Int. Racing Driver: Kimi Raikkonen
Kimi Raikkonen had something to smile about after his Championship disappointment when he took the International Racing Driver of the Year trophy at the Autosport Awards
Autosport Awards
The Autosport Awards are a series of awards presented by motor racing magazine Autosport to drivers that have achieved significant milestones each season. Some of the presentations are selected by the general public via a reader's poll.
The McLaren driver edged out World Champion Fernando Alonso to take the prize - which was presented to him by former World Champion Nigel Mansell.
When asked to choose his highlights of the year, Raikkonen said: "I guess all the wins for sure. The Japanese GP was one of the great moments, also Monaco was a good place to win. It could have been better this season but it could have been an awful lot worse as well. I am happy.
"It is always exciting to fight, but of course we wanted to win and it was not such a good time when you do well and things do not go right. But that is part of the game - and still it was one of the best years for me in F1."
Mansell paid tribute to Raikkonen's ability and believed there was no doubt the Finn would go on to capture the title.
"I know what it is like to be a bridesmaid," said Mansell. "I think it is just a question of time. He is a future World Champion."
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