Kimi Räikkönen

Kimi Matias Räikkönen (born the October 17th 1979 with Espoo, Finland -) is a racing driver Finnish of Formule 1. He made his beginnings in Formule 1 in 2001 with the stable Suisse Sauber.

After five seasons without being parvenu to gain the championship of the world, Kimi Räikkönen, that the journalists called “ Iceman ”, because of its astonishing capacity to preserve its coolness in all circumstances, free at the end of the season 2006 McLaren - Mercedes

It disputes the season 2007 at Ferrari, where it succeeds - after the retirement of this one - the septuple German world champion Michael Schumacher, at the sides of the Brésilien Felipe Massa. He becomes World champion of Formula 1 at the conclusion of the ultimate Grand Prix of the season to São Paulo, while preceding on the wire Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

Biography

Still child, Kimi Räikkönen discovers the automobile competition via the Karting, which it starts to practice as of the 8 years age. In 1999, it takes part for the first time in races of single-seaters and is pointed out immediately: it gains the four races in which it takes part in Formule Renault. In 2000, it gains the British championship by gaining seven races out of the ten which appeared in the calendar.

2001: Promising beginnings at Sauber

Such a performance draws the attention of the persons in charge of the stables of Formule 1, and, after tests during which it astonishes the engineers by the Swiss stable Sauber, Peter Sauber engages it for the season 2001. The TRUSTED hesitates to grant the super license - essential sesame to be able to control in Formule 1 - to a so young pilot, which appears completely inexperienced, having only disputed seventeen races in the single-seater. (13 victories, 3 podiums and 1 abandonment)

After having finally obtained its super license , initially on a purely provisional basis, the Finnish pilot disputes the season 2001 at Sauber - Petronas, at the sides of the German Nick Heidfeld, protected from McLaren Mercedes, season during which it will finish twice in the 4th place. A performance which appeared amply sufficient at McLaren-Mercedes to urge it - with the detriment of its fellow-member with whom it place seemed promised - to replace another Finn, Mika Häkkinen, left with the retirement.

2002 - 2006: Five seasons without title at McLaren - Mercedes

In 2002, the McLaren MP4-17 is not the most reliable car of the plate, but that does not prevent Kimi quickly taking the measurement of sound tried out team-member David Coulthard - who disputes his seventh season at McLaren-Mercedes - and from finishing 6th with the final classification of the championship, with 4 podiums and a record of the tower to the key. It passes near to its first victory at the time of the Grand Prix of France, where trapped by an oil trail, it must yield the command of the test to Michael Schumacher with some loops of the arrival.

In 2003, the wheel of a single-seater which is only one evolution of that of the former season, it grants its first victory at the beginning of season at the time of the GP de Malaisie. He is also declared victorious in the confusion of the following test in Brazil before a few days later, TRUSTED it does not recognize an error and grants finally the victory to Giancarlo Fisichella. Of a great regularity throughout the year, it positions as a candidate with the world title that are also able to aspire to Michael Schumacher and the Colombia N Juan Pablo Montoya (Williams - BMW). With the Grand Prix of Japan, last sleeve of the championship, he is the only pilot still able to charm the title with Schumacher, which counts nine points in advance on him. But its second place (the seventh of the season) is insufficient to precede the German pilot and obliges it to be satisfied with the title of vice-champion of the world.

Its hopes to appear well in the championship 2004 are quickly showers by the lack of competitiveness of the news McLaren, the MP4-19, which proves moreover of a doubtful reliability. Its first half of season is catastrophic, with only two arrivals and a point registered in seven races. To the Grand Prix of France, McLaren leaves a deep evolution its single-seater, the McLaren MP4-19B, which finally makes it possible Kimi to fight with the best. With Silverstone, after having carried out the Pole position, it finishes second behind untouchable the Ferrari F2004 of Michael Schumacher. Then, with GP of Belgium, in spite of a missed qualification, it rises quickly in first place and after a race with bounces during which the security car had to intervene with three recoveries, it takes down the second victory of its career by containing the attacks of Michael Schumacher. Two new podiums at the end of the season (third in China then second with the Brésil where it fought for the victory with Juan Pablo Montoya) do not prevent it from finishing in disappointing a 7th place places at the championship with only 45 points.

In 2005, Kimi still knows a difficult beginning of the season. Relatively powerful in race (as prove it its best turn in Malaysia and that of its fellow-member one day old Pedro of Rosa in Bahrain), McLaren are handicapped by missed qualifications where they pain to make mount in temperature their tires. A modification of the nose gear and of the distribution of the masses make it possible to rectify the shooting starting from the Grand Prix of San Marino, where Kimi carries out the pole, before being constrained with the abandonment. Reliability and performances combine finally at the time of the Grands Prix of Spain and Monaco which it outrageusement dominates but at the end which there remotely remains sizeable of the leader of the championship of the world Fernando Alonso, author as for him of a beginning of the season almost without fault on its Renault. The third consecutive success seems to him promised at the time of GP of Europe on the Nurburgring but the vibrations caused by a " plat" on its tire cause a spectacular breakage of its suspension with starts the last turn and offer the victory to Fernando Alonso. Räikkönen joins again with the victory with the Canada and takes again 10 points with Alonso but is then victim of technical troubles to repetition, in particular on its Mercedes engine: in France and Great Britain, penalized of ten places on the grid because of driving break-ins during the tests, it is constrained with spectacular increase in the group, which it each time completes behind Alonso. Worse, in Germany, the driving break-in intervenes in race whereas it dominated the debates and makes it possible Alonso to widen still a little more the gap with the championship.
The superiority of the duet Räikkönen/McLaren is concretized again in Hungary and Turkey. In Italy penalized again at the conclusion of the qualifications (whereas it had carried out the pole), it finishes 4th, but is essential in Belgium and preserves a negligible hope of world title. Its chances to be titrated fly away definitively with GP of Brazil, antepenultimate sleeve of the season, which it finishes second in front of Fernando Alonso, which takes down its first championship of the world. For the honor, Räikkönen is essential with class at the time of the following sleeve on the Japan: left before last line, to the 17th place, it provides an effort throughout the Grand Prix to approach the head of race. In the last turns, it launches out to the attack of the first place held by Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault) which it manages to exceed with starts of the ultimate loop by making him outside in the first turn of the circuit at the end of the straight line of the stands. The season 2006 is one New Year's Day white for Kimi, whose performances are handicapped by a material which cannot fight with equal footings with that of the pilots Renault and Ferrari. The climate in the stable McLaren worsened after the advertisement as of the month of December 2005 of the recruitment of the world champion Fernando Alonso for the season 2007. In front of impossibility of fighting for the victory, the fellow-member of Kimi, Juan Pablo Montoya throws sponge in middle of season and announces his departure for the championship Nascar in 2007. He is replaced by the test pilot Pedro of Rosa, which finishes the season. Kimi does not obtain any victory and must be satisfied with some blows of glare wasted by these technical failures (6 abandonments) and the least performance level of the McLaren MP4-21. Requested by the three stables of point for the season 2007, Kimi makes await its decision. Scalded by this catastrophic season, it decides to leave at the end of five seasons McLaren - Mercedes, where it will not have managed to obtain the title of world champion that its talent let hope. Not having confidence in the future of Renault, in spite of the two titles which this stable has just gained, it gives finally its preference to prestigious the Scuderia Ferrari, which announces the September 10th 2006 its recruitment to replace Michael Schumacher, which has just announced its withdrawal of the competition at the end of the season.

2007: A risky succession but conquering at Ferrari

Hardly installed in its new stable, Kimi Räikkönen begins the season 2007 in brass band. At the time of the first Grand Prix, in Australia, he becomes the first pilot Ferrari since Juan Manuel Fangio in 1956 to make a success of a “hat-trick” ( Pole position, better turn in race, victory ) as of his first race in red. These thundering beginnings let well forecast in the way in which Kimi will be able to assume the delicate succession of the septuple world champion Michael Schumacher of which it with the load.

But, at the time of the two following races, it is dominated by the world champion in title Fernando Alonso (McLaren - Mercedes) with the GP de Malaisie, then by its fellow-member Felipe Massa with GP of Bahrain and finishes each time on the 3rd walk of the podium, also preceded by surprising beginning Lewis Hamilton (McLaren - Mercedes). Constrained to the abandonment at the beginning of the race (9th turn) because of electric problems, at the time of GP of Spain - gained again by its fellow-member, which also dominates it in qualification - Kimi, qualified in 16th position with Monaco, where the place on the grid has an importance paramount because of the practical impossibility to exceed, painfully manages to enter the points, collecting that of the 8th place, while finishing with a turn of the winner (Fernando Alonso) at the end of an anonymous race during which there remained limed in the group.

At the end of the “American” countryside, which sees the first two victories of the young person Lewis Hamilton, Kimi, who finishes 5th with the Canada and 4th with Indianapolis for GP of the United States, is found outdistanced with the championship. It reacts by gaining GP of France as that of Great Britain in a manner which is not without pointing out the strategy that sometimes Michael Schumacher used. Indeed, it is thanks to stops with the stands shifted that it gained these two races, while carrying out at the end of the second relay, a series of very fast turns before the second supply. This tactic allowed him twice by arising from the stands at the head, with Magny-Course by preceding its fellow-member Felipe Massa, with Silverstone Alonso.

He knows the bad luck with the Nurburgring when after one to have carried out the pole position, he is constrained with the abandonment on mechanical breakdown. In Hungary, if the Ferrari are dominated in qualifications by McLaren, he manages nevertheless to reduce the variation in race and finishes in the exhausts of Hamilton, thus taking again 8 points with his fellow-member Felipe Massa. In Turkey, it qualifies only third on the grid, in spite of a gasoline car charged than the author of the pole position, Massa. This mitigated performance leads its race since, constrained with stops with the early stands, it cannot worry its fellow-member and must be satisfied with the second place (not without to have produced the best turn in race in the ultimate loop).

With Monza, he plays of bad luck during the tests where he violently strikes the rails then the barrier of tires before the 3rd baffle. Ferrari allots this problem to a " bosse" , but Kimi draws some with a wound with the nape of the neck which handicaps it all the weekend. It signs poor the 5th time in qualifications, which hides problems of performance but especially a heavy car out of gasoline. Author of a good departure, then benefitting from the abandonment from Massed, it rises quickly in third position, but on a rate/rhythm appreciably slower than the McLaren. Its strategy with only one stop enables him to arise from the stands in front of Hamilton, but it is not able to resist to him in must be satisfied with the third walk of the podium.

With Spa-Francochamps the Finnish is essential for the 3rd consecutive time. It indeed gained the two last editions in 2004 and 2005, the circuit of Spa not having been present at the calendar 2006. Both Ferrari dominated both McLaren during the totality of the course and Kimi crosses the finishing line as a winner of its Grand Prix fetish. It does not fail to greet the 15th title of the manufacturers of the Ferrari team, following the exclusion of Mclaren Mercedes, by a " donuts" (360 degree in skid). After a GP of Japan disputed on a circuit of Mount-Fuji making its return in championship of the world, and under a beating rain, where it finishes third after being gone up of the last place, following a stop with the forced stand (the TRUSTED had ordered with the whole of the teams of party out of tires “maximum-rains” but Ferrari was informed of it only after the departure of the race and had to make stop its two cars under penalty of disqualification), the chances of the Finn are reduced with the championship with 17 points of delay on the leader of the championship of the world, Lewis Hamilton, which gains this race, while Räikkönen finishes behind its compatriot Heikki Kovalainen who manages to take down his first 2nd place.

But on the circuit of Shanghai, it is replaced in the race with the title while being essential after having made a success of a going beyond on Hamilton, in difficulty with its tires, to take the head of the race. The British will give up after having made an error while returning to the stands and Räikkönen will total seven points of Hamilton, the other controls McLaren Fernando Alonso being inserted in second positon of the championship.

With the Brazil, on the circuit of São Paulo, and whereas he is only outsider, Kimi Räikkönen benefits from an incredible coincidence to precede its two adversaries Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton and to become World champion of Formula 1 for the first time of its career. In spite of a complaint relating to the temperature of the fuel load in the BMW Sauber and Williams - Toyota F1 and which could abouttir on the downgrading of their pilots and to make it possible Lewis Hamilton to recover the points which missed to him to gain the championship, the TRUSTED officialized the result of the Grand Prix. The stable McLaren decides to make call of this decision but on November 16th, the Court of call of TRUSTED confirms the decision of the police chiefs, ratifying the title of Raikkonen.

Sporting career

1987 : First experiment in Karting.
1988 - 1990: It makes karting. It gains some races in classes has, B and C.
1991: Karting at the National level, in Mini Class.
1992 : National karting, Classifies Raket Junior of it.
1993 : National karting, Classifies of it Raket, Coupe of Finland, 9th.
1994 : National karting, Classifies of it Raket, Coupe of Finland, 2nd.
1995 : Karting Formulates of it a: First race and first victory, on April 23rd.
1996 : Karting Grand Prix (European Series); Races of the World Championship and the Scandinavian Championship; No victory in championship of Finland; In Formula has, it finishes 4th.
1997 : Champion of Finland, Classe has intercontinental; Scandinavian championship, Classe have intercontinental, 4th; Karting world Grand Prix and championship - guest to be controlled with the “Peter de Bruin TEAM”.
1998 : Live in Holland; Champion of Finland, Formule has; Scandinavian champion; Gaining “Karting European Grand Prix”, in Intercontinental Formula; 2nd with Super has; 3rd with the cut of Monaco into Super has; World championships, in Super formula, withdrew from the 7th position.
1999 : Finnish championships, Formule has, 2nd; World championships, Super Formule has, 10th; First race Formulates Renault of it, with Haywood Racing, it finishes 3rd (!); Formulate Renault Winter Series, with Manor Motorsport - Champion with 4 victories over a total of 4 races!
2000 : Formulate Renault Britannique 2000, Champion with Manor Motorsport (although it took part in only 10 races), 7 victories, 6 pole positions, 7 better turns. It finishes on the podium with each of the 10 races in which it took part; Formulate Renault Européenne: take part in only 3 races, 2 victories, 2 pole positions, 2 better turns. Give up with the 3rd race, because of a breaking of engine, whereas it carried out the test. Carry out tests for the team of Formule 1 Sauber - Petronas on the circuit of the Mugello.
2001 : Formula 1 with the team Sauber Petronas 10th, 9 points.
2002 : Formula 1 with the team McLaren Mercedes, 6th, 24 points. Gain 1 better time
2003: Formula 1 with McLaren Mercedes, 2nd, 91 points. Gain the Grand Prix of Malaysia, 2 poles and 3 better times
2004: Formula 1 with McLaren Mercedes, 7th, 45 points. Gain the Grand Prix of Belgium. Gain 1 pole and 2 better times
2005: Formula 1 with McLaren Mercedes, 2nd, 112 points. Gain 7 Grand Prix (Spain, Monaco, Canada, Hungary, Turkey, Belgium and Japan), 5 poles and 10 better times.
2006 : Formula 1 with McLaren Mercedes, 5th, 65 points. Gain 3 poles and 3 better times.
2007 : Formula 1 with Ferrari, World champion, 110 points. Gain 6 Grand Prix (Australia, France, Great Britain, Belgium, China and Brésil), 3 poles and 6 better times.

Statistics Formulates 1 of them

( After the Grand Prix of Brazil 2007 )

Many seasons in F1: 7

Participations in F1 : 122

Grands Prix disputés' : 121

Victories : 15 ( is 12,40% )

marked Points : 456

Average of pts by GP: 3,77 pts'
Average of pts per season: 65,14 pts'

Pole Positions : 14 ( is 11,57% )

Départs 1st line : 25 ( is 20,49% )

Second places in Grand Prix : 17 ( is 14,05% )

Third places in Grand Prix : 16 ( is 13,22% )

Podiums : 48 ( is 39,34% )

In the Points : 73 ( is 60,33% )

Meilleurs Turns : 25 ( is 20,66% )

no. races while having carried out : 44 ( is 36,36% )

Tours at the head : : 850 ( is 14,18% of the traversed turns )

km at the head : : 4207 ( is 14,60% of the distance )

traversed Tours : : 5994

Kms traversed : : 28806

Hats trick ( Victoire/Pole position/Better turn ): 1 ( is 0,83% )

Abandons : 40 ( is 33,06% )

Meilleur result with the championship : 1e (2007)

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Beginnings in F1 : 2001 - Grand Prix of Australia, on the circuit of Melbourne, the March 4th 2001 ( Result: 6th )

First victory : 2003 - Grand Prix of Malaysia, on the circuit of Sepang, the March 23rd 2003

First pole position : 2003 - Grand Prix of Europe, on the circuit of Nürburgring, the June 29th 2003

First Hat Trick ( Victoire/Pole position/Better turn ): 2007 - Grand Prix of Australia, on the circuit of Melbourne, the March 18th 2007

Results in championship of the world of Formula 1

Victories in Championship of the world of Formula 1

Pole Positions (15):

2003: Europe, the United States
2004: Great Britain
2005: San Marino, Spain, Monaco, Germany, Turkey, Italy
2006: Germany, Hungary, Italy
2007: Australia, Europe, Belgium.

Records of the turn in race (24):

2002: Australia
2003: Australia, Monaco, Europe
2004: Germany, Belgium
2005: Malaysia, Canada,
2006: Australia, Canada, France, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Brazil, Japan, China
2007: Australia, the United States, Great Britain, Hungary, Turkey, Brazil.

Private life

It lives in its birthplace or with Chigwell close to London in Great Britain.
the July 31st 2004, at the 24 years age, it married in Finland with Jenni Dahlman, Miss Scandinavia 2000.

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