Kimi Raikkonen Biography

Once the bad-boy party animal on the grid, Kimi Raikkonen is now its elder statesman ,but the Finn's passion for racing remains undimmed as he embarks on a new challenge with Alfa Romeo, returning to the guidance of Sauber – the team with which he debuted in Formula 1 some 18 years prior. Having raced for Ferrari and McLaren, against legends across different eras of the sport, Raikkonen is from a long line of successful Finns in F1 and has cemented himself as one of the most popular drivers among fans, particularly owing to his short and sharp approach to media duties – just what was he doing during Pele's presentation at the 2006 Brazilian GP again…?

Sauber and McLaren

Raikkonen made his debut in 2001 with Sauber, his maiden F1 outing in Australia was just the 24th car race of his entire career, although he had impressed Peter Sauber in a test the previous year and he was once again on form in Melbourne, scoring a point on debut. Four points scores were achieved over the year, attracting the interest of McLaren, needing a replacement for Mika Hakkinen, who reportedly told his bosses: "If you want to win, get the Finn."