Who is Robin Ace Raikkonen? All about Kimi Raikkonen's son, who aims to be the next Max Verstappen

Kimi Raikkonen might have retired from F1 in 2021, but F1 hasn't left his family, as his son Robin Ace Raikkonen carries the torch. The 2007 F1 champion's 10-year-old son is well on his way to the pinnacle of motorsport and will stop at nothing less than emulating reigning and four-time champ Max Verstappen.

Ace is in his early karting years and has already made significant progress. In September 2024, he won his first major championship. He won the Swiss RMC karting championship in the Min Max category, with a podium finish in the final round of the season in Wohlen.

Besides the perk of having an F1 champion dad as his mechanic, Raikkonen Jr has another ace up his sleeve. His godfather is a former Ferrari senior manager who was a pivotal figure in the team's most dominant F1 spree with Michael Schumacher in the early 2000s.

Robin Ace Raikkonen's godfather reveals Max Verstappen inspiration

Gino Rosato with Max Verstappen at the F1 Grand Prix of Miami - Source: Getty

Robin Ace Raikkonen's godfather is none other than Gino Rosato, a former mechanic and senior figure at Ferrari. Rosato spent nearly three decades with the Scuderia and won multiple championships, including five straight titles with Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen's 2007 run.

Rosato also worked alongside Sebastian Vettel and was the driving force behind the Italian team signing Charles Leclerc. The 53-year-old has seen Kimi Raikkonen's son rise through the ranks in karting, and is convinced that his driving in F1 is a matter of when, not if.

Rosato spoke about Robin Ace Raikkonen's raw pace and his idolizing Max Verstappen in an appearance on the Pitstop podcast.

"It's pretty cool to see the similarities with Kimi, that love for just speed, speed, speed. The kid is incredibly quick. They have no fear of anything. The kid's idea is to become the next Verstappen," the former Ferrari icon said.

Elaborating on Kimi Raikkonen and his wife's attitude towards Ace's career, Rosato added:

"Kimi doesn't make nothing of it. If he goes quick when he goes to to F1, good. If he doesn't, well, he doesn't. They are not these crazy parents headed off and (saying), 'Oh my god, I got the next Senna in my hands.' All of that together, if it continues on the right track... he has the best coach on the planet. (He's) grounded, with the Raikkonen genes. Let's see what happens, but I'm convinced that we're going to F1."

Young Robin Ace Raikkonen met his F1 idol, Verstappen, in September last year, during the Italian GP weekend. Gino Rosato shared a photo of the meeting between him, the Raikkonen family, and the Red Bull champ on Instagram.

Kimi Raikkonen is clear about the "main thing" son Robin Ace Raikkonen needs to focus on

Kimi Raikkonen with his son at the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary - Qualifying - Source: Getty

When Kimi Raikkonen visited the F1 paddock in Monza last year, the former Ferrari and Alfa Romeo driver spoke about his son's racing dreams. When F1.com asked him about the chances of his son Robin making it to F1, the 21-time Grand Prix winner replied:

"Ah, he’s enjoying. Everything is going nicely. We’ll see. If something comes or not, who knows? But he’s having fun – that’s the main thing."

Robin Ace Raikkonen could become the next F1 driver whose career was born as a result of his father's racing dreams materializing. His idol, Max Verstappen, became the most recent driver to add his name to that category after his F1 debut in 2015.