“It’s very serious”- Kimi Raikkonen decides to return in racing only a few weeks after his F1 retirement

Samriddhi Jaiswal | 27/01/2022
"It's very serious"- Kimi Raikkonen decides to return in racing only a few weeks after his F1 retirement

Kimi Raikkonen has decided to return to motorsports as a team boss in 2022 after ending his career with Formula 1.

Kimi Raikkonen began his career in 2001 with Sauber and ended it at the end of 2021. Valtteri Bottas will replace Raikkonen and rake a seat alongside Guanyu Zhou. When asked about his post-retirement plans, Raikkonen had said that he will enjoy the time with his family.

However, now the Finnish driver has taken up the role of team principal for the Kawasaki racing team in MXGP. He will lead the team alongside past motocross GP winner Antti Pyrhonen.

For the past 10 years, both Raikkonen and Pyrhonen have been involved in the motocross series as IceOne Racing. 2022 will be the first time that Raikkonen will lead the factory entry Kawasaki came on board with full support.

Also Read: Kimi Raikkonen opens about his relationship with former McLaren boss Ron Dennis

Kimi Raikkonen is very focused

The Finnish driver said that motocross has been his greatest passion for many years. “This team is not what you might call a hobby,” he said in his new role as team boss.

“It’s very serious, very focused and we aspire to be the best we possibly can. Now I have retired from racing I will be able to spend more time on this project; not on the daily issues but more from a strategic point of view using my experience of how teams work and what creates success on the world stage.”

“Everyone, including myself, is delighted that Kawasaki has chosen us to be the factory team. I know that the chance of success is always greater with direct factory support so this translates into a great opportunity for us as the new Kawasaki Racing Team in MXGP,” he further added.

Also Read: Alfa Romeo boss reveals why Kimi Raikkonen was disappointed with the team’s approach to the 2021 season

Post Edited By: Samriddhi Jaiswal
F1 Kimi Raikkonen motocross

About the author

Samriddhi Jaiswal

Samriddhi Jaiswal is an F1 editor and writer at The SportsRush. She started her career as a business journalist but soon found her calling in lights out here we go! Samriddhi has been a Ferrari fan even when her interaction with F1 was occasional. Her first real experience with the thrilling sport came when Charles Leclerc clinched his iconic victory in Spa and Monza and painted the track red. Now, a Tifosi, Samriddhi is a hardcore fan of the prancing horse and can relate to the chaos within the Italian camp and also admires Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. Off the track, she finds her home in books and musical instruments.

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