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Apart from Kimi Raikkonen, no other driver contesting on the grand stage of Formula One has ever secured a racing license from the FIA with just 23 prior races under his belt. Known for his constant cool demeanour and hiding aces up his sleeve, Raikkonen's cult persona precedes him wherever he goes.
Raikkonen, or the Iceman as he is popularly known, debuted with the German-Malaysian Sauber-Petronas team way back in 2001. He had previously found success in the Karting Championships and Renault 2000. With a slew of impressive performances and an amazingly calm and mature mien, several said that Raikkonen was destined for greatness.
Now into his 14th Formula One season, Raikkonen hasn't let the critics get the better of him despite disappointments. He may not be the Iceman of the glory days of 2007, where Kimi was not just Maranello's poster boy for winning the FIA World Championship by a margin as narrow as a single point, but even today, his presence continues to fill stands and fans cheer slogans of "Go Kimi" in undying support of their idol.
Ice-cold and laid back, with pithy responses to the media that can't get enough of him, Raikkonen is known for his commanding presence that eases Formula One's immensely competitive air. His presence as one of the most authentic characters on the circuit is a pleasant reminder that not all is not contrived and unconvincing about Formula One's extremely commercial and superficial world.
Raikkonen will soon be 36, and is already the oldest driver on the grid. At a time when young guns like Daniil Kvyat of Infiniti Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso's Max Verstappen are occupying F1 headlines, Kimi's nonchalant presence continues to make headlines.
He may not be a master of qualifying, a concern that has caused many a headache for Ferrari Team Principal Arrivabene as well as Kimi himself. He continues to have stiff problems that persist in the 2015 season, but on race day, Raikkonen transforms himself into something else entirely.
He lifts his game up to power with impressive speeds in the Ferrari, a phenomenon that has enabled the Finn to gather 1 podium and two 4th place finishes already this year, a vast improvement from a hugely disappointing 2014 season, where he had no podium spots or pole positions, setting only one fastest lap, at Monaco. In a significant step up since, he already has set the fastest laps at Canada and Bahrain this year.
To understand Kimi Raikkonen, the way he is, why he is so loved and just what makes him the unperturbed and carefree star of F1 that we know, it is important to look beyond adjectives and stare deep into some statistics.
A great stint with McLaren
Raikkonen first caught the attention of F1 legend Ron Dennis, who brought him into McLaren for the 2002 season. He was awestruck by the young Finn's blitzy speed during a 3-day test practice done specifically to recruit a younger driver.
Not many would have guessed that Raikkonen would replace the original Flying Finn, Mika Hakkinen, who was set to leave the popular race outfit at the end of 2001. After just a single year at Sauber where he impressed, if not amazed during his debut race at Australia, Raikkonen and McLaren would go on to forge a rewarding partnership, that gave worldwide fans its new racing star from Finland.
Raikkonen stayed with McLaren for 5 years from 2002 to 2006, a period during which he transformed from being a shy and reserved racer into becoming a supremely fast speedster.
By securing a podium in his very first race with team Mclaren, Kimi would go onto reward Dennis' faith in his rookie driver. The world took notice of this event at Australia in 2002 as did Raikkonen’s nervous contemporaries, some of whom still cannot beat him in raw pace out there.
He finished as the runner up with McLaren in 2003 and 2005 despite not having the best car at his disposal in the latter season.
His amazing technical skill not just impressed Michael Schumacher, but reminded Fernando Alonso that he would now have to contest with a man who could not be taken lightly in the upcoming years. Raikkonen excelled at Japan in 2005 in what many call the most amazing Kimi Raikkonen moment in F1.
He started 17th on the grid at Suzuka, now also known as the ill-fated circuit that brought down the curtains on Jules Bianchi's young and short-lived career and, by the time it was the final lap, he went on to overtake Giancharlo Fisichella on turn 1 in what became an extraordinary racing spectacle, acing his McLaren towards the chequered flag.
Even though he failed to impress at circuits like Singapore, where he first contested in its inaugural race in 2008, at the United States or Korea, he reserved his best for topsy-turvy circuits, securing glory during difficult conditions whilst making his name synonymous with speed.
Some of his best race performances came at Monaco in 2005 and at the 2008 Turkish Grand Prix, which Raikkonen claimed in clinical fashion. He was fastest at Silverstone during the McLaren years, and would ring in more recognition for his exploits at Hungaroring and Suzuka, two of the most grueling tests for any racers' caliber. He still holds the world record for the fastest ever lap at the Japanese circuit, a feat he achieved at the track in 2005.
Raikkonen's greatest successes of all time have come at the deceptive but equally beautiful circuit of Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium with 4 overall wins, 2 each with McLaren and Ferrari.
Bringing home glory with Ferrari
From McLaren, Raikkonen moved on to racing for the Prancing Horse, signing to the Maranello-based outfit in 2007. This was to be the year where Ferrari last climbed the up hill task of securing yet another Formula One World Championship, nd the solitary reason for this sparkling triumph would be the Iceman himself. The team have not won a championship since.
In a staggeringly successful race season where Raikkonen bagged the World Championship for Ferrari, his only one in a 14-year career, he came out of nowhere at Brazil's Interlagos circuit and slipped past Hamilton by one point. He won 6 races in all that year, and in so doing, broke French racing legend Alain Prost's world record of 5 wins in a year for Ferrari.
In many ways, Ferrari and Raikkonen would become astonishingly successful powers that aligned to each other’s fortunes. By winning at China that year, Kimi gave Ferrari its 200th win. He also became the only driver in the history of Formula One racing to win the world championship while entering the decisive race standing in 3rd in the drivers standings – this was the case during the epic win at Brazil. Amidst such lofty achievements, one commonly forgets that Raikkonen to this day remains the only driver to have won a World Championship for Ferrari in his debut year. F1 stalwarts like Lauda, Schumacher and Prost, who each went on to win multiple championships and are regarded as legends of the sport, have not attained this feat.
While many expected the Iceman to repeat his glorious form post-2007, it didn't exactly turn out to be hugely fascinating for him and his fans. In 2008, he had at his disposal a slow and painfully underpowered car when compared to those of Sauber, McLaren and Red Bull.
In 2009, as he scored the first racing points for Ferrari by finishing 6th at Bahrain, he went on to register the only glory for the Ferrari F60 by winning a smashing race whilst competing in rain, where he outpaced Giancharlo Fisichella and Hamilton at Eau Rouge, one of the most tricky parts of Spa- Francorchamps' elaborately challenging circuit.
Hiatus from F1
Raikkonen took a break from Formula One following an unsuccessful 2009 season and said to interviewers about his decision, " It's not the end of the world and it's not that I am crying. I achieved something I wanted and now, it's time to do something else. I am not sad".
Fans and critics who were no stranger to the phenomenon noted that something was not right. While Raikkonen may not have been sad at his literal ouster from Ferrari who picked up double world champion Fernando Alonso, Kimi left in his wake racing fans who missed him dearly for two years.
Raikkonen is not one to slide away into oblivion. He impressed those who thought he was done with racing by securing impressive points in the extremely demanding World Rally Championships. During his 2 year stint in the high demanding sport, he did everything possible to test himself and entertain rally fans. He chased the finish line against the clock timing, crashed out on multiple occassions and despite suffering some accidents, emerged unscathed and cool as ever.
He even went on to win a rally in Europe and managed some impressive showings in what he described as "racing against the clock".
Completely surprising critics who couldn't resist predicting the downfall of the capable racer, Raikkonen resurfaced out of nowhere in 2012. Securing a contract with Lotus, the Iceman was once again back to cool the heat of Formula One.
Not one to back out of challenges or allow contemporaries to take him for granted, Raikkonen, partnered by Frenchman Romain Grosjean, powered his Lotus to many supremely commanding race finishes.
The return of the Iceman
Kimi’s grand moment came during the night race at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina circuit and following Lewis Hamilton's suspension failure in the final laps, he sensed a real opportunity. From the moment following Hamilton's race retirement, Raikkonen held on to the final lap and came and did what even Michael Schumacher failed to do – secure a victory in his comeback season in F1. In the process, he helped Lotus regain some of its own lost glory.
Raikkonen was still hungry for success though critics questioned his abilities and motivation. Holding his own, he finished 2012 season standing ever so silently at the glowing 3rd spot in the drivers standings.
The following year, he lifted his Lotus to yet another triumph by unexpectedly snatching victory in a smooth drive at the season opener in Australia. Raikkonen's post mid season form succumbed and some back issues further compounded his troubles, but this did not stop the Iceman from securing 5th place in year ending standings. This is when he set the fastest lap at India that year, but failed to compete in the final 2 races of 2013 as he had back surgery.
Second homecoming at Ferrari
Without a doubt, the highly controversial and widely debated stance of favouring Alonso all through the 2014 season did Raikkonen no good. It thwarted the hyped "Fire and Ice" combination, reducing it to being promising only on paper. In what was clearly his worst ever F1 season, Raikkonen failed to impress his fans.
While his car was an under-powered one that had just the kind of front end that Kimi hated, as it didn't match his driving style, he ended 12th on the overall charts, but not before setting the fastest lap record in Monaco that same year.
The Iceman's unfailing charm is as strong as it ever was. And, to top it all, he is back with great spirits, amidst what can be called a fairly impressive showing in his second straight year with Ferrari. This time, the car is a significant improvement over the disappointment of last season. In 2015 and after 10 races, Raikkonen stands a lot better at 5th position and has all the time in the world to further build up on the lead over Williams and Red Bull, his clear competitors in the remainder of the season.
The action will resume at Spa Francorchamps this Sunday, where Raikkonen's past successes may just help him further lift his form and mood, the latter on the upswing following Ferrari's announcement that they have decided to retain their glorious and last World champion for 2016.
Any other driver could see it all go bad with the weight of such significant expectations on their shoulders, but the Finn is solidly unflappable. More eyes will now be closely following his turns on the sharp corners that lie ahead to be conquered.
Those who still doubt his potential must see the resolve that still persists in those light eyes.
