Petri Nevalainen: The Iceman – A Portrait of Kimi Räikkönen
(Jäämies - Kimi Räikkösen henkilökuva)
Ajatus Kirjat 2008
224 pages
Cover design: Jenni Noponen
ISBN 978-951-20-7805-9
Excerpts from the book translated by Raymond Carter

A sunny day in 1987. Two fair-haired boys are tearing around with all kinds of motorised vehicles in the garden of a detached house in Espoo, just as they’ve done month on month and year on year. Their parents’ patience has at last run out, but with good intent. They don’t object to the boys’ driving, only to the fact that the grass always ends up like a ploughed field. Luckily, there’s a kart track nearby, and the Räikkönen boys are delighted to be given the chance to use it. This was the beginning of Kimi Räikkönen’s colourful journey to the upper echelons of the motor sport world. At the end of a long and twisting road shone the target - the much-sought-after first Formula One world championship, which Räikkönen achieved majestically in 2007 driving for the all-time legendary Ferrari brand. And there was certainly no lack of drama in that championship season. The excitement of the final race of the series in Brazil brought blood, sweat and tears to both Räikkönen and his fans. In the end, coming home first was a complete surprise - achieving it required many things to fall into place in just the right way. Time after time during that season, possibilities for taking the championship appeared to fade away, but the Finnish driver never lost faith.

(…)
His enthusiasm for karting, an expensive hobby, presented the Räikkönen family with a tough choice: home improvements and an inside toilet or another season on the track and in the outside loo? The decisive family meeting was held in a familiar location - around the kitchen table. The decision came down: postpone the improvements, continue with the outside loo and see how far Kimi could go in the summer season. When the younger brother at last began to earn significant amounts of money from his driving, the improvements finally got under way - not only in the loo, but in many other places as well. In March 2008, Räikkönen confirmed to a Guardian reporter that the outside toilet was still in use when he signed his first Formula One contract with the Sauber team in the year 2000. To urban Brits, an outside loo was something exotic and amazing. When the reporter asked him how on earth it was possible to use an outside toilet in sub-zero winter temperatures, Räikkönen had his answer ready.
“It’s easy, just be quick,” he said.

[via Ajaturskirjat]