Raikkonen
Raikkonen also has the bizarre accolade of having competed against the fathers of several drivers on the current grid, namely Jos Verstappen and Michael Schumacher. And it was clear to see that many of the younger F1 drivers held Raikkonen in great esteem, with AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly telling the media: “There is only one Kimi and he is very unique, so clearly he is going to be missed by everybody in the paddock.
“I remember my first memories of watching F1 are from the 2002-2003, so Kimi was already there… and then I ended up in Formula 1 racing against him. So very privileged and for sure we’ll miss such an iconic driver in the paddock.”
Current Williams driver George Russell, meanwhile, shared a slightly more irreverent story of his own first meeting with Raikkonen.
“The first time I ever spoke to Kimi, the conversation ended with him twisting my nipples!” said Russell. “[It was] at the FIA Gala in 2018. He’s one of a kind, and respect for everything he’s achieved on-track and off… as well. He’s a bit of a legend and for sure he’ll be missed – there’s no one like him.”
Finally, Raikkonen’s fellow countryman Valtteri Bottas paid tribute to his compatriot, telling the media in Zandvoort: “As a youngster I was following him closely when he started in F1.
“At that time, I was doing my first season in single seaters in Formula Renault when he won his title with Ferrari.
“He’s obviously a big star in Finland, a bit of a legend and it was always good fun to watch him and nice to race with him because he’s one of the drivers that when you race with them, you’re quite comfortable going wheel to wheel. He’s always had good respect to his competition – and that’s the way I like racing as well.”
With Kimi’s retirement the seat at Alfa Romeo opens up with heats up the speculation even more about Valtteri Bottas joining the Swiss team and George Russel replacing him at Mercedes.
(By Siddhant Mane)
