Kimi Räikkönen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kimi Räikkönen
|
|
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg)
Räikkönen at the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix
|
|
| Born |
Kimi-Matias Räikkönen
17 October 1979 Espoo, Uusimaa, Finland
|
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 3 |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Finnish |
| Active years | 2001–2009, 2012–2021 |
| Teams | Sauber, McLaren, Ferrari, Lotus, Alfa Romeo |
| Car number | 7 |
| Entries | 353 (349 starts) |
| Championships | 1 (2007) |
| Wins | 21 |
| Podiums | 103 |
| Career points | 1873 |
| Pole positions | 18 |
| Fastest laps | 46 |
| First entry | 2001 Australian Grand Prix |
| First win | 2003 Malaysian Grand Prix |
| Last win | 2018 United States Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix |
| World Rally Championship record | |
| Active years | 2009–2011 |
| Co-driver | Kaj Lindström |
| Teams |
|
| Rallies | 21 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Rally wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Stage wins | 1 |
| Total points | 59 |
| First rally | 2009 Rally Finland |
| Last rally | 2011 Wales Rally GB |
Kimi-Matias Räikkönen (born 17 October 1979) is a Finnish racing driver famous for his career in Formula One. He is nicknamed "the Iceman" because of his calm and cool personality, especially under pressure. He raced in Formula One from 2001 to 2009 and again from 2012 to 2021. During his career, he drove for top teams like Sauber, McLaren, Ferrari, Lotus, and Alfa Romeo.
Räikkönen's biggest achievement was winning the 2007 Formula One World Championship with Ferrari. He is the most successful Finnish driver in Formula One history. He holds records for having 103 podium finishes and 349 race starts, which are among the highest in the sport's history. He is also known for being a very private person who doesn't enjoy the media spotlight.
After leaving Formula One for a short time, Räikkönen also competed in the World Rally Championship and even raced in NASCAR. He retired from Formula One at the end of the 2021 season, leaving behind a legacy as one of the sport's most unique and talented drivers.
Contents
Racing Career
How It All Started
Kimi Räikkönen was born in Espoo, Finland. He began karting when he was just 10 years old and was very successful. One of his early races in Monaco at age 15 became famous. His steering wheel broke during the race, but he didn't give up. He waved the broken wheel in the air to show his mechanic what happened and kept on racing.
By the time he was 20, he had won the British Formula Renault winter series in 1999. In 2000, he dominated the Formula Renault UK Championship, winning 7 out of 10 races. His amazing results got the attention of Formula One teams.
Formula One Journey (2001–2009)
Sauber (2001)
Based on his impressive wins, Peter Sauber gave Räikkönen a test drive with the Sauber Formula One team in 2000. He was so fast that the team signed him for the 2001 season. Some people worried he was too inexperienced, as he had only raced in 23 car races before. But he proved them wrong by scoring a point in his very first race, the 2001 Australian Grand Prix. It was said that he was found sleeping just 30 minutes before the race started, showing how calm he was.
McLaren (2002–2006)
Räikkönen's talent earned him a spot at McLaren for the 2002 season, replacing the famous Finnish driver Mika Häkkinen. He quickly became a top driver. In 2003, he won his first Grand Prix in Malaysia and fought for the championship against Michael Schumacher, finishing second by only two points.
His time at McLaren was full of exciting races, but he was often let down by unreliable cars. In 2005, he had another amazing season, winning seven races, including incredible victories in Spain, Monaco, and Japan. He started the Japanese Grand Prix from 17th place and won by overtaking his rival on the very last lap. Despite his amazing driving, he finished second in the championship again, this time to Fernando Alonso.
Ferrari (2007–2009)
Räikkönen moved to Ferrari in 2007, and it was a perfect match. In his very first race with the team in Australia, he took pole position, set the fastest lap, and won the race. This set the stage for an incredible season.
The championship battle in 2007 was one of the closest in F1 history. It was a three-way fight between Räikkönen and the two McLaren drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. Going into the final race in Brazil, Räikkönen was in third place in the standings. In a dramatic race, he won while his rivals had problems. This allowed him to become the Formula One World Champion by a single point. As of 2025, he is the last driver to win a championship for Ferrari.
After his championship win, he continued with Ferrari for two more years. In 2009, the car was not very competitive, but he still managed to win the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix. At the end of the season, he decided to leave Formula One and try other types of racing.
A Break for Rallying and NASCAR
From 2010 to 2011, Räikkönen competed in the World Rally Championship with the Citroën Junior Team. He showed great skill, even beating more experienced rally drivers and scoring points. He became only the second driver ever to score points in both Formula One and the World Rally Championship.
He also tried NASCAR in 2011, competing in the Truck Series and the Nationwide Series. He would later return to NASCAR for a few races after his F1 retirement.
Return to Formula One (2012–2021)
Lotus (2012–2013)
In 2012, Räikkönen made a surprise return to Formula One with the Lotus team. He showed he hadn't lost any of his speed. He finished on the podium seven times and won the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. During that race, he famously told his engineer on the radio, "Just leave me alone, I know what to do!" This quote became a fan favorite. He finished third in the championship in his comeback year.
In 2013, he started the season with a win in Australia and continued to get great results for Lotus. However, he decided to leave the team at the end of the year and make a surprising return to Ferrari.
Return to Ferrari (2014–2018)
Räikkönen's second time at Ferrari was challenging at first. The team was going through changes, and the car was not easy to drive. However, he continued to work hard and helped the team improve. From 2015 to 2018, he was a consistent driver, getting many podium finishes.
In 2018, he had one of his best seasons. He took pole position at the 2018 Italian Grand Prix with the fastest lap in F1 history at the time. The highlight of his year was winning the 2018 United States Grand Prix. It was his first win in over five years and 113 races, a record for the longest gap between wins. He finished third in the championship that year, his best result since his comeback.
Alfa Romeo (2019–2021)
For his final years in Formula One, Räikkönen rejoined the team where he started his career, Sauber, which was now called Alfa Romeo Racing. He continued to show his skill, scoring points for the team and serving as a mentor to his younger teammate.
At the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix, he broke the record for the most race starts in Formula One history. He retired from the sport at the end of the 2021 season, ending a career that spanned two decades. For his final race, his team wrote a message on his car: "Dear Kimi, we will leave you alone now."
Personal Life
Räikkönen married Finnish model Jenni Dahlman in 2004, and they divorced in 2014. In 2016, he married fitness model Minna-Mari "Minttu" Virtanen. They have three children: a son and two daughters.
Outside of racing, he enjoys snowboarding and ice hockey. He is famous for his quiet and blunt personality, which earned him the "Iceman" nickname. He is also known for his funny and honest radio messages during races. In 2018, a book about his life, The Unknown Kimi Räikkönen, was released and became a bestseller in Finland.
Images for kids
-
The McLaren mechanics push Räikkönen's car into the garage during qualifying at the 2004 United States Grand Prix.
-
Räikkönen at the 2005 Canadian Grand Prix
-
Räikkönen at the 2005 United States Grand Prix
-
Räikkönen testing for McLaren at Valencia in early 2006
-
Räikkönen testing for McLaren at Silverstone in April 2006
-
Räikkönen driving for Ferrari at the 2007 United States Grand Prix, where he finished fourth
-
Räikkönen at Spa, where he won his fourth race of the year
-
Räikkönen celebrating victory and the world title at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix
-
Räikkönen took his first win of 2008 at the Malaysian Grand Prix.
-
Räikkönen driving for Ferrari at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix
-
Räikkönen at the 2008 Belgian Grand Prix, where he crashed on the penultimate lap after a duel with Lewis Hamilton
-
Räikkönen tests the F60, Ferrari's 2009 challenger.
-
Räikkönen at the 2009 Turkish Grand Prix
-
Räikkönen at the 2009 Italian Grand Prix
-
Räikkönen at the 2012 United States Grand Prix
-
Räikkönen at the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix
-
Räikkönen at the 2013 Italian Grand Prix
-
Räikkönen at the 2014 Singapore Grand Prix
-
Räikkönen at the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix
-
Räikkönen at the 2015 Italian Grand Prix
-
Räikkönen at the 2015 Singapore Grand Prix
-
Räikkönen at the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix
-
Räikkönen during qualifying at the 2017 Italian Grand Prix. His Ferrari SF70H is using the special 70th Scuderia Ferrari anniversary livery.
-
Räikkönen at the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix
-
Räikkönen at the pre-season testing in Barcelona
-
Räikkönen at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix
-
Räikkönen driving a Citroën C4 WRC at the 2010 Rally Bulgaria
-
Räikkönen at the 2010 Rally Finland
-
Räikkönen at the 2011 Rallye Deutschland
-
Räikkönen in 2023
-
Räikkönen at the Circuit of the Americas in 2023
-
Helmet used when Räikkönen raced for Ferrari seen at Museo Ferrari
-
The insignia that appears on the top of Räikkönen's helmet
-
Räikkönen at the 2003 French Grand Prix
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Kimi Räikkönen para niños
- The "Flying Finns"
- The Unknown Kimi Raikkonen
