If I was ever to go on the lam, the bloke I would choose as the driver of my getaway car would only need to have one qualification. He would need to have more than the average number of k’s and/or n’s in his name; that is, he would need to be Finnish.

They’re an odd race, the Finns. Not only are they fiendishly handsome with their blond hair and blue eyes, but they are intensely laid-back and likeable. But don’t let the fact that they speak slowly fool you, these guys are speed demons. The term Flying Finn may have come from track runners, but the motorsport boys have claimed it and made it their very own.

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And then came Kimi Raikkonen. Kimi was the man to knock Captain Eyebrows (Fernando Alonso) and Renault off their championship perch – not bad for a guy who looks like he’s 11 years old.

Whether it is dodging the ten squillion trees (a figure that may or may not be accurate, but there is a lot) or staying out of the 188,000 lakes (187,888 according to Wikipedia – which is as reliable as the previous figure) after drinking Koskenkorva that makes them good drivers is unclear.

Equally, it could be the fact that the roads spend a goodly proportion of the year covered in snow and ice that helps them to hone their skills, but whatever it is, they’re doing something right. Those boys sure can drive.

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