Kimi Räikkönen, nicknamed “The Iceman” due to his ice-cool attitude both on and off track, had a long and successful career in Formula 1 that peaked when he won the 2007 Drivers’ Championship with Ferrari.
| Nationality | Finnish |
| Born | Kimi-Matias Räikkönen 17 October 1979 Espoo, Finland |
|---|
Born on 17 October 1979 in Finland, Räikkönen began his F1 career with the Sauber-Petronas team in 2001, after just 23 car races in other series. His talent caught the eye of Ron Dennis in that first season, and for the following 2002 season, he joined the historic McLaren team, replacing fellow Finn Mika Häkkinen. He emerged as a strong title contender for the team, finishing second in the 2003 and 2005 championships behind legends Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, respectively. However, Räikkönen’s time at McLaren was plagued by issues of car reliability, which ultimately led to his move to Ferrari in 2007.
Joining Ferrari marked a turning point in Räikkönen’s career. In his debut season with the team, he won the 2007 Formula One World Championship. The race to the title had been close that year, with Kimi coming out on top ahead of McLaren teammates—Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso—by a single point. The following year, while Räikkönen didn’t win the title, that went to Hamilton, he did equal the record for the most number of fastest laps (at the time) in a season, a record he also held from earlier in his career.x
Despite winning the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix, Räikkönen faced challenges with the less competitive Ferrari F60, leading him to take a break from Formula One at the end of the 2009 season. However, his passion for F1 was reignited when he returned to the sport in 2012 with Lotus F1. During his time with Lotus, Räikkönen gave the team their only victories, establishing himself, once again, as one of the most sought-after drivers.
In a remarkable turn of events, Ferrari re-signed Räikkönen in 2013 on a two-year contract, which was later extended to 2018. His second stint with Ferrari saw a run of consistent performances, with 26 podium finishes, two pole positions, and a memorable win at the 2018 United States Grand Prix—his first win after a 113 Grand Prix gap. During his eight-year association with Ferrari, Räikkönen remained a consistent top-four finisher, ending his time with the team with a third-place finish in the 2018 drivers’ championship.
For the 2019 season, Räikkönen joined Alfa Romeo Racing. His contract with Alfa Romeo, initially for two years, was extended until his retirement from Formula One at the end of the 2021 season.
Beyond Formula 1, Räikkönen explored other racing series. He competed in the World Rally Championship, driving for Citroën’s Junior Team in 2010 and ICE 1 Racing in 2011. Despite being relatively new to rallying, he managed impressive results, including a stage win and a tenth-place finish in the championship for two consecutive seasons.
Räikkönen has also entered NASCAR, making one-off appearances in the Camping World Truck Series and the Nationwide Series in 2011 and later in the Cup Series in 2022 and 2023.
Kimi Raikkonen Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 2001–2009, 2012–2021 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Sauber, McLaren, Ferrari, Lotus, Alfa Romeo |
| 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 |
Kimi Raikkonen Teammates
| 16 Teammates | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Heidfeld | 17 | 2001 | |
| David Coulthard | 51 | 2002 | 2004 |
| Juan Pablo Montoya | 27 | 2005 | 2006 |
| Pedro de la Rosa | 21 | 2005 | 2006 |
| Alexander Wurz | 8 | 2005 | |
| Felipe Massa | 45 | 2007 | 2009 |
| Luca Badoer | 2 | 2009 | |
| Giancarlo Fisichella | 5 | 2009 | |
| Romain Grosjean | 36 | 2012 | 2013 |
| Jerome d’Ambrosio | 1 | 2012 | |
| Fernando Alonso | 19 | 2014 | |
| Sebastian Vettel | 81 | 2015 | 2018 |
| Antonio Giovinazzi | 59 | 2019 | 2021 |
| Robert Kubica | 9 | 2020 | 2021 |
| Mick Schumacher | 1 | 2020 | |
| Callum Ilott | 2 | 2021 |
Race Wins
| Win Number | Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2003 Malaysian Grand Prix |
| 2 | 2004 Belgian Grand Prix |
| 3 | 2005 Spanish Grand Prix |
| 4 | 2005 Monaco Grand Prix |
| 5 | 2005 Canadian Grand Prix |
| 6 | 2005 Hungarian Grand Prix |
| 7 | 2005 Turkish Grand Prix |
| 8 | 2005 Belgian Grand Prix |
| 9 | 2005 Japanese Grand Prix |
| 10 | 2007 Australian Grand Prix |
| 11 | 2007 French Grand Prix |
| 12 | 2007 British Grand Prix |
| 13 | 2007 Belgian Grand Prix |
| 14 | 2007 Chinese Grand Prix |
| 15 | 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix |
| 16 | 2008 Malaysian Grand Prix |
| 17 | 2008 Spanish Grand Prix |
| 18 | 2009 Belgian Grand Prix |
| 19 | 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix |
| 20 | 2013 Australian Grand Prix |
| 21 | 2018 United States Grand Prix |
Complete Formula One Results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Red Bull Sauber Petronas | Sauber C20 | Petronas 01A 3.0 V10 | AUS 6 | MAL Ret | BRA Ret | SMR Ret | ESP 8 | AUT 4 | MON 10 | CAN 4 | EUR 10 | FRA 7 | GBR 5 | GER Ret | HUN 7 | BEL DNS | ITA 7 | USA Ret | JPN Ret | 10th | 9 | |||||
| 2002 | West McLaren Mercedes | McLaren MP4-17 | Mercedes FO 110M 3.0 V10 | AUS 3 | MAL Ret | BRA 12 † | SMR Ret | ESP Ret | AUT Ret | MON Ret | CAN 4 | EUR 3 | GBR Ret | FRA 2 | GER Ret | HUN 4 | BEL Ret | ITA Ret | USA Ret | JPN 3 | 6th | 24 | |||||
| 2003 | West McLaren Mercedes | McLaren MP4-17D | Mercedes FO 110M/P 3.0 V10 | AUS 3 | MAL 1 | BRA 2 | SMR 2 | ESP Ret | AUT 2 | MON 2 | CAN 6 | EUR Ret | FRA 4 | GBR 3 | GER Ret | HUN 2 | ITA 4 | USA 2 | JPN 2 | 2nd | 91 | ||||||
| 2004 | West McLaren Mercedes | McLaren MP4-19 | Mercedes FO 110Q 3.0 V10 | AUS Ret | MAL Ret | BHR Ret | SMR 8 | ESP 11 | MON Ret | EUR Ret | CAN 5 | USA 6 | 7th | 45 | |||||||||||||
| West McLaren Mercedes | McLaren MP4-19B | Mercedes FO 110Q 3.0 V10 | FRA 7 | GBR 2 | GER Ret | HUN Ret | BEL 1 | ITA Ret | CHN 3 | JPN 6 | BRA 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | West McLaren Mercedes | McLaren MP4-20 | Mercedes FO 110R 3.0 V10 | AUS 8 | MAL 9 | BHR 3 | SMR Ret | ESP 1 | MON 1 | EUR 11 † | CAN 1 | USA DNS | FRA 2 | GBR 3 | GER Ret | 2nd | 12 | ||||||||||
| Team McLaren Mercedes | McLaren MP4-20 | Mercedes FO 110R 3.0 V10 | HUN 1 | TUR 1 | ITA 4 | BEL 1 | BRA 2 | JPN 1 | CHN 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Team McLaren Mercedes | McLaren MP4-21 | Mercedes FO 108S 2.4 V8 | BHR 3 | MAL Ret | AUS 2 | SMR 5 | EUR 4 | ESP 5 | MON Ret | GBR 3 | CAN 3 | USA Ret | FRA 5 | GER 3 | HUN Ret | TUR Ret | ITA 2 | CHN Ret | JPN 5 | BRA 5 | 5th | 65 | ||||
| 2007 | Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro | Ferrari F2007 | Ferrari 056 2.4 V8 | AUS 1 | MAL 3 | BHR 3 | ESP Ret | MON 8 | CAN 5 | USA 4 | FRA 1 | GBR 1 | EUR Ret | HUN 2 | TUR 2 | ITA 3 | BEL 1 | JPN 3 | CHN 1 | BRA 1 | 1st | 110 | |||||
| 2008 | Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro | Ferrari F2008 | Ferrari 056 2.4 V8 | AUS 8 † | MAL 1 | BHR 2 | ESP 1 | TUR 3 | MON 9 | CAN Ret | FRA 2 | GBR 4 | GER 6 | HUN 3 | EUR Ret | BEL 18 † | ITA 9 | SIN 15 † | JPN 3 | CHN 3 | BRA 3 | 3rd | 75 | ||||
| 2009 | Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro | Ferrari F60 | Ferrari 056 2.4 V8 | AUS 15 † | MAL 14 | CHN 10 | BHR 6 | ESP Ret | MON 3 | TUR 9 | GBR 8 | GER Ret | HUN 2 | EUR 3 | BEL 1 | ITA 3 | SIN 10 | JPN 4 | BRA 6 | ABU 12 | 6th | 48 | |||||
| 2012 | Lotus F1 Team | Lotus E20 | Renault RS27-2012 2.4 V8 | AUS 7 | MAL 5 | CHN 14 | BHR 2 | ESP 3 | MON 9 | CAN 8 | EUR 2 | GBR 5 | GER 3 | HUN 2 | BEL 3 | ITA 5 | SIN 6 | JPN 6 | KOR 5 | IND 7 | ABU 1 | USA 6 | BRA 10 | 3rd | 207 | ||
| 2013 | Lotus F1 Team | Lotus E21 | Renault RS27-2013 2.4 V8 | AUS 1 | MAL 7 | CHN 2 | BHR 2 | ESP 2 | MON 10 | CAN 9 | GBR 5 | GER 2 | HUN 2 | BEL Ret | ITA 11 | SIN 3 | KOR 2 | JPN 5 | IND 7 | ABU Ret | USA | BRA | 5th | 183 | |||
| 2014 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari F14 T | Ferrari 059/3 1.6 V6 t | AUS 7 | MAL 12 | BHR 10 | CHN 8 | ESP 7 | MON 12 | CAN 10 | AUT 10 | GBR Ret | GER 11 | HUN 6 | BEL 4 | ITA 9 | SIN 8 | JPN 12 | RUS 9 | USA 13 | BRA 7 | ABU 10 | 12th | 55 | |||
| 2015 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari SF15-T | Ferrari 060 1.6 V6 t | AUS Ret | MAL 4 | CHN 4 | BHR 2 | ESP 5 | MON 6 | CAN 4 | AUT Ret | GBR 8 | HUN Ret | BEL 7 | ITA 5 | SIN 3 | JPN 4 | RUS 8 | USA Ret | MEX Ret | BRA 4 | ABU 3 | 4th | 150 | |||
| 2016 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari SF16-H | Ferrari 061 1.6 V6 t | AUS Ret | BHR 2 | CHN 5 | RUS 3 | ESP 2 | MON Ret | CAN 6 | EUR 4 | AUT 3 | GBR 5 | HUN 6 | GER 6 | BEL 9 | ITA 4 | SIN 4 | MAL 4 | JPN 5 | USA Ret | MEX 6 | BRA Ret | ABU 6 | 6th | 186 | |
| 2017 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari SF70H | Ferrari 062 1.6 V6 t | AUS 4 | CHN 5 | BHR 4 | RUS 3 | ESP Ret | MON 2 | CAN 7 | AZE 14 † | AUT 5 | GBR 3 | HUN 2 | BEL 4 | ITA 5 | SIN Ret | MAL DNS | JPN 5 | USA 3 | MEX 3 | BRA 3 | ABU 4 | 4th | 205 | ||
| 2018 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari SF71H | Ferrari 062 EVO 1.6 V6 t | AUS 3 | BHR Ret | CHN 3 | AZE 2 | ESP Ret | MON 4 | CAN 6 | FRA 3 | AUT 2 | GBR 3 | GER 3 | HUN 3 | BEL Ret | ITA 2 | SIN 5 | RUS 4 | JPN 5 | USA 1 | MEX 3 | BRA 3 | ABU Ret | 3rd | 251 | |
| 2019 | Alfa Romeo Racing | Alfa Romeo Racing C38 | Ferrari 064 1.6 V6 t | AUS 8 | BHR 7 | CHN 9 | AZE 10 | ESP 14 | MON 17 | CAN 15 | FRA 7 | AUT 9 | GBR 8 | GER 12 | HUN 7 | BEL 16 | ITA 15 | SIN Ret | RUS 13 | JPN 12 | MEX Ret | USA 11 | BRA 4 | ABU 13 | 12th | 43 | |
| 2020 | Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN | Alfa Romeo Racing C39 | Ferrari 065 1.6 V6 t | AUT Ret | STY 11 | HUN 15 | GBR 17 | 70A 15 | ESP 14 | BEL 12 | ITA 13 | TUS 9 | RUS 14 | EIF 12 | POR 11 | EMI 9 | TUR 15 | BHR 15 | SKH 14 | ABU 12 | 16th | 4 | |||||
| 2021 | Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN | Alfa Romeo Racing C41 | Ferrari 065/6 1.6 V6 t | BHR 11 | EMI 13 | POR Ret | ESP 12 | MON 11 | AZE 10 | FRA 17 | STY 11 | AUT 15 | GBR 15 | HUN 10 | BEL 18 | NED WD | ITA | RUS 8 | TUR 12 | USA 13 | MXC 8 | SAP 12 | QAT 14 | SAU 15 | ABU Ret | 16th | 10 |
Sources: Wikipedia.com and statsf1.com
