Retirement at 42.
Kimi Räikkönen, 2007 world champion at Ferrari, will stop Formula 1 at the end of the 2021 season, he announced on his Instagram account on Wednesday.
"Even if the season is not over, I want to thank my family, all my teams, all the people who have been involved in my career and especially all of you, the fans who have supported me during all this time" , writes the Finn.
" That's it.
This will be my last season in Formula 1. It's a decision I made last winter.
It was not easy to take, but now is the time for new things, ”explains the Alfa Romeo driver alongside a mosaic of photos summarizing his career in F1.
Often nicknamed "Iceman" for his calm and reluctant taste for interviews, Räikkönen is the current F1 veteran, older than the 40-year-old Spaniard Fernando Alonso, a two-time world champion.
An "absolute legend" for Nico Rosberg
The first tributes quickly came from another F1 world champion, the German Nico Rosberg, who calls him an “absolute legend”, or from Stefano Domenicali, the boss of F1. “Kimi is an important part of our sport, a friend and a true champion,” said the latter. “I had the privilege of working with him at Ferrari and knowing the fantastic person he is. He will be missed and his unique style ”.
Räikkönen's statistics speak for themselves: 342 Grands Prix contested to date, for 21 wins, 18 pole positions, 46 fastest laps in the race and 103 podiums since his debut at the 2001 Australian GP, in a modest Sauber.
He also drove for McLaren and Lotus.
His retirement frees up a steering wheel at Alfa Romeo that could go to compatriot Valtteri Bottas, should Mercedes decide to replace him with British hopeful George Russell in 2022.
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