Kimi Raikkonen’s career in video (Part 2)

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Kimi Raikkonen won the 2007 championship in dramatic fashion

F1 Fanatic guest writer Journeyer concludes his look at Kimi Raikkonen’s F1 career so far…

Kimi Raikkonen is known by many to be fast and good-looking. But he’s also an enigma – he’s not exactly outgoing, and he shuns PR events.

As Raikkonen’s lustre in F1 began to wane, many questioned his commitment to the sport. He’s also been involved in some of the worst-kept secrets in F1 history. But his achievements on track were still amazing.

2005 – If in 2003 he had a reliable but slow car, Raikkonen now had a fast but unreliable car for his second proper title charge. His lowest low that year took place on the last lap in the European Grand Prix. Having flat-spotted his tyre severely, he and the team gambled on staying out to fight for the win. But the Renault of Fernando Alonso was closing in. Here’s what happened:

Japan saw Raikkonen’s highest high that year – and it also happened on the last lap. He had to fight all race to get to the front after an unlucky wet-dry qualifying. Now, he was closing on the Renault of Giancarlo Fisichella. Raikkonen tried to hold him off, but something had to give…

2006 – Raikkonen’s car wasn’t quite on the pace of Ferrari and Renault that year, but it didn’t stop him being in the news. By the time we got to Brazil, the worst-kept secret of the year had long been confirmed – Raikkonen was replacing Schumacher at Ferrari. That said, he wasn’t going to be any more deferential to Schumacher than he already was. Remember this grid walk from Interlagos?

But on the track, Schumacher gave Raikkonen something to remember him by. It was a great fight, but in the end, the Ferrari driver squeezed past the McLaren.

2007 – Entering 2007, Raikkonen was the hot favourite to win the title – and he initially confirmed it by winning in Australia. But McLaren’s ascendancy since then made it seem unlikely. But he stayed in range by winning semi-regularly. He also won in Belgium for the third time in succession. Here’s his pole position lap onboard.

With two races to go Raikkonen was 17 points behind and, surely, out of contention. But with a little help from Lewis Hamilton’s misfortune, Raikkonen found himself crossing the line in Brazil as the world champion. Almost no-one saw it coming – and many were pleasantly surprised by the result:

2008 – His title defence year began relatively well – he won in Malaysia, then won again in Spain. His Barcelona pole lap is shown here. Little did we know that he wouldn’t win another race that season. In fact, he hasn’t won a race since.

The closest Raikkonen has come to winning a race since was at Spa last year. And he did lead much of the race after passing Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton early on. But as the conditions deteriorated, Hamilton fought back, and we witnessed the most exciting and controversial moment of the season.

2009 – This hasn’t been a vintage season for Raikkonen – or Ferrari, for that matter. He’s scored a few podiums, but the car just isn’t fast enough for him to compete for wins. That said, Raikkonen still has the occasional moment of brilliance. He has also used KERS to full advantage to rocket off the grid during race starts. Here’s one such example in Hungary just a few weeks ago.

So what does the future hold for Kimi Raikkonen? This could be the answer – rallying. He took part in his first WRC event this year in Rally Finland, competing in a Fiat Abarth. World Rally Radio reported that many in the WRC paddock have been praising Kimi’s speed right off the bat. He’s rumoured to have received offers from Ford and Citroen, but there’s also a suggestion he could be leading a full-time Fiat effort from next season.

All this would conveniently open the door for Fernando Alonso to move to Ferrari next season. With many people believing this to be true, this is looking like another one of those badly-kept secrets.

Whatever Raikkonen wants to do, he’ll always have a love for racing. And even if we know precious little about Raikkonen, his speed and his love of racing (even if it isn’t F1) should make us support him all the more.

11 comments on “Kimi Raikkonen’s career in video (Part 2)”

  1. It’s still in him. Just look at the video of young RK and his kart – he is still the same, he had that passion back then, he has it now. It’s only his personality that makes people not to see things right (im refering to all this “he dont care anymore” talks).

  2. tbh, I think MS and Alonso are no more friendly than Kimi. MS never did interviews or he did private, whereas Kimi did. Alonso is never at media events, Kimi always is.

    Kimi also had a chance to win @ france and canada, but dnfs. Also, japan until Hamilton kamikazebombed him in the first turn. Also, a few others where just he got stuck behind low fueled bmw, renault or mclarens.

    same at silverstone, where MASSA did a apparently a amazing run whereas kimi got stuck behind the trulli train, which he would have been in front of Massa if not.

    Kimi should stay in Ferrari with Massa getting the boot, as he has had 4 years and brought nothing other than low fuel poles and lackluster races.

    1. And Massa delivered 11 race victories?

  3. Agreed mate.
    whatever his future holds, he’ll be at the top
    Give Alonso Massa’s seat and i can say for next year with confidence, Kimi will beat him any day and he is way better more efficient aggressive than alonso

    Hope Kimi leaves Ferrari and wins the WDC in some other team and continues

  4. recent interviews with Kimi have me believing that Kimi will stay in F1 no matter what.

    He said that he is still young and his career is in F1. He even mentioned that if its not a drive with Ferrari it will be another team.

    Could he come back to McLaren? That would be great fun for Lewis.

    1. I’ve heard that too and if Alonso goes to Ferrari in Kimi’s place, I really believe and hope he return’s to McLaren. I’d love to see him winning there again, specially over Alonso and Hamilton. Either way, I’ll always support Kimi. Unfortunately, his misfortune is as high as his talent.

  5. There was recently an interview of Kimi on finnish tv. The reporter asked him something about Alonso taking his Ferrari seat and he just said something like:”I have a contract and that’s all I know. I’ll always find a car on this pitlane if I want to.” He’s apparently sick of these Alonso-rumors and so am I. It just makes no sense. Kimi’s been great this year. And where’s Alonso? The man who is “so great at making the car better”? Two years and the car still sucks..? Spanish press annoys me greatly…

    1. Same opinion here!

  6. Nice videos! I have to admit that I am tired too of all the speculation concerning Alonso and his ‘proposed’ move to Ferrari. Many of us, myself included, have questioned Raikkonen’s commitment in Formula One, but could it be that he has just ‘had enough’ of being in the supposed hottest seat in Formula One?
    Lets face it, to drive the same car vacated by the sports most illustrious world champion is always going to have a downside to it, ATTENTION! Attention from everybody, from the media and the fans, the expectation must be enormous.
    Eddie Jordan touched on this recently in an interview, saying that Schumacher’s Ferrari drive was the ‘envy of every driver in the pitlane’. Very true, but isn’t Raikkonen the kind of guy who shuns the spotlight?
    The type of person who would rather bathe in sulphuric acid than talk to the media?
    It all sounds very un-Kimi, but he knew three years ago that his best hope of becoming champion was with the Scuderia and thats that. The baggage that came with it, would just have to be tolerated.
    Then there is Schumacher himself. The supposed ‘retired’ seven time champion, almost as visable during race weekends as the man who replaced him. I have often wondered how Raikkonen deals with this constant reminder of what is expected of him. This aspect has, and will always make me suspicious. I have always felt that it is Michael’s reminder to the team, and Raikkonen, that his departure was not of his making.
    I for one, would love to see Kimi continue in F1, but not at Ferrari. I suspect that he will go, possibly, to a team like Brawn Gp as they offer a car that is victory worthy. Whatever happens in the championship, I think Rubens Barrichello will quit at the end of 2009.
    Brawn Gp would be a step down a little, but not as big as running for a backmarker team.

  7. i think Kimi has a contract with ferrari till 2010 season and i am sick of these reports of alonso joining ferrari next season….i would love see kimi joining mclaren or brawn next season and beat alonso and lewis once again….

    1. I don’t believe Kimi would go to Brawn, specially if they don’t win the titles. It’s more likely for him to go to McLaren in Kova’s place. Let’s see what happens. Soon the speculations are over.

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