Ground reality
Kimi Räikkönen the Iceman

By Mahvesh Adil

For anyone whose knowledge about Formula One (F1) doesn't extend beyond Michael Schumacher, here's a tip: he's out! Update yourself on the new driver who will be leading the Ferrari attack in the 2007 season. It is Kimi Räikkönen. Räikkönen began his F1 career with the Sauber-Petronas team in 2001.

Born in Finland on October 17th, 1979, Räikkönen started karting since he was ten. Moving on, he competed in and won various race tournaments, including the European Formula Super A (second place, 1999), British Formula Renault series (won, 1999) and the Formula Renault UK Championship (won, 2000). He became the least experienced driver ever to enter F1; but he proved his worth by scoring a championship point (6th place) in his maiden race at the Australian GP in 2001. He ended the season at tenth place in the Drivers' Championship. With teammate Nick Heidfeld at 12 points, Sauber-Petronas came fourth in the Constructors' Championship - their highest ever finish. Fellow countryman Mika Hakkinen's retirement plans for 2002 prompted McLaren to try to sign up the Iceman, a nickname earned because of Räikkönen's cool on the track temprament. Ferrari also wanted to sign Kimi, but he chose McLaren and signed a five year contract, because he did not want to be the No.2 driver at Ferrari.

His first season with McLaren was a disaster, with 10 retirements, and frequent engine failures uncharacteristic of the typical McLaren reliability. The season was dominated by Schumacher, and Räikkönen only had four podiums, but ended the season sixth in the drivers' championship, while McLaren got third for the Constructors' Championship. The McLaren's reliability issues would resurface again in 2004, with eight retirements for Räikkönen and seventh in the Drivers' Championship.

The 2003 season was relatively better as Räikkönen won his first ever Grand Prix in Malaysia after starting from the seventh position. The closest season ever in recent times, 2003 saw Räikkönen come from the back of the grid to get podium finishes five times. He finished second in the Drivers' Championship, just two points behind Schumacher, with the competition on till the very last race in Japan.

2005 was Räikkönen's best season, with seven wins to his credit, one of which included starting from grid position 17! Even though he finished behind Fernando Alonso in the Drivers' Championship, with a margin of almost 20 points, he secured his place as a good driver, achieving good results in spite of technical glitches. This was also the season where all Michelin cars had to withdraw from the US GP because of safety issues, and the race consisted of only the three Bridgestone teams. 

The last season, 2006, was yet another disappointing season for McLaren and Räikkönen, with no Grand Prix wins. He still gave excellent performances; at Bahrain he ended up 3rd after starting from 22nd place because of technical issues, and in other races, he frequently regained lost time and distance, even if not ending well. He overcame his German GP jinx by ending the race for the first time in third place.

After the Italian GP on 10th September, 2006, Schumacher announced his retirement. Only a little later, Ferrari announced that Räikkönen would be part of the team for three seasons, from 2007-2009. He ended his final season with McLaren-Mercedes in Brazil on fifth position, and a fifth place in the driver's championship.

Räikkönen also has a Formula 3 racing team with his manager Steve Robertson called Räikkönen Robertson (Double R). It won the title this year in its second season.

Kimi's career has just taken off, and the new season will prove whether or not he actually is an excellent driver plagued merely by car troubles for in 2007, reliability will no longer be a convenient excuse to fall back on. Start preparing for an inaugural F1 season - with no Michael Schumacher, and young drivers like Alonso (McLaren), de la Rosa (McLaren), Fellipe Massa (Ferrari), Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault) and of course, Kimi Räikkönen in Ferrari.