Why the time is right for Raikkonen to hang up his F1 helmet

There was something very fitting about the way Kimi Raikkonen announced on Wednesday that he would be retiring from Formula 1 at the end of the year. It didn’t come via a press release from his Alfa Romeo team, or any emotional video paying tribute to his efforts and looking back on a remarkable time in the series.

It was, as so much of Kimi’s F1 career has been, done entirely on his terms.

Raikkonen made the announcement via his Instagram account, writing a post of just 110 words that was accompanied by a collage of pictures featuring some of the highlights from his time in F1. In the post, he revealed he took the decision last winter, and that it was now “time for new things”.

It brings to an end one of the most colourful and unconventional careers in recent F1 history. A haul of 21 wins and one world championship arguably underplays his quality and place among the greats of this millennium, having been the man to take the fight to Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton in title battles before his two-year break.

Upon returning in 2012, he starred with the cash-strapped Lotus squad, made returns to both Ferrari and Sauber, and while he never quite recaptured the form that made him such a force in the 2000s, he remained an important, beloved part of the F1 grid.

But the time is now right for Raikkonen to walk away. The Finn always maintained that he would never stay in F1 beyond his welcome, not wishing to race if his heart wasn’t in it. ‘Dad Kimi’, the man married to Minttu and with two young children, Robin and Rianna, is a man with priorities elsewhere - and rightly so.

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1st position, lifts his trophy on the podium

Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images

Raikkonen’s second spell with Ferrari was nowhere near as successful as his first, yet it was one that had a gradual upward trajectory. It peaked with what, barring something extraordinary, will be his final win at the 2018 United States Grand Prix, ending a drought that spanned over five years that he even he noted with his immediate reaction being: “Fucking finally!”

It ended up securing him third place in that year’s championship, requiring a trip to the FIA’s end of year awards ceremony. Never one for pomp and circumstance, Raikkonen famously enjoyed himself that night, staggering on stage to collect his trophy and only adding to his legend.

Antics such as those became more what Raikkonen was remembered for in the final years of his F1 career. Alfa Romeo was a good place for him to land after Ferrari decided it was time to draft Charles Leclerc into the team. It was close to his home in Switzerland, meaning he could spend more time with his family, and the team, particularly in 2019, was a decent midfield runner. He was enjoying the fight.

The fact Raikkonen made the decision about his future over the winter is telling. 2020 clearly took its toll but after signing a new deal with Alfa Romeo he was happy to have one final rodeo

But 2020 was a sobering experience. Alfa Romeo’s form nosedived amid Ferrari’s power unit woes, making it a challenging year largely spent outside of the points. Since snatching fourth place in the late drama at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix, Raikkonen hasn’t finished a race any higher than ninth, that result coming at Mugello and Imola last year. Otherwise, he didn’t score any points in 2020.

It was a far cry from the Kimi we all loved watching in his prime, the ‘Iceman’ who was so fiercely fast; who charged through the field at Suzuka and made the brave last-lap pass on Giancarlo Fisichella; who made Spa his own through the 2000s; who gave us countless other memories with stunning drives against some of the greatest of all-time. 

Top 10: Kimi Raikkonen’s greatest F1 races ranked

Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren Mercedes, MP4/20, celebrates at the end of the 2005 Japanese GP

Photo by: Motorsport Images / Sutton Images

And while Alfa Romeo may be a bit closer to the midfield this year, the results haven’t come. Raikkonen has been a step behind team-mate Antonio Giovinazzi for much of the year, and while he’s produced some very solid drives - his charge to 11th in Styria being a particularly good drive - they’ve hardly stolen any headlines. It’s not the on-track Kimi that we once loved.

The fact that Raikkonen made the decision about his future over the winter is telling. 2020 clearly took its toll, but, after signing a new deal with Alfa Romeo to cover the 2021 campaign a few months earlier, he was happy to have one final rodeo; a farewell tour to the series that has given him so much.

With the new cars coming in 2022, it is a good point for Raikkonen to leave on a personal level, as he won’t have to assimilate or adjust to the new car concepts. But it is also a good point for Alfa Romeo to bring in some fresh blood. Just as Raikkonen replaced a world champion compatriot when he took Mika Hakkinen’s McLaren seat in 2002, it may well be that another Finn, Valtteri Bottas, takes his place at Alfa Romeo.

Giovinazzi’s future is also in the balance, with Red Bull youngster Alexander Albon known to be a contender for the seat in his push to return to F1.

Post-F1 life for Raikkonen is unlikely to see him remain a big part of the series’ furniture. While he would be an entertaining choice for TV punditry, akin to Roy Kent in the Apple TV series Ted Lasso, it’s hardly a job that he seems at all suitable for, or, more importantly, remotely interested in. He once hit out at Paul di Resta, a Sky F1 pundit who made a one-off return for Williams at the 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix, saying: “If he can't see me behind him, then he should stick to the reporting.”

Kimi Raikkonen, Sauber

Photo by: Michael Cooper / Motorsport Images

He can do what he wants. If he wants to go rallying, having dabbled in competitive events during his break from F1, he can. He can focus on his family and see his kids grow up. Young Robin has already taken to karting, and was even seen on Raikkonen’s Instagram account a few weeks ago driving a dirt buggy. If Robin has the desire to get into racing, then his dad will support him, but there’s no pressure. “As long as he enjoys it, that’s the main thing,” Raikkonen said of his son’s racing efforts last year.

And that sums up Raikkonen’s own approach to a tee. It has always been about enjoyment. The thrill he gets from F1 and competition is unlike anything else, but he has never taken himself too seriously. Think of the choc ice at Sepang in 2009. The famous (and misquoted) “leave me alone” Abu Dhabi radio call in 2012 that has adorned t-shirts and merchandise across the world. The calling F1 a “hobby” during his brief Netflix appearance. The revelations in his 2018 biography, The Unknown Kimi Raikkonen, that included his 16-day drinking bender between races, but also painted the picture of an absolute one-off character that F1 will sorely miss.

The influence Raikkonen has had on F1 runs deep. Across all sport, the fact an athlete can be known by their first name alone speaks volumes

The question facing F1 fans moving forward is how they will remember Raikkonen. Will it be for the memes and the funny moments that already form compilations on YouTube? Or will it be for his success on-track, establishing himself as a true great against some of the toughest opposition there has ever been?

Whichever way you remember him, the influence Raikkonen has had on F1 runs deep. Across all sport, the fact an athlete can be known by their first name alone speaks volumes.

But Kimi won’t care for legacy. He’s had a remarkable career in F1, but it won’t matter how he is remembered. He has raced and lived entirely on his own terms.

And in truth, we are likely to miss him far more than he misses us as he goes onto the next chapter of his life.

Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo Racing C41

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images