Analysis: Raikkonen Makes Big Step Up

Finland's Kimi Raikkonen has been compared often enough to Mika Hakkinen, the champion and compatriot he replaces at McLaren for next season. But comparisons with Ferrari's four times World Champion Michael Schumacher might be just as appropriate.

The 21-year-old's rise to the top in Formula One has been meteoric, just as Schumacher's was when he arrived at Jordan in 1991 as a stand-in and was quickly snapped up by Benetton. Peter Sauber knew he had uncovered a remarkable talent long before the season started but he had to fight to get Raikkonen into one of his cars.

The problem for him was not other teams wanting to sign him first - that would come a few months later once the Finn had shown what he could do - but in convincing the ruling FIA. International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Max Mosley was one of those most opposed to the inexperienced Raikkonen being catapulted into Formula One with a super license.

He had a point. The 21-year-old had won the British Formula Renault title in 2000 but had competed in just 23 single-seater races before he made his Formula One debut in Australia in March. He had no Formula Three or F3000 experience and had never made a pit stop before.

Potential Danger

"Even though I believe that Raikkonen is a talented driver, I still don't believe that he's done enough driving to be sitting in an F1 car," said BAR boss Craig Pollock back in February. "The problem is his lack of experience potentially causing a situation that could be dangerous."

Sauber also had to convince others, notably sponsor Red Bull who wanted Brazilian test driver Enrique Bernoldi to graduate. But the cigar-smoking Swiss knew that Raikkonen was worth fighting for and he got his way, although the driver was on probation for his first four races.

"When I see how cool Kimi is approaching Formula One racing, I do not think there is a danger," Sauber said before the season started. "From the moment he first sat in one of our cars in Mugello in September last year, Kimi showed himself to be a most unusual young man."

The cool youngster rewarded him instantly, scoring a point in his debut race - the 50th driver to do so in the history of Formula One. More remarkably, he showed no nerves.

Raikkonen, having completed the longest flight of his life to get to Australia, was sleeping so soundly in the team's motorhome shortly before the race that he required waking to get ready.

Ban Enforced

His form and his confidence got people talking, as did Sauber's decision to enforce a ban on his girlfriend attending the first three races, and they got more excited as the season progressed. Both McLaren and Ferrari became increasingly interested, with the former seeking an heir to Hakkinen and Ferrari only confirming Brazilian Rubens Barrichello until the end of 2002.

Schumacher, who has always considered Hakkinen his greatest rival, has referred to the Finn as a future champion, a comment reiterated by Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo this week. But it was McLaren who negotiated with Sauber through partners Mercedes.

The future is rarely clear in Formula One and Hakkinen hopes publicly to come back and regain his place at McLaren, although a year's unpaid leave is likely to distance him from the team. The future clearly belongs more to Raikkonen, who can expect equal terms to Briton David Coulthard, than to the other fast Finn.