Kimi Raikkonen had his biggest moment as an F1 driver when he won the world championship in 2007. The Finn was driving for Ferrari at the time, and till this date, he remains the outfit’s last ever world champion. Hence, it is safe to say that Raikkonen has a good connection with Ferrari.
When he’s not racing in Formula 1, we have seen Raikkonen compete in various other racing ventures or drive cars around in general. He is a huge fan of racing as a whole, and spends a lot of time around automobiles. His last stint with Ferrari came between 2014 and 2018 and he got to test out the Ferrari LaFerrari at Fiorano during this time.
Kimi Raikkonen testing the Ferrari LaFerrari and spinning out pic.twitter.com/bMqMZRTuTT
— LshMain #KimiWeek (@KimiCoomkkonen) January 23, 2023
The LaFerrari is one of the most unique Ferrari cars out there, and it costs around $1.5 million. Raikkonen was driving it around Ferrari’s private circuit, but at one point, he lost control of the car and spun off track! The Iceman must have had his heart in his mouth, because crashing a $1.5 million Ferrari during testing would be a disaster.
Could Kimi Raikkonen have achieved more in F1?
Raikkonen is one of the biggest F1 names of all time and has battled alongside some of the biggest names in the sport’s history. The legendary Michael Schumacher too, fought some very intense battles alongside Raikkonen. Despite being a World Champion and 21-time race winner, Schumacher’s brother Ralf, who was an F1 driver too, feels that the Espoo-born driver could have achieved a lot more.
According to the former Williams driver, Raikkonen embraced a very different personality compared to all the other drivers. His habit of partying very hard was something Schumacher didn’t agree on, and according to Ralf, it also limited his potential.
”Raikkonen might have been one of the best drivers of his time,” said Ralf Schumacher. “But this certainly limited his name for appearing in the list of greatest of all time.”
Raikkonen remains Ferrari’s last ever World Champion
Ferrari is the most successful team in F1 history. No team has won more constructors’ world championships and no one else has produced as many drivers’ champions as they have. However, they have been going through a tough spell over the last 15 years.
The last driver to win the world championship for the Maranello-based outfit was Raikkonen himself. The very next year, they won the constructors’ title, which was their last major achievement in the sport. The likes of Felipe Massa, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel have all failed to bring Title glory back to the Scuderia.
And still officially Ferrari’s last World Drivers’ Champion…
Kimi Raikkonen in 2007. #F1 pic.twitter.com/AvkQnIuXTz
— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) October 10, 2022
Heading into the 2023 season, the pressure to win the championship again lies on the shoulders of current drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.