Where are they now: Kimi Räikkönen

Kimi Räikkönen ended his Formula 1 career at the end of 2021 after 19 seasons, 350 Grands Prix, 21 wins and 103 podiums. The world of motorsport is so used to the Finnish driver that it was even difficult to imagine the championship without him. But it’s already the second season since Kimi, who mentioned in an interview that he was only glad that this period of his life was finally over, has not performed in F1. Let’s see what the racer does and where Kimi Räikkönen is now.

Click here to subscribe to our print edition!

NASCAR

Kimi Räikkönen made his debut in NASCAR back in 2011. And in 2022, the NASCAR Trackhouse Racing team showed the car’s livery on which the driver would have raced in the NASCAR Cup Series championship at the Watkins Glen stage in August. The former Formula 1 driver said the ​​following statement about this news:

“After my debut in 2011, I have repeatedly said that I enjoyed racing in NASCAR. These are old-school races, and modern motorsport’s general stages are unlike anything else. The atmosphere there is relaxed. And it’s also great that the new cars are more like GT and equipped with a sequential gearbox. Trackhouse Racing hoped that I would run two or three races this year, but in the end, we settled on one.”

Räikkönen performed very well in the race. However, he encountered an unfortunate incident involving multiple cars at the onset of the third leg. Initially, Kimi maintained a position in the Top 10 during a significant portion of the second segment. Then after the pit stop, he lost several places but managed to regain some ground following the pit stops of the leading drivers. Unfortunately for the Finn, his race ended prematurely on lap 46 due to an off-track excursion resulting in a collision with the barrier.

This season, Räikkönen has participated in one race, finishing in the 29th position. Reflecting on his performance in the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix race, the sixth stage of the NASCAR Cup Series in the 2023 season, Kimi shared the following sentiments: “I think it wasn’t that bad. We were unlucky with the incidents that happened towards the end of the race. Besides, we don’t have any tires left. It’s a pity because we fought in the front rows, but the rivals continued approaching after the restarts.”

Kawasaki Racing Team

Räikkönen became the boss of the Kawasaki Racing Motocross Team. Regarding this event, he told Racingnews365: “It’s no secret that, for me, one of my great passions in life for many years has been motocross, but this team is not what you might call a hobby. It’s very serious and focused, and we aspire to be the best we can be. Now I have retired from racing. I will be able to spend more time on this project, not on the daily issues but more from a strategic point of view using my experience of how teams work and what creates success on the world stage.”

Family

Kimi spends a significant amount of time with his family. He and his wife, Minttu, frequently share cute family photos and their children’s achievements. For instance, their son Robin engages in karting competitions. Recently, he took third place in the Micro class at the Swiss Rotax Max Challenge championship stage held near Milan’s airport. Many have already observed that he inherited his father’s talents. Earlier, Gino Rosato, a former Ferrari Formula 1 team employee and a close friend of Kimi Räikkönen expressed his opinion on Robin’s performances, stating that he has a natural talent. Rosato shared his thoughts on social media, remarking: “What a day with the Räikkönen family, seeing little Ace run 110 laps! I had seen this before; very quiet, had little interaction, always looking a little lost and uninterested!! But like his father, “Leave me alone”, where is the car? Magic comes to life, quick, fast, rapid, natural talent. Call it what you want! F1, here we come!”

Their daughter Rianna participated in children’s gymnastics competitions and has even been awarded a medal!

Furthermore, Minttu recently gave birth to a baby girl named Grace. Congratulations on the newest addition to the family!