In the early years of my Formula 1 idolatrous era, an illustrious new Finnish rider appeared almost out of nowhere. Hardly anyone had heard of him, let alone actually seen him in action. Kimi Räikkönen was his name, from Finnish Espoo. Do you recognize this feeling? You immediately have certain sympathy for a driver who immediately seems different to everything and everyone else? This is a look at the life and career of Kimi Räikkönen, who also owes much to a Dutchman.


Peter de Bruijn

Peter de Bruijn’s phone rings; at the other end of the line is Kimi Räikkönen. "Are you still coming to pick me up?" No,” says de Bruijn, “you’re on your own to figure out how to get to the circuit now.” Kimi goes silent.
Peter had warned him to be on time, but the Finn was late yet again. The team bus had already gone to the circuit. And so 17 year old Kimi stood all alone in Fontenay, a village in French Burgundy.

It seems that Peter can still laugh at the story: "The best thing was that 45 minutes later, he just ambled into the tent in his Finnish way. 'Good morning,' he said, as if nothing was wrong. I have seen different reactions. Either they were angry because we had driven away, or they were ashamed because they were late. Kimi did not show anything. He remained calm, as always. "

In 1998 Kimi Räikkönen joined Peter de Bruijn’s karting team. Kalle Jokinen (an ex-driver), approached De Bruijn on a track in Lonato, Italy. "Peter” he said. “I have a good little driver with lots of talent. There's only one problem: he hasn’t got a dime." Could De Bruijn do something for him?

De Bruijn pondered the question. But that very day his pupils were embarrassed by a little guy in a red suit. When he walks to the finish line, he finds a smiling Jokinen. De Bruijn knows enough. The little man in the red suit was the same Kimi Räikkönen.


Peter Sauber

One team boss keeping a close eye on the Finn, was Peter Sauber, owner of team by the same name. Kimi had clearly left quite a considerable impression on the introverted Swiss. Although Räikkönen had indeed been successful in karting and Renault 2.0 before, Kimi certainly did not have a lot of experience, or a long list of wins.

Nevertheless the Sauber team offered him a Formula 1 test at the Mugello circuit. Without spins, or slides the extraordinary talent recorded some amazing lap times. Michael Schumacher himself would afterwards declare he had seen a future F1 champion at work. Peter Sauber did not hesitate any longer and had a seat fitted for Räikkönen for 2001. Initially many competing teams expressed incomprehension and doubts, because Räikkönen actually did not even have a super license due to lack of experience in the F3 or F3000 (then the usual proving grounds for Formula 1).


Formula 1

In his first F1 race for Sauber in the Grand Prix of Melbourne in 2001, Räikkönen finished in 7th. This silenced all his critics at once and actually already made it clear that there would be a great future in Formula 1 for the Finn. The transition to big team McLaren was quickly made, as already in 2002 the Finn gets in the silver gray car replacing another Finn. Mika Häkkinen, who says he wants a sabbatical. But everyone knows better and realises that Häkkinen is done with F1.

Räikkönen’s first F1 victory takes more than a year. This partly due to an unreliable McLaren in 2002. In 2003 however, it’s bulls-eye in the 2nd race already. Kimi wins the Malaysia race in Sepang and team boss Ron Dennis wells up in tears.

Without a world championship, Räikkönen leaves the British team at the end of 2006 and moves to great Italian rival Ferrari. And hits the jackpot in his first season. After 7 long F1 seasons, the Finn finally adds a well-deserved world title to his already impressive list of achievements.


Rally

After a short break in the rally, Raikkonen returned at the beginning of 2012 returned to his old love, the Formula 1. This time at Lotus, where last Sunday in Abu Dhabi already he got his first victory. The race itself, as well as the radio message between him and his race engineer will perhaps be remembered as historic.


Memories

Peter de Bruijn is proud of his former pupil. In his kart shop in Vlaardingen various paraphernalia from the Finn are on display. On entry a set of overalls immediately catch the eye. On the leg in red letters it says: Räikkönen.

De Bruijn is proud of it, although it took some effort to obtain. "I had been trying for four, five years. When I met him again in 2003 in Indianapolis, I told him that I would like one of his race suits, as a souvenir. It was no problem. "I'll get you one," he said. A few months later he was suddenly in our tent in Sarno, near Naples. He’d come to bring me the suit. I thought it was a beautiful gesture."

Although De Bruijn holds the race outfit very dear, there is one item that is even more important to him. It’s the picture he took of Kimi, at the circuit of Indianapolis in 2003. There is no trace of a cold and distant Finn in that picture. Kimi is seemingly in an animated conversation with Lotta Hellberg, the Swedish then girlfriend of De Bruijn. Again De Bruijn studies the photograph closely. "She had just had chemo. Cancer. A year later it came back. End of story."

After the first series of chemotherapy Räikkönen had a hat sent to Vlaardingen. It is now in the window of his shop. On the black cap it says in white letters: Get well soon!


A great driver and personality

Räikkönen is averse to political games, inherent in Formula 1 as a result of large financial interests. Räikkönen is averse to obligations with the press. Don’t expect long, in-depth answers in an interview with him. However, it fits with the driver and the person and is typical of his character. It intrigues me personally how a driver manages to get away with snide comments at his racing engineer, and apparently not giving a *** No swearing *** about anything and still be respected by everyone. Kimi does his talking on the track, not off it. It is these drivers, which you really miss when they do go.

Kimi doesn’t need Formula 1, but Formula 1 needs him all the more..

source - kimi raikkonen forum. million thanks to RAI