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On Sunday, at the Nürburgring, Kimi Räikkönen will set the record for the most Formula 1 starts. A special report dedicated to “Iceman” looks back at the early days of his F1 career, from 2001 to 2009.
Born on October 17, 1979, in Espoo, a suburb of Helsinki, Kimi Räikkönen entered Formula 1 as an atypical talent. He made his Grand Prix debut without ever having obtained a full super license. At the age of 21, he took part in the first free practice session of the 2001 Australian Grand Prix, with only two seasons of Formula Renault and several years of karting under his belt.
A promising start at Sauber
Despite his limited experience, Sauber offered him a seat for the 2001 season alongside Nick Heidfeld, the Mercedes-backed driver who was already tipped for a future at McLaren. In his first race, the Finnish rookie qualified in 13th position and scored his first point by finishing sixth (at the time, only the top six received points). He finished the season in 10th place overall with nine points, including two fourth-place finishes. Although Heidfeld remained ahead of him in the standings, Räikkönen's performances caught the attention of Ron Dennis, who signed the young Finn to replace double champion Mika Häkkinen, who was retiring, at McLaren for 2002.
Performance, but no title at McLaren
In 2002, Räikkönen was tasked with supporting David Coulthard. Even with an average car, he matched his experienced teammate. He nearly claimed his first victory at the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours, leading until five laps from the finish, but an oil leak and a small braking error at the Adelaide hairpin handed the victory to Michael Schumacher, leaving Räikkönen second. The following year, the McLaren was essentially an evolution of the previous model, but its reliability had improved. Starting in seventh position in Malaysia, he took advantage of his rivals' retirements, implemented a smart two-stop strategy, and won his first Grand Prix victory at the age of 23 years, 5 months, and 6 days.
The 2003 season continued in the same vein: Räikkönen finished on the podium ten times and fought for the championship against Michael Schumacher until the final race at Suzuka, ultimately falling three points short. Räikkönen claimed his first victory at the 2003 Malaysian Grand Prix, aged just 23! However, consistency proved difficult to achieve. In 2004, the MP4-19 suffered from reliability issues. After a series of retirements, the improved MP4-19B made its debut at the French Grand Prix, offering enough durability to allow Räikkönen to take victory at Spa-Francorchamps, a circuit that would become his favorite and where he would go on to claim three more wins. He finished the 2004 season in seventh place.
The 2005 season was marked by tensions with his fiery teammate Juan Pablo Montoya and a chaotic McLaren chassis. Nevertheless, Räikkönen had a memorable race at the Japanese Grand Prix, starting from 17th position and winning on the last lap by overtaking Giancarlo Fisichella's Renault. His exuberant celebration in the parc fermé remains iconic. He again finished second in the drivers' championship, this time behind Fernando Alonso. The year 2006 brought further disappointment. With McLaren unable to provide a car capable of winning, Räikkönen finished the year in fifth place overall without a single victory. One of the most memorable moments of the season came after his engine failed in Monaco: instead of returning to the garage, he went straight to his yacht to rest.
Was the “Iceman” already losing patience with McLaren? A few months later, he answered the call from Scuderia Ferrari, signing a contract for 2007 to replace Michael Schumacher, the Red Baron himself, who was retiring.
The 2007 Formula 1 season will forever be remembered as a year in which internal struggles overshadowed the machines themselves, and Kimi Räikkönen's unexpected triumph was the final act in this drama. While the Finnish driver made a sensational debut with a flawless start for Ferrari (pole position, fastest lap, and victory at the Australian Grand Prix), the real story unfolded off the track. His teammate Felipe Massa and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso of McLaren posted consistent performances, while rookie Lewis Hamilton, who had taken Räikkönen's place at McLaren the previous year, added an extra layer of tension.
Räikkönen's confidence soared after a dominant victory in France, followed by a decisive win at Silverstone that put him ahead of Massa in the standings. Meanwhile, the rivalry between Hamilton and Alonso at McLaren was becoming increasingly toxic, with the two drivers engaged in a psychological duel that distracted the team from the championship battle. This discord proved advantageous for the Finn, who dug deep in the race as the season reached its climax.
The Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos became the ultimate three-way showdown. A puncture for Hamilton at the start allowed Räikkönen to take the lead, which he held on to for his 15th career victory, his fifth of the year, securing the drivers' championship title by a single point. It was a historic moment for Ferrari: the championship was only decided after the opening and closing races, and it was the last drivers' title won by the Scuderia for many years. The following year began auspiciously. Sporting the number 1, Räikkönen started the 2008 season with a victory in Spain, taking a nine-point lead over Hamilton. But that victory proved to be his only one of the season. A tense exchange with photographer Paul-Henri Cahier on the starting grid at Silverstone hinted at growing frustration, and a costly mistake at Spa-Francorchamps—a crash at Blanchimont on the penultimate lap—dashed his title hopes. He finished the year third in the standings, 23 points behind the champion, while Hamilton celebrated his first world title. In 2009, the Ferrari package weakened, preventing Räikkönen and Massa from getting the most out of their car. The Finn's only highlight was his victory at Spa, which earned him the nickname “King of Spa,” but the season ended with a sixth-place finish in the overall standings, without a single pole position or fastest lap. With a contract for 2010 on the table, Ferrari opted for a change, replacing Räikkönen with Fernando Alonso. Disappointed by the politics of the sport, Räikkönen briefly turned to rallying, signing with Citroën's junior team to drive a C4 WRC. The next chapter, and the full story of his eventful career, will be explored in the rest of our special report.
