Räikkönen: ‘Time in the Netherlands has been decisive for my career’
According to Kimi Räikkönen, his time with the kart team of Dutchman Peter de Bruijn was decisive for his rich F1 career. In the late 1990s, the Finn drove for the kart team of the Dutch karting legend, who himself became world champion three times. He reminisces about his time in the Netherlands. He also talks about his retirement, and why he stopped Formula 1 after 20 years.
Räikkönen tells The Telegraph how he first borrowed a motorcycle from De Bruijn at the European Karting Championship in 1997. “It was much better than the bikes I had myself.” A year later, De Bruijn started his own kart team and asked if the Finn would drive for him. That was a big step for the current Alfa Romeo driver, who previously did everything alone. Now the Finn drove for a kind of factory team, he says. That time in the Netherlands was therefore very important and important for the further course of my career. I owe a lot to that.’ Räikkönen still has fond memories of the time he lived in Vlaardingen, near Rotterdam. ‘I still enjoy coming to the Netherlands.’
The fact that Räikkönen first did everything himself is marked for his early racing career. The Finn had little money, and saw himself working his way up with a limited budget. “Honestly, I never expected to get beyond karting. Because I had no money.’ In 1999 . made the ice man the switch to formula cars, but he stopped after three races because the material was insufficient. De Bruijn also offered a solution then: Räikkönen called the Dutchman and drove the Finnish, Nordic world championships for him. “I had nothing to do anyway,” he says.
‘So much bullshit and nonsense outside of racing’
In 2000 Räikkönen made the step to formula cars. Just like the year before, he drove Formula Renault. However, this was the first year that all cars were equal, and it paid off for the Finnish super talent: he won the championship. The following year he immediately made his Formula 1 debut, which was unique given his lack of experience. The rest is, as it is called, history.
Now, 20 years later, the Finn stops with Formula 1. However, that does not mean that the ice cream man
tired of driving: ‘The racing itself hasn’t changed. I still like it.’ However, Räikkönen is known for the fact that the circus around F1 has never appealed to him. “There are so many things outside of racing, so much bullshit and nonsense. That has always been the case, but now it has become more.’ Still thinks it used to be when the teams weren’t allowed to test indefinitely. “Then you were in the car all day.”
‘Racing in a different class? Never say never’
Räikkönen’s F1 retirement does not mean that the Finn will hang his helmet on the willows forever. ‘Racing in a different class? Never say never, but not for now.’ He is ahead of his father, and he wants to be able to spend more time on that. “I’m looking forward to my schedule not determining our whole life anymore.” Still, the possibility exists that Räikkönen doesn’t escape the racing world there either; Son Robin can occasionally be found in a kart. “He also likes motocross, but you know how it goes with kids, that can change. Whatever they want to do, be it a hobby or something else, I will support them.’