Kimi Räikkönen - Farewell, Thank you and Tribute thread.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Farewell Kimi and Thanks for some great memories






Well, it had to happen..... no, not his retirement but a tribute and thank you thread. I threatened to post one before his final race, but now the season is over and discussion topics will be a bit quiet on the forum I thought it was a good time to create a Kimi thread. I know he has many fans here over the years, and yes I am likely the biggest Kimi Fanboi of the lot. I was lucky enough to be at Albert Park that first practice day and witnessed this unknown kid from Finland who, with just 23 Formula Renault races to his name had snagged a secret test drive with Sauber.... so secret Peter Sauber referred to him only as "The Eskimo". Anyway he must have impressed the right people because just a few months later, with no big wad of cash to help, he lined up on the grid with a Provisional Super Licence because of his limited experience. Anyway from 4 cylinder F Renault he climbed into the mighty V10 Sauber.... no traction control or driver aids in those days, scored a point for finishing 6th (back in the day when points were meaningful and hard work to get....(yes, thanks to a time penalty for Panis elevating Kimi from 7th to 6th) and the rest is history. Of the current drivers only Lewis and Vettel achieved points on debut.

A few other Kimi stats, a few of which I have posted before, but repeated because this thread is likely a better place.

Over 20 years, 19 seasons in F1 later (with two years doing WRC and NASCAR his F1 journey is over. After 349 or 350 GP starts (depending on what source you use). The most starts in F1 History.

His mannerisms, radio comms, non political standing and fairness as a driver have certainly been responsible for my still watching F1, even if his results of recent years with Sauber Alfa have not been what we got used to.

So, a personal thanks to Kimi for the enhancement of F1 that I believe is undeniable.

In that time he won a World Driver's Title (2007, still the most recent Ferrari WDC), came close to winning more, finishing 2nd twice and 3rd twice and lots of other stats along the way.

16 teammates
19 seasons (2010 and 2011 he went and did non F1 things, WRC, NASCAR etc
5 constructors
4 engine builders
20 different F1models driven
21 wins (6.02 %) (The winningest Finn, and 15th highest overall. He is still the 8th youngest winner and 13th oldest.)
18 pole positions (5.16 %)
46 fastest laps (13.18 %) (#3 of all time) Only Ascari has scored more consecutive Fastest laps (by 1) He has also twice scored 10 in a year, a record.
103 podiums (29.51 %) 5th overall. 4th highest for 2nd place, 2nd highest 3rd place. No one has more 2nd and 3rd place podiums.


71 retirements (20.34 %) (only 23 crash related DNFs)


1 873 points (4th highest in history.) Only Lewis has scored points in more consecutive races. Scored points with 5 different teams

5.37 pts / GP
98.58 pts / season
1 305 laps led
6 614 km led
18 596 laps raced
92 504 km raced

He also has the longest span of first to last wins in F1 history.... from the first win at Malaysia 2003 to his final win at USA 2018, 15 years and 6 months apart.

Of the current drivers only Vettel and Alonso can match his wins with 3 different constructors.

A couple of obscure Ferrari stats..... More races for Ferrari than any other driver (208) More points for Ferrari than any other.


16 teammates
19 seasons
5 constructors
4 engine builders
20 models
21 wins (6.00 %)
18 pole positions (5.14 %)
46 fastests laps (13.14 %)
103 podiums (29.43 %)

72 retirements (20.57 %)

1 873 points

5.35 pts / GP
98.58 pts / season
1 305 laps led
6 614 km led
18 621 laps raced
92 636 km raced

Anyway, the chequered flag flies on the F1 career of one of the most universally popular drivers to grace the track. Maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but I am sure everyone has a fond Kimi moment somewhere in them

The idea of this thread is to post your favourite Kimi moments and stories over 20 years, in fact anything that you have liked about him. On track, off track, Racing related, party related, Radio comments, whatever.


Fire away.....

Videos, Pictures, quotes, all welcome

[Everso Biggyballies]

I'll start the ball rolling with this nice video farewell from the F1 paddock.....

Goodbye Kimi, From The F1 Family! | 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix


From F1.com so you will need to click the "watch on youtube" button.

[MonteCristo]

Ballsin'.

[DoubleFart]

After the Schumacher/Hakkinen years, Montoya and Raikkonen were exactly what the sport needed in 2001-2004.

Is he the best Finn ever? Hard to call.

21 wins for Kimi, 20 for Mika.
103 Podiums for Kimi, 51 for Mika.
349 Races for Kimi, 161 for Mika
46 Fastest Laps to 25

Mika raced against Williams and Ferrari's dominance, but had the best car on the grid for 2 years. Kimi raced against the arguably great dominance of Vettel and Hamilton, and *possibly* had the best car for 2 seasons.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Is he the best Finn ever? Hard to call.

Kimi wins it on a 'less tears shed' countback. Hakkinen.....

[DoubleFart]

Is he the best Finn ever? Hard to call.

Kimi wins it on a 'less tears shed' countback. Hakkinen.....

"I was having a shit" could also be considered a big points score.

[White six]

I think Kimi would have done even better 20 years earlier. Ice cold temperament, nursing cars home.

Hard to say who the best Finn is, I'd go for Mika myself

[Mawerick]

I always preferred Mika over Kimi. Never really understood why people liked Kimi so much.

[MonteCristo]

I always preferred Mika over Kimi. Never really understood why people liked Kimi so much.

Mika is a far nicer person.

Kimi is actually a bit of a cock. But he broke the mould and was a throwback to a different time, and people liked that.

[erwin greven]

I always preferred Mika over Kimi. Never really understood why people liked Kimi so much.

Mika is a far nicer person.

Kimi is actually a bit of a cock. But he broke the mould and was a throwback to a different time, and people liked that.

His quotes in the car and the kid he invited in the pits did a lot of good to his image.

[Everso Biggyballies]

I always preferred Mika over Kimi. Never really understood why people liked Kimi so much.

Mika is a far nicer person.

Kimi is actually a bit of a cock. But he broke the mould and was a throwback to a different time, and people liked that.

His quotes in the car and the kid he invited in the pits did a lot of good to his image.

Yeah when he invited the kid back to the garage was a caring side of Kimi not seen before in that context.

[MonteCristo]

Sorry, that's all Ferrari or F1 PR.

Kiki didn't jump out of the car and ask if kids were crying over his retirement.

Certainly nice of him to say yes to the request, but 0.0000000001% chance it was his idea.

[Star]

I mostly liked Kimi but at the same time he annoyed me at times as well. He had a lot of talent as an F1 driver but he squandered it a lot of the time. When Kimi was really on it, you would be hard pressed to beat him, but a lot of the time he seemed like he couldn't care less and he didn't put in the effort he might have. I'm not saying I'd have done any better in his position of course, we all have good and bad days, he just seemed to have a lot of 'can't be bothered' days.

Some of his lines down the radio were hilarious of course, you could always rely on him for a good radio message.

I do also recall a race at Spa, I can't recall the year sorry, I don't think he'd been in F1 all that long and someone had crashed, there was a lot of smoke and I remember Martin Brundle (who was commentating) gasping and saying something alongs the lines of 'super commitment there from the young Kimi Raikkonen, he didn't even lift, he assumed the track would be clear and just kept going'. I do recall thinking at the time, was it brave or stupid of him to do that? He could easily have smashed into another unseen stranded car that he couldn't see and done untold damage.

Those are my thoughts anyway. He's a character and we don't have enough of them in F1 so he will be missed.

[DoubleFart]

I do also recall a race at Spa, I can't recall the year sorry, I don't think he'd been in F1 all that long and someone had crashed, there was a lot of smoke and I remember Martin Brundle (who was commentating) gasping and saying something alongs the lines of 'super commitment there from the young Kimi Raikkonen, he didn't even lift, he assumed the track would be clear and just kept going'. I do recall thinking at the time, was it brave or stupid of him to do that? He could easily have smashed into another unseen stranded car that he couldn't see and done untold damage.

It was engine smoke, and Kimi said afterwards that he smelt it, and he could see the oil trail on the right, so knew the left was clear. Genius.

[Everso Biggyballies]

I do also recall a race at Spa, I can't recall the year sorry, I don't think he'd been in F1 all that long and someone had crashed, there was a lot of smoke and I remember Martin Brundle (who was commentating) gasping and saying something alongs the lines of 'super commitment there from the young Kimi Raikkonen, he didn't even lift, he assumed the track would be clear and just kept going'. I do recall thinking at the time, was it brave or stupid of him to do that? He could easily have smashed into another unseen stranded car that he couldn't see and done untold damage.

It was engine smoke, and Kimi said afterwards that he smelt it, and he could see the oil trail on the right, so knew the left was clear. Genius.

About that time he would have well known the smell of engine oil.... he suffered enough of the Merc engines going pop at McLaren.
Re the incident I remember at the time how divided people were over it.... either he was crackers or it was brilliance nothing in between. Of course that was all before the fact he saw oil on the right so went left became known. Certainly shows how little time these guys have to make critical decisions and how aware of tiny details they have to be.