Jenson Button may have
secured the McLaren hotseat to race alongside Lewis Hamilton, but
outgoing F1 driver Kimi Raikkonen leaves both men trailing in the
category marked ‘superhuman’.
Well OK, superhuman may be over-doing it, but he does have a nickname that
deserves comic book status: the Iceman.
The Iceman (a woefully underused way of describing sporty Scandinavians, we’re
sure you’d agree) was frozen out at Ferrari earlier this autumn and now
seems set for four-wheeled frolics on ice as a rally driver.
In common with many comic book creations, the Iceman doesn’t say a lot and his
words aren’t weighed down with deep meaning, but his animated F1 driving has
been the stuff of dreams… or nightmares, depending on which side of the
‘no pain no gain’ credo you fall.
When Raikkonen’s car burst into flames in the pit lane on the first lap of
this year’s Brazilian GP and drops of petrol trickled into his eyes, rather
than leap out of the car, douse his eyes in Optrex and run to an optician,
he put his foot to the floor and rejoined the race.
The fire went out, but the flammable fluid in his eyes remained. Despite the
risk of an incendiary outcome just around the cornea (apologies), he
continued for the duration of the race – 70 laps – and finished sixth.
Afterwards the flaming Finn monotoned: "I ended up with some drops of
petrol in my eye from the fuel line stuck on Heikki Kovalainen’s car and
then I was engulfed in flames and blinded. I was going to stop, but luckily
the flames soon went out."
He added, with all the emotion of Schwarzenegger delivering a Hollywood line: "My
eyes are still burning, but I’m all right."
Driving at speeds of up to 200mph for 70 laps while virtually blinded with
your eyes about to combust may seem superhuman or stupid, but this is mere
child’s play for a man who has been described, often and unimaginatively, as
born to drive… brings to mind an image of a baby Raikkonen driving his
mother back from the maternity ward with the umbilical cord still attached
like a fuel hose feeding a Ferrari. Born to drive indeed.
In 2002, while racing for McLaren, Belgium GP fans looked on incredulously as
he powered his car into a sea of smoke caused by the blow-up of a BAR Honda.
Most drivers would have slammed on the brakes knowing that, somewhere in the
dense black cloud, the obstacle of a slain F1 car was lying, but the Finn
accelerated into the blackness and emerged from the smouldering plume like
the T1000 in Terminator 2. A best qualifying lap was in the bag.
And at Suzuka in 2005 he put in a Herculean effort to rise from the back of
the grid and torpedo
past Giancarlo Fisichella’s Renault on the final lap to take the
chequered flag. Oh and he won the world championship in his first season at
Ferrari.
While Raikkonen’s F1 driving was dramatic, his interviews were devoid of
drama. When he spoke to the media – he preferred not to – he did so in a
Dalek-like drawl.
He sometimes needed waking up shortly before the start of a race after a power
nap – or just a nap – and he could be ruder than Amy Winehouse. His response
to being asked if he would get over the disappointment of missing a special
presentation involving football great Pele and Michael Schumacher at the
2006 Brazilian GP: "Yeah. I was having a —-."
Now the flying Finn is heading for a Formula One sabbatical. He leaves F1
unchallenged as the paddock’s monosyllabic maverick.
Interviewer: Kimi, have you ever got angry about anything?
Raikkonen: Yeah, many times but more in normal life than racing.
Interviewer: Can you give us examples?
Raikkonen: No, not really.
Interviewer: What are the kind of things that make you angry in normal
life, as you say?
Raikkonen: If you keep asking questions like those.
FUCK ISRAEL 
Very nice article! It’s kinda like a review of some special stories of Kimi. But we have a lot more with our Kimi for so many years. No matter when he leaves us, now or in the near future, we’ll always keep these memories!Kiitos Kimi !!!
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ITs soo true……He is a ‘super human’.How many drivers would or would have rejected a McLaren Drive?None did and no one will ever……………..thats truly- legendary.
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SO strong, SO hero! Kimi there’s no words, every time I appreciate him more.keep flying hero!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!no one can stop you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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It has been certainly an exciting week. It has been so many up and downs with this Kimi matter. Now I just noticed a news from Iltasanomathttp://www.iltasanomat.fi/urheilu/uutinen.asp?id=1777562News says, that Aabar Investment’s CEO Rudolph Waels said, that they wan’t Kimi to drive Mercedes next year. Aabar Investment’s is a big owner of Mercedes. He said that in Abu Dhabi Sport 2 TV channel interview. I was not able to find that interview and I’m little bit surprised, that only a Finnish newspaper noticed it, not anybody else? I hope it is true.
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Hei Pekka, much appreciated, but yes, Tareq posted in our forum about that from Abu Dhabi tv as he was watching the news live as it came on screen lol
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Hei Evenstar!Sorry, I have not seen Tareq’s comment here. I should read more ofter this forum 🙂 Maybe Iltasanomat has spotted that news from here…
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I’m feeling so dull today as i was going through all good moments…..Kimi’s 1st Quali lap….Spa LAp record….etc…after seeing these video i realised what will we feel when we see a grid without kimi…..and on top of that i just heard merc is going to announce 1 of their driver’s name i.e Nico obviously….but they are expecting the 2nd driver to be either nick or sutil…..what is Robertson doing…is he negotiating or not?http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80309
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It`s official now. Rosberg declared as the first new driver for Mercedes GP. I want to ask Haug one thing: "Where`s the surprise?" 😉
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Ross said he wants both drivers experienced…..he said rosberg is one…..the other can heidfeld or raikkonen…..I hope Kimi is a surprise….looks vverrrrry unlikely now as it is most probably Heidfeld……but till now i thought Robertsons were negotiating……pleasssseeeeee godddddd dont do this to the world’s best fans…….when there were rumours about mercedes i decided not to keep any hopes again so that there isn’t another heart attack for me….but i couldn’t resist…..srsly if Haug Really meant a surprise…..it has to be Kimi Raikkonen!!!
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This surprise better be good lol
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Even*….do u really think Kimi can be the surprise?I hope it is….people are denying about schumi’s return, but this can be the surprise too…..I am just praying to God and promising that i will surely study when Kimi is still in F1…..
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Rahim… same here!!! How long do we need to wait??? I know we better don’t put any hope but I can’t deny that Mercedez do light up my hope. Let’s pray hard together. But I really can’t imagine how sad I will when the only hope is no longer exist…
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yea…but Reading all the site’s articles i feel its over……..but the only thing that keeps my hope is those haug’s words….."Surprise in the line up"…..srsly YUSS u will only know how sad you’ll feel at the start of 2010 season when u watch a video OF KIMI ……i was crying…..My sister is a kimi fan too….and she doesn’t want him to go …..but she was just normal….. but when she saw a video with me…..i saw tears rolling down her eyes….she’s praying too…..THE BEST THING NOW ALL RAIKKOS……IS TO PRAY TOGETHER……I REMEMBER BRAZIL 2007….WHEN I WAS IN A BOARDING SCHOOL AND I COULDN’T SEE THE RACE….BUT THE ONLY THING I DID IS PRAY AND I TOLD ALL MY FRIENDS TO PRAY TOO…….AND THE NEXT MORNING WHEN I WENT TO ONE OF MY TEACHERS AND ASKED WHO WON THE TITLE….HE WAS LIKE…"THAT …..THAT rAIKKONEN WON IT"……..I WAS SO HAPPY AS THOSE FRIENDS WHO WEREN’T INTERESTED IN F1 AND TO WHOM I ASKED TO PRAY FOR KIMI WERE ALSO JUMPING……"I HOPE KIMI IS IN MERC HE WILL REALLY LOOK HOT"….MY SISTER SAID THAT…:-)
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hahaha i always remember "Yeah i was having a **** "thanks for the article it’s really describe Kimi @Rahim:yeah i also wait for some miracle Kimi will be at Mercedes next year but since media always speculating Kimi or Schumacher so choosing one of them is not suprise anymore,right?
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Thanks Saima 😉 I loved this post. But I became sad again because of Kimi (most likely) leaving ;(( I will miss him so much :S
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Is it true?http://f1.automoto365.com/news/f1/kimi-to-citroen-and-the-wrc/GpNewsForm-en-default-19-11-0-38531-1.html
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Could be 😦 No doubts lets be positive but better be prepared for what we wouldn’t want to happen as well 😦 😦 😦
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yeah, this is a voice….but there are so many….we need patience and…..think about Kimi more and more supporting him 🙂
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I love this article. 😉
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