Former World Champion Kimi Raikkonen said he does not see himself returning to an F1 paddock in the near future.
Kimi Raikkonen’s 20 years long and illustrious F1 career came to an end at the 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi. His final race wasn’t particularly memorable as his braking issues forced him to retire, but he leaves behind a massive legacy in the sport.
The 42-year old won his only World Championship, in 2007 with Ferrari. In total, he ended his career with 21 race wins and 103 podium finishes.
Raikkonen decided to move away from the sport to focus on spending more time with his family. The driver from Espoo, who was never particularly fond of the limelight, intends to lead a quiet life away from the pinnacle of motorsports.
View this post on Instagram
When asked if he’ll miss being in an F1 paddock, the Finn said: “Only time will tell.”
“What I already know is driving is the only thing I liked about it. I may never set foot in the paddock again. Formula 1 was never my life. There were always things that were more important to me. Nothing will change about that.”
“I didn’t stop because I didn’t have the strength. But because I have better things to do than sit on planes and stay in hotels. I’m just glad it’s over. Even the fact that I couldn’t finish the last race doesn’t matter.”
Also read: Why 2022 is going to be a make or break year for the Scuderia
Holidays will feel like Holidays again, says Kimi Raikkonen
As an F1 driver, Raikkonen wasn’t able to enjoy a ‘normal’ life as most people do. He had to spend the majority of his days travelling or staying at hotels in cities where they would race next.
The former Ferrari driver said he was looking forward to a future where he can finally relax. He went on to say that he has nothing planned out, and will resort to doing things when he feels the time is right.
“My kids want a dog, but we haven’t decided yet. Maybe it’s enough for them that I will now spend more time at home again.” the 2007 World Champion continued.
Also read: Ferrari discusses how they will decide drivers’ hierarchy for 2022
“Holidays are holidays again. Otherwise, we only had the summer break. That was two and a half weeks, in which you had to continue training and always had in the back of your mind that normal madness would come back afterwards.”
Raikkonen drove for Alfa Romeo racing for the final 3 seasons of his F1 career. In 2021, he finished 16th in the standings with 10 points to his name.
