From the dazzling drives on the track to his notorious personality off it, Kimi Raikkonen, 40 today, is one of a kind...
Friday 18 October 2019 14:34, UK
"I'm happy to be more close to the end part than the beginning," Kimi Raikkonen told Sky F1 as he moved towards another F1 milestone.
While racing well into their 40s and even early 50s used to be the norm for Formula 1 drivers, the sport is getting younger and younger and in 2019, only half of the grid are aged 25 or below. Four of them even made their debuts as teenagers.
But Raikkonen, 40 today, has always done things a little bit differently.
Just like when Raikkonen stood out when he arrived in F1 in 2001 as a fresh-faced youngster with little racing experience, he stands out now as the seasoned veteran who, after Michael Schumacher and Pedro De La Rosa, is only the third active driver to hit 40 this millennium.
308 races into an astonishing F1 career, Raikkonen is still racing hard today at Alfa Romeo and is one of the most-loved drivers on the grid. And that's not just because of the incredible drives and numbers on the track - Kimi has 21 race wins and one world championship - but also that notorious, frequently dismissive, one-of-a-kind personality off it.
From quick wit, to that famous 'bwoah' during his disliked media interviews, to hilarious radio outbursts - and even now a booming Instagram account - the Iceman has gained a cult following and, for a man of so few words, has become an icon of the sport.
Happy birthday, Kimi.
Raikkonen was met with scepticism when he made his F1 debut with Sauber back in 2001, as never before had a driver arrived in motorsport's premier category with just 23 single-seater races under their belt. After all, a modern F2 championship contains 24 races per season alone.
Kimi didn't even compete in F1's feeder series, but in the lesser-known Formula Renault, which he joined straight after karting.
But a sensational rookie season with Sauber tempted McLaren to make him their new Finn after Mika Hakkinen's sabbatical and in 2003, he pushed the dominant Michael Schumacher all the way.
Raikkonen was regularly cited as the quickest man in F1 during a thrilling five years with McLaren and were it not for mechanical failures, he would likely have won his first title with the Woking team. Instead, he found immediate success at Ferrari when leaving McLaren at the end of 2006, filling the void left by Schumacher at the Scuderia.
He won on his debut in red in Australia and, after the in-fighting at McLaren with Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, incredibly won the 2007 title despite being 17 points behind with only 20 to play for.
Two disappointing seasons followed, however, and - although many teams were after his services when he left Ferrari -Raikkonen opted for a brief career in rallying where he experienced mixed success.
The desire was always there for an F1 return in 2012 Raikkonen joined Lotus, who were by no means a leading team. But Kimi won two races in his two years there, quickly re-establishing himself as a top-tier driver and earning another move to Ferrari, where he felt there was unfinished business.
Raikkonen was invariably beaten in qualifying and races by team-mates Alonso and more recently Sebastian Vettel, while Ferrari couldn't match Mercedes - the dominant team since 2014. Raikkonen, with his 25 podiums in five years, would have been a valuable commodity if Ferrari had been in the running for a constructors' title in any of those seasons.
When Raikkonen was told he was to be replaced by Charles Leclerc during the 2018 season, many would have expected, at the age of 38, a retirement and a dip in form. But Kimi immediately agreed a two-year deal with Alfa Romeo, formerly Sauber, and then signed off with an epic victory at the United States GP - his first since returning to Ferrari.
This year, Raikkonen has shown no signs of slowing down at Alfa Romeo and is the midfield outfit's leader, scoring eight points finishes before the summer break, after which their pace has dropped off.
Raikkonen sat down for an insightful interview with Sky F1's Rachel Brookes at the Japanese GP as he reflected on his career, insisting he wouldn't change a single moment.
"I have no regrets and I would absolutely change nothing," he explained.
"You always learn. Maybe some things you could do better, some are worse, but I have no bad feelings and I wouldn't be here today if I didn't do all the things I wanted to do."
He also gave a typically dismissive response when asked how he would welcome his own inexperienced self to the grid in 2019. "I wouldn't talk to him," he joked.
Raikkonen added: "I wouldn't want to do it again, that's for sure.
"I'm happy to be more close to the end part than the beginning. Obviously when I started, I was young at that time but not so young if you look at other drivers now starting.
"Life has changed a bit and I think in any sport they keep starting younger and younger, but I wouldn't want to do it again."
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