Age | 41 |
Occupation | Driver, Alfa Romeo Racing |
Nationality | Finnish |
Position Last Year | 63 |
Kimi Räikkönen, nicknamed “Iceman”, won the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship, in his first season at Scuderia Ferrari. After nine seasons of racing in Formula One, he competed in the World Rally Championship in 2010 and 2011 before returning to Formula One in 2012.
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Besides his title, Räikkönen also finished second overall in 2003 and 2005 and third in 2008, 2012 and 2018. As of the 2021 season, Räikkönen has won 21 Grands Prix, making him the Finnish Formula One driver with the most race wins. He is the only driver to take a race win in the V10, V8 and hybrid V6 engine eras.
Kimi Räikkönen entered Formula One as a regular driver for Sauber-Petronas in 2001, carrying only 23 car races under his belt. He joined McLaren Mercedes in 2002 and became a title contender by finishing runner-up in the championship to Michael Schumacher in 2003 and Fernando Alonso in 2005.
His move to Ferrari in 2007 saw him crowned Formula One World Drivers’ Champion, beating both McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso by one point. In 2008 he equalled the record for fastest laps in a season for the second time.
Räikkönen left Scuderia Ferrari and the sport after the 2009 season but returned to Formula One with Lotus in 2012 and 2013. On 11 September 2013, Ferrari announced their re-signing of Räikkönen on a two-year contract, a contract further extended until the end of the 2018 season. He returned to the top of the podium at the 2018 United States Grand Prix and finished his eight-year-long Ferrari career with a third-place overall in the 2018 championship.
A switch to Alfa Romeo Racing for 2019 saw him lead the team on a resurgent path and he will aim to continue scoring for the team, now Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN, in 2021. Kimi will retire from the sport at the end of this season.
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