Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Raikkonen won't let title change his style

Newly crowned world champion Kimi Raikkonen has vowed not to let the title win change him or his lifestyle

Ferrari's 28-year-old Finnish 'Iceman', twice before a runner-up in the title standings with his former team McLaren, finally reaped the rewards on Sunday with victory in the Brazilian season-ender.

But the Finn, whose love of partying is as well-documented as his monosyllabic approach to the media, said he will remain the same person.

"It's not going to really change my life too much," he said. "People will probably try to make up more stories about me but I'm not going to change myself, I never did before and it's not going to happen in the future.

"I lead my life as I want and that's it. For sure, we are going to have a big party, not just here but next week... it's been a long season and it's hard to realise that we finally did it after many years."

Raikkonen, who stepped into retired seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher's shoes this season after five years with McLaren, echoed his German predecessor in saying the Italian team felt like a family to him.

"I enjoy every moment with the team," said the Finn.

"I have enjoyed Formula One much more this year than I enjoyed the last few years, for many reasons -- not because of the driving, but for some other reasons.

"I'm more than happy to win the championship with Ferrari, especially in the first year with the team.

"It is such a nice big family, great people to work for. I'd rather win with them than anyone else," added Raikkonen, whose victory at Interlagos was his sixth of the year.

The triumph came at the end of one of the emotionally-charged and controversial of seasons, with Ferrari winning the constructors' championship after McLaren were stripped of all their points for a spying scandal.

Asked whether he felt beating McLaren's 22-year-old rookie Lewis Hamilton and double champion Fernando Alonso to the title was a sort of justice, Raikkonen hesitated.

"I think so, maybe yes," he said.

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Q & A with Lewis Hamilton
Next article Bad race wraps up Renault's bad season

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe