Kimi Räikkönen

Kimi Matias Räikkönen, born in Espoo, Finland, October 17, 1979, age 32 years) is a professional race car driver from Finland. This time he fell in Formula One with Lotus Renault GP team.
Kimi had previously raced in F1 from 2001 until the end of the 2009 season. Which he defended the team Sauber (2001), McLaren (2002-06), and Ferrari (2007-09) where he was with Ferrari won the world title in the 2007 season. At the end of the 2009 season, Kimi at Ferrari contract terminated following a spate of bad achievement for two consecutive seasons. Kimi at Ferrari's position was replaced The Lion Spain, Fernando Alonso. Having failed to establish a contract with his old team, McLaren, Kimi and then slam the bow to the event with the Citroen WRC for the 2010 season. In the 2011 season alone, Kimi still survive in the event the WRC and this time he went down as a team owner and driver in the personal Iceman1 Rally Team.


In addition to the WRC rally, Kimi Raikkonen in the 2011 season was also down in the arena with the team NASCAR Racing Kyle Busch in Camping World Truck Series series and with Joe Nemechek's NEMCO Motorsports in Nationwide Series series.
On 29 November 2011, Lotus Renault GP team announced that Kimi Raikkonen will be back racing in F1 with the duration of the contract with them for two seasons (2012-2013).


Profile


Kimi Räikkönen was born from a simple family in Finland. Kimi is the second son of the two brothers. Kimi mother named Paula, while his father was named Matti Räikkönen. Kimi older brother named Rami, this time he fell in Formula 3 Finland. Kimi's father was a mechanic. Apart pairs of events of interest in this car motorsport flow in the body of Rami and Kimi. Now Kimi's father also began to participate in the regional rally event in Finland. This family is good friends with other families Finn, Heikki Kovalainen.


Since childhood, Kimi had been interested in various sports activities. When he was still in elementary school, Kimi has started playing football. Entering junior high school age, then Kimi is active in a variety of extracurricular activities in school sports. He tried wrestling, taekwondo, football, basketball, ice hockey, and cricket, and he always wins in the sport activities at school.
One day, he had lost a football game at his school. He came home crying, and then hugged his mother. He then said, "Mom, some day I will become world champion, I promise that whatever the sport, I definitely will be a world champion". The mother was deeply moved and then go pray that Kimi can achieve these ideals. What is aspired by Kimi and his mother finally succeeded on 15 November 2007, when Kimi to embrace the legitimate world champion Formula 1.


Actually, when Kimi was a child, his mother was opposed to being a racing driver Kimi. Kimi mother thought that the race event is a dangerous sport. But desire and a passion Kimi has grown, so that eventually the mother Kimi no power to resist his desire to become a racer. Whereas before, the mother Kimi expect him to be a successful entrepreneur.
Current



In contrast with its cool, humble, and quiet (so he got the nickname Iceman). Kimi was very 'active' outside world. Especially in the glamorous world of celebrity style. It's no secret, Kimi was caught drinking outside of the track. It was the end of 2004, ahead of McLaren launch the MP4-20 car. Kimi was caught carousing in Gran Canaria, Spain. And found the half-fainting condition in the morning, hugging balloon dolphin.
Kimi is also known to be concerned with the environment team. Niki Lauda has said, that Kimi is a racer with super talent, unfortunately a bit lazy habit has been blocking all of his efforts. At the Spanish GP 2007 shortly after he was knocked out because of the hydraulic. Kimi instead go straight back to the hotel and watched the ice hockey (incidentally he is a hockey fan), and let Felipe Massa with Ferrari to enjoy his victory. But that does not mean life is full Kimi bad side. At least he still wants to do good. Together with Felipe Massa, Casey Stoner and Loris Capirossi, Kimi did a charity ski FIAT Group (which oversees Ferrari, Ducati, and Juventus FC) in January 2007.


For the music business, Kimi is one of the singer Eminem fans and the band U2. In addition Kimi also had a unique habit of sleeping for a moment before the race, forget everything that's going to happen to him in the race later. His favorite food is noodles and her favorite drink is the juice.
Kimi is married to Jenni Dahlman in the summer of 2002 in Finland. Jenni Dahlman is a former model and Miss Scandinavia 2001. He met with Kimi Kimi when F1 first time down in the 2001 season. The couple settled in Zurich, Switzerland. Not far from the residence of Felipe Massa, his teammate.


Kimi is a shortage still exists to this day is, he is not fluent in foreign languages. When he was at McLaren, Kimi is considered by the mechanics themselves as "dumb drivers" due to lack of interaction with the team, because he was not fluent in English. Not much different from now when he joins Ferrari, Kimi was still not fluent in Italian. He is more comfortable speaking the language of Finland

.
As a form of tribute to Kimi, in August 2008 the Finnish government to give the award to Kimi to immortalize it in the form of stamps, entitled "F1 World Champion '07 Kimi Räikkönen".


Sponsorship

Although when at McLaren's Kimi prohibited from taking private sponsors, and still survive today, in fact, Kimi is the easy targets of non-private sponsors to make it as commercials.
Since early 2002, when he joined McLaren, Kimi immediately appointed as ambassador of TAG Heuer watches manufacturers. Although now he is off to Ferrari, but TAG Heuer, which incidentally is still a brother with the McLaren team, still loyal to sponsor Kimi. In addition to Kimi, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastien Bourdais also become ambassadors for TAG Heuer.
Sportswear manufacturer Puma also put on Kimi as their commercials. Since joining Ferrari, Kimi immediately became a fashion model photos of clothes, pants, and shoes from Puma. Funnily enough, his teammate Kimi, Felipe Massa, who had already been joined at Ferrari by even less exposed to the Puma.


Early career

Kimi Räikkönen began to hone his ability in the arena of national and international karting since the age of 10 years, before finally moving to junior car racing in 1999. Previously he had competed in four races for Haywood Racing, finishing third in his first race until finally forced to fail to finish in the next three races due to technical problems. Kimi also competed in the Formula Ford Euro Cup [5], where he finished fifth, but unfortunately he failed to follow the Formula Ford Festival. Along Manor Motor Sport, Kimi and then won four races she entered to compete in Formula Renault Winter series.


Still with Manor in 2000, the Finn was fought in the British Renault Championship, and successfully won the championship standings after winning the seventh race of the 10 races he contested. In each race, Kimi on the podium and grabbed seven poles and six fastest laps. In addition to decreased competition in the British Renault Championship, he also competed in Formula Renault series. In this competition he had met with Felipe Massa, and although less familiar, Kimi will probably never thought that one day he will be a partner of Felipe Massa in the Formula 1. During competed in Formula Renault, he managed to win the race twice, and also two poles and two fastest laps. Of the 23 races in Formula Renault, Kimi success averaged more than 50%, winning 13 of the 23 races he contested. Top of this spectacular results, Peter Sauber Sauber team and with serious attention, and then contacted to test Kimi in F1 cars. The result was satisfactory, and finally make Kimi drawn by Peter Sauber to fill one seat on the racing team Sauber-Petronas for the 2001 F1 season.


Formula 1 career

2001: Sauber-Petronas
Kimi Räikkönen F1 debut in 2001. At that time, he just pocketed permission races (super-license) to the San Marino GP, because of his race record is still very low standard for Formula 1. However, although considered minimal experience with the sophisticated F1 racing car, Kimi appear unexpectedly soared throughout 2001. In fact, she ogled by two great teams, Ferrari and McLaren. In F1 Racing magazine cover August 2001 illustrated that Kimi will be a future world champion F1 team Ferrari.
But at a news conference at the Italian GP, ​​15 September 2001, revealed that Kimi will eventually move to McLaren started the season in 2002, this news could not help making the Ferrari team disappointed. At McLaren, Kimi will replace the senior one country, Mika Hakkinen. [8] During the 2001 season, Kimi was a success. Won 9 points, and nearly on the podium in the Grand Prix Austria (he sacrificed his P4 for Schumacher) and Canada (failed because of Ricardo Zonta headed).


McLaren-Mercedes 2002-06
Initial period of employment at McLaren


Kimi the 2002 season riding a new weapon, the MP4-17 that was not competitive. Several times he failed to achieve maximum results with team mate David Coulthard. But he noted with his first podium finish in GP P3 in Australia, behind Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya.


The only disappointment is Kimi as he led the French GP. At the time he led the race, but failed to win because of slippage of five laps before the finish due to oil spills from Allan McNish.Sialnya car, the accident only made a record for Michael Schumacher, who scored his fifth world title.
In 2003 McLaren's Kimi wore the previous year (MP4-17) but modified into the MP4-17D. After a long wait, finally won the race Kimi disirkuit Sepang Malaysia. [10] During the 2003 season, Kimi was a success. He could be a runner-up d ibelakang Schumacher with 2 points difference in the final standings (93pts Schumacher, Kimi 91pts). Once again, the world champion Kimi failure is due to poor reliability of McLaren. Kimi should have won the European Grand Prix after he was led away. But unfortunately, the engine in the Mercedes Benz car Kimi even explode.


While a unique moment in Brazil GP. When the race was stopped because of an accident between Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber. And according to the computer, otherwise a champion Kimi. Eddie Jordan who was still a Jordan team boss did not accept the decision, and complained to the FIA ​​in Paris, France. Finally, five days later, runner-up Brazil GP, Giancarlo Fisichella won the race otherwise. Kimi accept it with sportsmanship, and exchanged trophies with Fisichella at San Marino GP two weeks later.
2004 season was one of the worst seasons Kimi, McLaren reliability is very, very bad since it was so upset Australia.Bahkan GP, ​​Kimi continued membejek gas when his engine exploded at Mercy Bahrain.Perbaikan McLaren started in the middle of the season, with the MP4-19 be revised MP4-19b. And thanks to the hard struggle plus a little luck, Kimi finally be on the podium at the Belgian Grand Prix champion, after a hard fight of two Michael Schumacher's Ferrari F2004 and Ruberns Barrichello.Akhir 2004, McLaren announced that Kimi will have a new teammate who is a former ChampCar racer before the team BMW-Williams F1, Juan Pablo Montoya.


Title challengers


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Regulatory changes in 2005 apparently favorable berban Michelin teams are also used by McLaren. And tortured for Bridgestone users, especially the master, Michael Schumacher during the 2005 season which spelled out a total failure. Kimi is predominantly Spanish GP win, then followed with a victory in Monaco, Canada, Hungary, and Japan. Unfortunately reliability problems still haunt McLaren. The most disappointing moment for Kimi once again is at the European GP. When it is one lap remaining and Kimi the lead with suspension and the tires are slightly damaged. Right around the corner first lap last. Kimi car left front suspension collapsed, and was forced out.


Fernando Alonso of Renault won the 2005 season by a margin of nearly 30 points ahead of Kimi. Mecatatkan itself as well as the youngest world champion in F1 history. Ironically, this is a previous history Kimi about to be hunted in season 2003.


At the end of the season, rumors circulated that Kimi Räikkönen will leave the team at the end of 2006. And in December 2005, McLaren announced that Fernando Alonso will start the 2007 season to join. [18] Ferrari drivers who start a new hunt to replace Michael Schumacher finally glanced back at the quarry in 2002 and this off. Besides Ferrari, Toyota team is also interested. Similarly, Renault's Fernando Alonso had just lost a move to McLaren.


2004 nightmare repeated again in the 2006 season at McLaren. Both Kimi and Montoya were both unable to print the maximum results. The only moment of heroic Bahrain GP Kimi is on. Start of P22 due to an accident in qualifying, Kimi was able to ascend to the front and finish in P3 with one stop strategy.


In the United States GP in Indianapolis circuit, Kimi Raikkonen crashed after the start, after he rammed his own teammate, Juan Pablo Montoya. This race is the final race of Formula 1 diajang JPM, and then was replaced by Pedro de la Rosa until the end of the season.
The highest podium of the season McLaren are printed in the Hungarian Grand Prix by Pedro de la Rosa, who finished in P2, which unfortunately even a disaster for Kimi because he was hit by a car accident after the Scuderia Toro Rosso's Vitantonio Liuzzi. At the Italian GP at Monza, where eventually the puzzle will move Kimi answered. Beginning in 2007, Kimi will drive for Ferrari replacing Michael Schumacher, and will bertandem Brazil with young drivers, Felipe Massa.


Kimi Raikkonen final position in the standings in 2006 was in fifth place with a points total of 65pts. While the McLaren team finish third in the constructors' standings. Final race at Interlagos Kimi McLaren, tinged with a little farewell party of the McLaren team for Kimi. By Ron Dennis, Kimi was given a small basket, and of course an Italian flag. Also redesigned his racing outfit, by adding the text "Ciao Italia" on the front. Ron Dennis himself to thank Kimi for his contribution to McLaren for five seasons, and hopes her career will continue to evolve in the future Ferrari.


2007-09: Scuderia Ferrari

Being a world champion



2007 was the year of reform in the Ferrari. No more Michael Schumacher and Ross Brawn. Kimi started the season well, although there was a rumor that he was arguing with Massa. Targets imposed by president Luca Montezemolo as Ferrari team not playing games, champion of the world (whether it be by Massa or Kimi). And again now salng fellow teammate could fight. One thing that never existed era of Michael Schumacher.
Australian Grand Prix, Kimi won the race to perfection. Start from the pole and scored the fastest lap. But winning the French GP Kimi delayed due to some problems in his F2007. Kimi got back in France [20], followed in the UK a week later.
This makes Kimi returned to the stock of the world champion. With a resounding victory later in Belgium and China, and help from his teammate, Felipe Massa who had no more chance to be world champion since the Japanese Grand Prix, Kimi entered the Brazilian GP at the end of the season with only seven points behind the championship leader Lewis Hamilton. Not unexpectedly, Hamilton failed in Brazil. And with a spectacular victory, world champion Kimi finally in Brazil. In the championship, Kimi winning only one point from Hamilton and Alonso (110pts Kimi, Hamilton / Alonso 109pts).


However, he could not immediately enjoy the victory. McLaren appealed the cold fuel used BMW and Williams teams. Some people consider this is a subterfuge to get mengkatrol Hamilton McLaren world champion after being exposed to disgrace due to espionage 'Stepney-gate' which resulted in the elimination of all constructors points and fined McLaren 100 million dollars by the FIA. But apparently, the FIA ​​appeal hearing on 15 November McLaren appeal rejected, and Kimi Räikkönen remains otherwise lawful become world champion in 2007.


Dark days


In 2008, Kimi started the season well when he won in Malaysia and Spain. But entering the mid-season, a series of disasters Kimi kept shaking. Beginning with the exit pit accident in Canada, which (ironically) by Lewis Hamilton who accidentally ran him down, and then in France when he had to surrender his victory to Felipe Massa due to faulty muffler. Kimi was lucky to still be able to finish 2. After the barrage of bad outcomes befall Kimi constantly, like an engine exploded in Valencia, hit the wall due to slippery track in Belgium, and the disastrous pitstop in Singapore.


End of 2008, Ferrari rumored to have signed Fernando Alonso for the 2011 season, or 2010 depending on the situation in 2009. Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen seemed alarmed by the issue. Ironically, Ferrari F60 car look too bad in the 2009 season. New Ferrari team can win points in the fourth race in Bahrain through the hands of Kimi Raikkonen. Enter the second half of the season, the hard work finally paid off when Ferrari's Kimi managed to win in Belgium, in the midst of a recovery for the injured Felipe Massa in Hungary. The public also believes that Felipe Massa was the one that will be eliminated from Ferrari in 2010. But that hope faded after three days after the Singapore Grand Prix, Ferrari announced that Fernando Alonso will duet with Felipe Massa for the 2010 season, as the entry of Grupo Santander as a new sponsor Ferrari. This means a contract with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen who was due to expire in 2010, had terminated in the middle of the road, at a cost of compensation for the amount of Kimi reportedly reached 20 million U.S. dollars.


Pension while

Immediately after the contract terminated by Ferrari, Kimi management team led by David Robertson directly approached Toyota and McLaren teams, and even had time also broke the news that Kimi will follow former teammate at McLaren, Juan Pablo Montoya to compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. Later Toyota team then decided to withdraw from F1 event on 4 November 2009, and then announced Jenson Button McLaren as Lewis Hamilton to partner in 2010 on 16 November 2009. After two officially announced the news, Kimi finally decided to retire in the spring of 2010, and moved into the arena of Citroen WRC team.


2012-present: Lotus Renault GP
Back to F1

August 2010, Kimi was rumored to be returning to F1 with Renault F1 team 2011 season separately. But lately Kimi denied the news and said he probably will never ever go back to F1 though she still longs to race in F1. In the December 2010 along with the sudden death of his father, Kimi Raikkonen rumored to retire forever from the arena of motorsport, Kimi back again later denied this. Beginning in 2011 the issue of the return to F1 Kimi widely heard again, this time with Renault F1 Team, but Kimi later denied this and assume that Renault just using his name for marketing purposes.


Before the team's official Lotus Renault GP, Kimi Raikkonen will race a lot of rumored for Williams F1 team, supported by sponsorship funding from a consortium of Eastern origin Tengah.Kimi also rumored to have visited the headquarters of the Williams team at the British team held a release party of their employees Sam Michael, who is off to McLaren.
In late November 2011, Lotus Renault team through his boss, Eric Boullier stated Kimi Raikkonen as one of the candidates to fill the void left by the position of Robert Kubica is still not fully recovered from injury. On 29 November 2011, Kimi finally officially announced as Lotus Renault racer with the duration of the contract two seasons.


Other races


WRC


The rally is not really a new thing for Kimi. Before he decided to compete in the WRC event, Kimi was trying to go down in the event the Arctic Rally with Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution WRC car in 2004. Then in early 2009 he was back down to the Fiat car at the same championships, and then in August 2009 Kimi officially dropped in the event the WRC Rally Finland 1000 lakes Tommi Makinen Racing team.


December 4, after knowing that the chances to survive in F1 for McLaren announced faded as drivers Jenson Button and Toyota F1 team withdrew from F1, Kimi and then signed a contract with Citroen Junior team to compete in the WRC began the 2010 season with Kaj Lindström joined as co-driver . Duo of Kimi and Lindstrom 2010 rally season started badly at the finish to the 29th in the Rally of Sweden. But the first point Kimi won the WRC Rally of Jordan in 2010 when he finished in P8. Kimi equaled Carlos Reutemann who earned points in both the F1 and the WRC. Later in the Rally of Germany, Kimi managed to win the stage its first rally.


In mid-January 2011 finally announced that Kimi will still race in the WRC for 2011 but this time he will go down with his own personal team of the Iceman a Rally Team (also known as ICE 1 Racing).

NASCAR

At the end of March 2011 Raikkonen made a surprise by declaring the race will go down in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in the summer of 2011 with the main target sprit down in NASCAR Cup someday. On 2 April he then signed a contract with Kyle Busch Motorsports to race down some of the series in the NASCAR event. Kimi had previously reported to be backed by Foster Gillett but then Busch denied the rumors. Raikkonen started his NASCAR debut on May 20, 2011 in North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway took place. He came down with the car number # 15 and managed to finish in the order of 15 while making Kyle Busch and the chief mechanic Rick Ren was impressed.
May 28, Raikkonen next grade to the Nationwide Series car owned by Joe Nemechek. He finished and p27 after suffering a penalty due to speeding in the pitlane.


Controversy


Permission race

Since beginning his career in F1, Kimi Raikkonen has been wrapped in controversy. The first controversy surrounding the cover itself is superlicence (racing license), where some teams are concerned with the experience of the race Kimi Raikkonen is very minimal, in which he was only down 23 times in the junior event before entering into F1. Kimi then granted permission to race while San Marino GP, and then thanks to good performances, the FIA ​​then give Kimi a full racing license.


Lifestyle

End of the 2004 season, and Kimi was on vacation in a tropical island with a yacht. He then acted recklessly with the most drinking. And then from the top of the yacht, Kimi and then fell to the deck due to drunkenness. The incident was later immortalized in the form of a short video, which then spread rapidly throughout the world. Kimi himself was only responding to this problem cold.


Month of February 2005, another case involved Kimi. This time in Gran Canaria Spain, with his wife Jenni Dahlmann, Kimi caught again drinking and partying till dawn. He was later caught in a drunken journalist weight, with only the clothes wearing only shorts hugging a dolphin balloon. McLaren's Kimi then outraged by this action, and soon the scathing rebuke of the riders, no matter how small a shame that it could hamper efforts to win the team championship.


Other

Shortly before the start of 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix, Kimi was interviewed by Martin Brundle from ITV about his hopes in the 2007 season with Ferrari. Unfortunately not a real answer out of the mouth Kimi, where he even spoke in front of the camera, and witnessed hundreds of millions of viewers around the world that he would "loose" first and only then will answer that question. As a result, the ITV reprimanded by the British broadcasting authorities, and the scenes interviews live on TV when Kimi was protested by many viewers around the world as the most foolish act of a Kimi Raikkonen.

Statistical


Season to season

1999: Formula A European Karting - second place
2000: Formula Renault - the overall winner
2001: Formula 1 - Sauber-Petronas (9 points - position 10)
2002: Formula 1 - McLaren-Mercedes (24 points - position 6)
2003: Formula 1 - McLaren-Mercedes (91 points - position 2)
2004: Formula 1 - McLaren-Mercedes (45 points - position 7)
2005: Formula 1 - McLaren-Mercedes (112 points - position 2)
2006: Formula 1 - McLaren-Mercedes (65 points - position 5)
2007: Formula 1 - Ferrari (110 points - world champion)
2008: Formula 1 - Ferrari (75 points - position 3)
2009: Formula 1 - Ferrari (48 points - position 6)
2010: World Rally - Citroen Junior (25 points - position 10)
2011: World Rally - Citroen ICE-1 Racing


F1 Racing MOTY Awards

2001: Rookie of the Year
2002: Overtake Action of the Year
2004: Drive of the Year
2005: Drive of the Year, Driver of the Year
2006: Overtake Action of the Year
2007: Start of the Year


Record

Recorded seven victories in F1 without winning the world title, equaling the record Alain Prost in 1984 and 1988, and Michael Schumacher in 2006.
F1 racers and the most expensive Ferrari team with a salary of U.S. $ 51 million in season 2007 (Michael Schumacher followed in second and Fernando Alonso in position 3).
Equaled Nigel Mansell in 1989 as a successful rookie Ferrari won the race in his first Grand Prix for Ferrari when he won in Australia.
Jody Scheckter equaled (1979) as the new Ferrari driver who immediately won the world title in his first season.
Recorded 11 fastest laps in a season, a new record in Formula 1.
Equal the record of Carlos Reutemann who earned points in both races in F1 and WRC rally.