Finnish Kimi-Matias Raikkonen is a Formula One race car driver who competed between 2001 and 2021.
In his two-decade career, Raikkonen has driven for many esteemed companies such as Sauber, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Lots, and McLaren.
The Finnish driver won the 2007 Formula One World Championship driving for Scuderia Ferrari, which was their last World Drivers’ Championship to date.
Raikkonen won second overall in 2003 and 2005 and third overall in 2008, 2012, and 2018. The driver is only one of five drivers to have won over 100 podium finishes with a total of 103.
Raikkonen is the most successful Finnish driver in Formula One race wins as he has won over 21 Grands Prix. Raikkonen is the only Formula one driver to win in the V10, V8, and V6 turbo hybrid engine eras.
In the middle of his career, after nine seasons of Formula One racing between 2001 and 2009, Raikkonen briefly left the sport to compete in the World Rally Championship from 2009 to 2011.
The Finnish driver played a total of 21 rallies for 59 points before returning to driver a further ten seasons from 2012 to 2021 for Formula One.
Towards the end of his career, at the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix, Raikkonen broke the record for most Formula One starts.
Here Are Some Facts And Stats About The Finnish Driver
| 42 |
| $250 Million |
| Race Car Driver |
| Finnish |
| Minna-Mari Virtanen |
| 2 |
| 1 |
| 21 |
| 1873 |
| 2001 – 2021 |
What Happened To Kimi Raikkonen -Is He Sick/Ill?
Kimi Raikkonen is not sick or ill at the moment, but he had a bicycle accident when he was young that would have lasting effects.
The Finnish driver is known for having a distinctive voice that has its own separate base of fans. His iconic voice, which is a mix between a squeaky voice and a deep voice, is the result of the aforementioned accident.
When he was only five years old, Raikonnen fell and hit his neck on the bicycle handlebar, injuring his vocal cords which never fully healed.
Since the accident and the subsequent injury, Raikkonen has had his iconic voice, which has very much become a part of his persona.
Compilations of Raikonnen’s voice are very popular on video-sharing websites like Youtube and Vimeo, with hours of footage being condensed to the few moments when the Finnish driver speaks or yells.
Raikonnen is as famous for his outbursts on the track as he is for his stolidness outside of it, and his voice compliments his personality in both.
The Finnish driver hasn’t mentioned if the childhood injury affects him in any other way besides his distinct voice.
More About Kimi Raikonnen’s Accident And Its Subsequent Effects
Kimi Raikkonen’s childhood accident has become the stuff of legends due to the sheer grasp his voice has on fans.
As stated earlier, fans love the Finnish driver’s voice so much because of his behavior on and off track. On the track, his insults and outburst have earned him fans, but off track, his stoicism has earned him an equal amount of admirers.
Raikkonen is famous for his reserved personality, dislike for media interviews, and reluctance to participate in public relations.
The Finnish driver is known to answer questions bluntly with monosyllabic words frequently.
A notorious example of the race car driver’s attitude is when, in the build-up to the 2006 Brazillian Grand Prix, when Martin Brundle, the then-ITV pundit, asked Raikonnen why he missed a ceremony where football legend Pele presented Michael Schumacher with an award, Raikonnen bluntly replied that he was in the rest room.
Raikkonen’s blunt attitude and responses earned him the nickname “Iceman” early in his career.
However, his attitude wasn’t the only reason for his nickname. It had several layers of meaning.
First, it was due to his association with the cold climate of Finland.
Second, it was due to his cool temperament under pressure.
And thirdly, it was because of his ‘icy’ persona not just with the media but with other drivers and even team members.
Raikkonen seems like he is a cool, calm, and collected person; off the track, he is quick to go about his day following a race.
People have reported Raikkonen, after a terrible race where his car almost exploded, the Finnish driver simply went to his nearby yacht and relaxed in his jacuzzi.
Where Is Kimi Raikkonen Now?
Since his retirement, Kimi Raikkonen has become the team principal of the Kawasaki Racing team.
He was named the team principal for the 2022 season of the Motorcross World Championship. Knowing Raikkonen, he will take his job very seriously and not at the same time.
Raikonnen has also been driving in NASCAR, on May 26, 2022, Trackhouse Racing team announced that the Finnish driver would make his Cup series debut at the 22 Go Bowling at The Glen.
Raikkonen ended up finishing 37th due to a crash on lap 44.
Raikonnen has more than earned a quiet retirement, the kind he will most definitely like, as he has had a stellar career.
With one championship, 21 wins, 103 podium placements, career points worth 1873, 18 pole positions, and 46 fastest laps, the man has achieved almost everything a Formula One driver can ask for.
Even in his last race, Raikonnen still finished 16th, which is not the kind of placement a retiree has.
The driver has stated that his decision came about due to him wanting to spend more time with his wife, Minna-Mari “Minttu” Virtanen, and his two children.