Kimi Räikkönen already had the mischievous grin on his face when he made his Formula 1 debut at the age of 21, incredibly after only 23 junior formula races – mostly in UK Formula Renault.
Today, on his 40th birthday, the silent Finn can look back on over 300 Grands Prix, the 2007 World Championship title win with Ferrari and a total of 21 Formula 1 victories. Time to look back? Not for Räikkönen…
He’s at peace with himself, emphasises the ex-champion and says to “Sky”: “I wouldn’t want to go through it again. I’m happy to be at the end of my career.” But it’s not over with Raikkonen and Formula 1 yet: Alfa Romeo’s self confessed favourite driver is still under contract until the end of the 2020 season. What comes after that is open.
Räikkönen, for example, doesn’t rule out continuing his career even though he just turned 40. “I don’t feel that old,” he explains. “I still feel young in my head, and that’s all that matters.”
Nevertheless, he would probably simply avoid a conversation with his former self, the Formula 1 rookie Räikkönen in 2001. He would have nothing to say to himself. “I wouldn’t talk to him,” says Räikkönen.
Nevertheless, he would probably simply avoid a conversation with his former self, the Formula 1 rookie Räikkönen in 2001. He would have nothing to say to himself. “I wouldn’t talk to him,” says Räikkönen.
That suits his way of not struggling with the subject matter, but living in the here and now. That’s why he has no doubts about his own racing career, as he says. “I don’t regret anything and don’t feel the need to change anything at all.”
“Of course: You could do some things better afterwards, but also worse. Anyway, I don’t have a bad feeling about anything, otherwise I wouldn’t be here today,” explains Räikkönen. “I always go my own way.”
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