Kimi Raikkonen stays the final Ferrari driver to assert a System 1 world championship title, securing the crown in dramatic trend by narrowly defeating Lewis Hamilton in 2007.
The Finnish driver emerged as one of many brightest skills of the early 2000s. After debuting with Sauber in 2001, Kimi Raikkonen moved to McLaren in 2002, the place he rapidly established himself as a severe title contender. In 2003, he got here tantalizingly near dethroning Michael Schumacher, solely to fall quick. Two years later, in 2005, Kimi Raikkonen’s spectacular performances, together with a now-iconic overtake in Japan, showcased his brilliance, however the championship slipped away to Fernando Alonso.
A troublesome 2006 season with a struggling McLaren workforce prompted the Finnish driver to make a pivotal profession transfer. He changed Michael Schumacher at Ferrari in 2007, and though it appeared Hamilton was destined to take the title in his debut season, Kimi Raikkonen staged considered one of F1’s most exceptional comebacks, clinching the championship by a single level—his solely profession title.
The next years, nevertheless, had been much less triumphant. In 2008, Kimi Raikkonen’s protection of his title faltered, as Lewis Hamilton narrowly beat his Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa to the championship. Kimi Raikkonen’s efficiency in 2009 was hindered by underwhelming equipment, and regardless of flashes of brilliance, his time at Ferrari ended abruptly on the shut of the season.
Kimi Raikkonen’s abrupt departure from Ferrari left him disillusioned with F1
Raikkonen had initially signed a three-year contract with Ferrari in 2007, with the intention of racing by means of the 2010 season. Nevertheless, the workforce opted to exchange him with Alonso for 2010, prompting Raikkonen to half methods with Ferrari sooner than anticipated.
The 2009 System 1 season marked a turbulent interval for the game, as sweeping regulation modifications reshaped the aggressive panorama. Ferrari struggled to adapt, permitting groups like Brawn GP and Crimson Bull to grab the benefit. Though Kimi Raikkonen demonstrated sturdy kind within the latter half of the season, his sixth-place end within the championship standings fell wanting expectations.
Following his departure from Ferrari, the Finnish driver was rumored to be in talks with a number of groups, together with McLaren, Mercedes, and Toyota—although Toyota’s subsequent withdrawal from F1 dashed any potential deal. Finally, no settlement got here to fruition, and Kimi Raikkonen stepped away from System 1 totally. Reflecting on this era throughout a 2019 episode of the *Past The Grid* podcast, Kimi Raikkonen admitted he was “very pleased” to depart the game, revealing that by the top of 2009, he had “zero curiosity” in System 1.
When requested if he missed racing after his departure from Ferrari, he admitted that he initially felt no eager for it in any respect, emphasizing he was “completely” content material with leaving. He defined that whereas he may have signed a brand new contract, it made no sense to him as he had “zero curiosity” in remaining within the sport. Reflecting on the state of affairs, he expressed satisfaction along with his choice to step away, citing the politics and different points in System 1 as components that strengthened his happiness to depart. Though his contract was paid out, he reiterated that he had no need to affix one other workforce and was genuinely happy along with his departure.
Lewis Hamilton admitted he was puzzled when Kimi Raikkonen made his second exit from Ferrari on the finish of the 2018 season.
Following his first departure from Ferrari in 2009, Raikkonen ventured into the World Rally Championship earlier than making a triumphant return to System 1 with Lotus Renault in 2012. The Finn wasted no time proving he nonetheless had the talents to compete on the highest stage, securing two race victories and 15 podium finishes throughout his two seasons with the Enstone-based workforce. His comeback marketing campaign in 2012 was notably spectacular, as he completed third within the drivers’ standings.
In 2014, after Felipe Massa’s transfer to Williams, the Finnish driver rejoined Ferrari, the place he would stay for 5 seasons. Regardless of the dominance of Mercedes throughout this era, Raikkonen delivered constant performances, accumulating common podium finishes. His crowning achievement throughout this stint got here on the 2018 United States Grand Prix, the place he claimed his closing F1 victory. Nevertheless, on the finish of that season, Raikkonen selected to depart Ferrari and returned to Sauber—by then working as Alfa Romeo.
Lewis Hamilton, reflecting on Ferrari’s choice to half methods with Kimi Raikkonen, voiced his shock and known as the Finn considered one of his “favourite drivers.” The seven-time world champion appeared to consider that Ferrari might need underestimated the worth Raikkonen delivered to the workforce, each on and off the monitor.
Kimi Raikkonen spent three seasons with Alfa Romeo earlier than retiring from System 1 in 2021, bringing an finish to a storied profession. Because the 2025 season looms, Hamilton finds himself at Ferrari, decided to interrupt their 18-year championship drought and safe his place within the workforce’s wealthy historical past.
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