Kimi Raikkonen says he is looking to enjoy some time with his family following his departure from the busy F1 schedule, but has not completely ruled out further possible ventures in the future.
Raikkonen contested 19 seasons across two spells in F1, breaking in 2010 and 2011 to take on the challenge of rallying with Citroen in his first year away from the pinnacle of motorsport.
He also tried his hand at NASCAR with Kyle Busch Motorsports, contesting two races in 2011.
His first F1 departure came after 18 wins for McLaren and Ferrari having debuted with Sauber in 2001, and he claimed his sole world title with the Scuderia in 2007 – beating McLaren’s Sir Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso by a single point.
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The Finn returned in 2012 and won two races with Lotus, before heading back to the Scuderia in 2014, with whom he claimed his 21st and final race win at the United States Grand Prix in 2018.
Following that year, the 42-year-old was replaced by up-and-coming Charles Leclerc in a move that saw Raikkonen return to Sauber, which had been renamed Alfa Romeo.
Since 2019, life in F1 has looked a little different for the Finn – his best finish for Alfa Romeo was P4 at the hectic Brazilian Grand Prix in his first year back at the Swiss outfit.
All in all, Raikkonen managed 15 points finishes in 58 races during his second stint with the team, managing a best Drivers’ Championship finish of 12th a little over two years ago.
Another incremental change has been the marketing activity within the paddock, and Raikkonen’s constant inimicality to his media duties became a source of great amusement to F1 fans.
He revealed ahead of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year that he already knew before the beginning of the year that he had no interest in sticking around beyond 2021.
In an interview in the build-up to his final Formula 1 race in Abu Dhabi, the Finn was asked whether his final grand prix in F1 might also be his last in professional racing.
“It could be, very easily,” he replied in an interview with Autosport.
“But then on the other hand, it could be that I’m completely wrong.”
Raikkonen added that he has made no arrangements for his immediate life outside of the pinnacle of motorsport.
“That’s why I haven’t made any plans.
“I don’t want to make plans, because for the first time in a very long time, my work schedule doesn’t dictate the whole life – in the past my life, and now also the family’s as well.
“So I’m looking forward to that time. I don’t want to make any massive plans of this and that.”
He indicated that there “could be anything” in his future and conceded that he may be tempted to commit to projects should the right offer come along, but for now the Iceman is focused on some well-earned down time.
“I’m sure people will have some nice kind of things that will come up,” he said.
“And if there’s something that makes sense, then why not do it? But for sure, I first need to have some time off.”
The 2007 Formula 1 world champion experimented with other racing disciplines in his two years away from F1 that took him across the Atlantic for a short period, but says that this time his life will be much more peaceful.
“It’s a different story completely,” Raikkonen affirmed.
“Obviously in that time, I did rallies and I was if not as busy, very busy because the rallies even, it takes a week solid, because you start to do the notes and all these things.
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“And then I did NASCAR and some testing for Le Mans and this and that. Now it’s a completely different story.”
Above all, the former Ferrari driver is excited to spend plenty of time at home with his loved ones.
“It will be nice to have time at home, and the kids are looking forward to it. And I’m sure the wife is also! No need to always say, ‘I’m here, I’m there’, let’s stay for a week, and then you know that you have to go again.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Raikkonen ended the 2021 season 16th in the Drivers’ Championship, and departed at the same time as Italian team-mate Antonio Giovinazzi, who has joined the Dragon Penske Formula E team.
They have been replaced by former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas and rookie Guanyu Zhou for the new season.
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