Kimi Räikkönen F1 Profile & Career Stats

Kimi Raikkonen Biography

Kimi Raikkonen driving his Sauber C20 at Monaco for the first time (2001)

Kimi Raikkonen is one of the most talented drivers to have graced this sport in the modern era.

The 2007 World Champion, of Finland, has thrilled fans worldwide during the last two decades and has become a firm favourite amongst the fans.

Starting out at Sauber in 2001 at just 21 years of age, the infamous character of Raikkonen became apparent immediately after it was discovered he had been asleep half an hour before his debut.

Nonetheless, the talent was there for all to see as he scored nine points and finished in fourth place twice.

Kimi's 1st podium 2002 Australian F1 GP

Kimi’s strong start to his F1 career was enough to raise interest from McLaren, and they immediately signed him as fellow Finn and double World Champion Mika Hakkinen’s replacement for the 2002 season.

In a year dominated by Michael Schumacher and Ferrari, Raikkonen impressed. He scored his first podium in his first race for McLaren in Australia.

Three more podiums followed as he finished the 2002 season with 24 points. He would have had many more had it not been for McLaren’s appalling reliability and Mercedes big engine problems.

The 2003 F1 season was when Raikkonen started to realise his true potential as he almost beat Schumacher to the World Championship. Malaysia, the second race of the season, was the destination for his first race win as he dominated the rest of the field. with the second-place finisher, Rubens Barrichello, finishing 39 seconds behind.

Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren MP4-18, 2003 Japanese F1 GP

He followed that up with victory in his next race in Brazil, although it was later awarded to Giancarlo Fisichella and consistent podiums in Austria, Monaco, Britain and Hungary made him a true contender. However, the McLaren didn’t have enough to compete with the stronger Ferrari and Schumacher clinched the title in Japan, despite Kimi scoring two further podiums in USA and Japan.

2004 was again dominated by Ferrari, but 2005 is arguably remembered as the best season of Kimi’s career. Seven wins and a tantalising championship fight with Fernando Alonso were enough to launch Formula 1 into a new era, with these two young drivers at the forefront.

Kimi’s lack of consistency and the car’s reliability cost him the title, despite having the fastest car for the second half of the season. McLaren failed again in 2006, as they produced a substandard car good enough for just a handful of podiums.

Kimi wins his maiden F1 drivers championship with Scuderia Ferrari

Raikkonen’s patience with the British team had run out, and he subsequently moved to Ferrari to become Schumacher’s replacement. Victory in his first race in Australia set the tone for a great season and a long title fight with the McLaren’s of Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

At the halfway point it looked an unrealistic aim to win the title, but wins in France and Britain were followed by consistent podiums and further wins in Belgium and China.

In the final race, he trailed Hamilton by seven points and after the young Brit suffered a gearbox issue it was Kimi’s title to lose. He inherited the lead from team-mate Felipe Massa and he strolled to his maiden world championship. Unfortunately Kimi became disillusioned with life in the sport and two disappointing campaigns in 2008 and 2009 brought about a premature exit and retirement from Formula 1.

Kimi Raikkonen

But after two seasons spent in Rallying with little success, the Finn succumbed to his calling and returned, with Lotus.

2012 was one of his finest seasons, and he proved many doubters wrong. Kimi had his best season in years, picking up six podiums and a single win in Abu Dhabi. With more luck on his side, it would have been more. Third in the championship was superb.

An opening day win in Australia in 2013 gave him hope for a title-winning season but a pay dispute and the form of Red Bull meant he couldn’t compete.

In 2014, Raikkonen moved back to Ferrari as Lotus struggled to afford him. A mouth-watering battle with Fernando Alonso was expected, but Ferrari produced, again, a poor car. Raikkonen struggled all season long, while Alonso managed to drive around the problems.

Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari Mexican GP F1/2016

The Finn’s reputation took a hit, but the general admission that the Ferrari was so bad has meant his place in the team was assured.

However, 2015 proved to be similar with new team-mate Sebastian Vettel scoring three wins and almost doubled the Finn's points tally.

The 2016 Ferrari was not able to make a fist to Mercedes and even Red Bull showed they could beat Ferrari again. Kimi scored 4 podiums that season and almost won the Spanish Grand Prix.

In the Spanish GP he was chasing down Red Bull's newest driver Max Verstappen for 20 laps during the final stages of the race. But the Dutchman used his skill and the downforce of the Red Bull very well in the last corner of the lap to pull away, so Kimi could not DRS him.

Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari GP ITALIA F1/2017

In 2017 the Ferrari SF70H was much better again, but the car didn't seem to suit Kimi's driving style. His Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel won 5 races with it.

Raikkonen did score 7 podiums with it, but no race win. He had some dumb collisions with Max Verstappen's Red Bull which didn't help. At the end of the 2017 F1 season, he had a giant gap of 112 points between him and his teammate Vettel.

2018 was labelled by many as probablyhis last season in Formula 1. The then 38-year-old Finn with two kids could finally laugh sometimes.

He hadn't won a single race since his return to Ferrari.

Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari winner US GP F1/2018

The 2018 F1 season brought an end on his hunger for a Formula 1 victory. He won the 2018 US Grand Prix with a great battle and tight finish. It was his only win since his return to Ferrari in 2014. His last win before the one for Ferrari was back in 2013 when he won the first race of the season for Lotus F1.

A few months before during the Italian GP the news got out that Kimi will be ousted by 2018 rookie driver Charles Leclerc. The Finnish driver who already is the oldest driver of the grid with 39 signed a two-year contract at his debut team Sauber. The team was rebranded to Alfa Romeo Racing for the 2019 season.

His teammate for 2019 would be Italian rookie driver Antonio Giovinazzi. Together with the Alfa Romeo brand the coolest drivers of the 2019 grid.

The 2019 season started off with great performances from the Finnish champion, who finished on the points in the first four races, with a 7th-place finish as his best result for Alfa Romeo, achieved in Bahrain in the 31st of March. Then, he had three tough races in Spain, Monaco and Canada, where he did not score points. After that negative streak, he went back to his great form, adding points in four of the last five Grands Prix before the summer break and finishing 7th twice, at France and Budapest.

RAIKKONEN Kimi (fin), Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN C39, action during the Formula 1 Pirelli Gran Premio Della Toscana Ferrari 1000, 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix

At the end of the first half of 2019, Kimi scored 31 of Alfa Romeo's 32 points in the championship and had established himself as a candidate to lead the midfield. Definitely a solid start of the campaign for the Flying Finn.

The second half of 2019 was totally different for Raikkonen and Alfa Romeo, with the 2007 champion scoring points only once in the latter half of the year. His best finish of the season, however, occurred at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix, where he led a 4-5 finish for the team.

Raikkonen finished 2019 12th in the WDC with 43 points.

The Ferrari-powered teams struggled in 2020 and Alfa Romeo could not enjoy Raikkonen's consistency from 2019 in the 2020 season. Still, The 2007 World Champion scored two ninth places in the 2020 Tuscan GP and the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Final F1 season for the 2007 World Champion

RAIKKONEN Kimi (fin), Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN C41, farewell decoration on the car during the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021, 22th round of the 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship from December 10 to 12, 2021 on the Yas Marina Circuit, in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi - Photo Florent Gooden / DPPI

In 2021 Raikkonen started his 19th F1 season and stayed with Alfa Romeo. Antonio Giovianzzi still was his teammate, Giovinazzi had improved now, but still was on par with the Finn in terms of finishing positions and points. He did out-qualify Raikkonen a bit more, but the C40 wasn't very competitive and halfway the season the team only scored 3 points. Two by Raikkonen and 1 by Giovinazzi.

But it was Raikkonen who was starting to make strange mistakes we never had seen before. He drove in to the back of Vettel's car in last lap of the Austrian GP and even hit the pit wall when he entered the pits at Spa-Francorchamps during first free practice.

After the very enjoying 2021 Belgian GP (you know the one that never started and was suddenly over after 2 laps behind the safety car in the rain) his F1 enjoyment must have come to an all-time low to call it quits.

On the first of September 2021, the news got out that the legendary and now 41 years old 'Iceman' will quit driving in F1, to find enjoyment in something else.

In his final Formula 1 campaign, the 2007 F1 World Champion finished in 16th place in the WDC with 10 points. He scored points in four races and scored more points than his teammate Antonio Giovinazzi (10-3) throughout the season.

Kimi Raikkonen Helmets

Kimi Raikkonen F1 Cars

Kimi Raikkonen Championship Results

1× World Championship2007–2007 · Ferrari

One title, won in 2007 with Ferrari.

• 2007Ferrari110 pts1 clear of Lewis Hamiltonsealed at 2007 Brazilian F1 GP

Kimi Raikkonen F1 Championship Summary

Year	Team	Engine	GP	1st	2nd	3rd	Pod	Pole	Laps	FL	Avg Pts	Points
2021	Alfa Romeo	Ferrari	20	0	0	0	0	0	1061	0	0.50	10
2020	Alfa Romeo	Ferrari	17	0	0	0	0	0	1009	0	0.24	4
2019	Alfa Romeo	Ferrari	21	0	0	0	0	0	1224	0	2.05	43
2018	Ferrari	Ferrari	21	1	3	8	12	1	1117	1	11.95	251
2017	Ferrari	Ferrari	19	0	2	5	7	1	1011	2	10.79	205
2016	Ferrari	Ferrari	21	0	2	2	4	0	1094	1	8.86	186
2015	Ferrari	Ferrari	19	0	1	2	3	0	964	2	7.89	150
2014	Ferrari	Ferrari	19	0	0	0	0	0	1077	1	2.89	55
2013	Lotus F1	Renault	17	1	6	1	8	0	929	2	10.76	183
2012	Lotus F1	Renault	20	1	3	3	7	0	1191	2	10.35	207
2009	Ferrari	Ferrari	17	1	1	3	5	0	910	0	2.82	48
2008	Ferrari	Ferrari	18	2	2	5	9	2	1042	10	4.17	75
2007 🏆	Ferrari	Ferrari	17	6	2	4	12	3	982	6	6.47	110
2006	McLaren	Mercedes	18	0	2	4	6	3	840	3	3.61	65
2005	McLaren	Mercedes	18	7	3	2	12	5	1018	10	6.22	112
2004	McLaren	Mercedes	18	1	2	1	4	1	752	2	2.50	45
2003	McLaren	Mercedes	16	1	7	2	10	2	851	3	5.69	91
2002	McLaren	Mercedes	17	0	1	3	4	0	792	1	1.41	24
2001	Sauber	Petronas	16	0	0	0	0	0	756	0	0.56	9

Latest Kimi Raikkonen News

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  10 Sep

  Salo: Raikkonen's son joins Red Bull at a calmer time

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  9 Sep

  Red Bull starts Robin Raikkonen's long road to Formula 1

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  7 Sep

  Is Raikkonen's young son now heading into Red Bull's academy?

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  27 Aug

  Raikkonen's son closing in on an F1 academy deal

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  24 Aug

  On This Day in F1 History: Alonso's Maiden Win at

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  1 Jun

  On This Day in 2003: Montoya Wins at Monaco

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  27 May

  Raikkonen breaks his silence on 'the other Kimi'

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  4 May

  On This Day in F1 History: Schumacher Dominates Barcelona

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  19 Mar

  Antonelli Celebrates Win Amidst Hilarious Raikkonen Mix-Up

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  7 Jul 2025

  Inside F1: Toto Wolff's Surprising Confession About Kimi Raikkonen

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