In the early morning of September 2, Beijing time, 42-year-old Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen, who plays for The Formula One (f1) Alfa Romeo Team, announced that he would end his Formula One career after this season. This means that the legend of the "Iceman" in f1 is over.
Although the two drivers' seats for the Alfa Romeo team next season have not yet been decided, Raikkonen has announced his schedule for next season in advance, announcing through personal social media that the 2021 season will be his last f1 season. "That's it," he wrote, "it's going to be my last season in F1." This is a decision I made last winter. It's not an easy decision, but after this season, it's time to do something new. Raikkonen thanked his family, all the F1 teams he played for and the fans who supported him. He added: "For me, F1 may be over, but there are still a lot of things in life that I want to experience and enjoy. See you soon after all this. ”
Raikkonen made his F1 debut in 2001 at the Australian Grand Prix for Sauber Racing. A season later, Raikkonen joined McLaren, where he played for 5 seasons before moving on to Ferrari, where he won the F1 Drivers World Championship in 2007. After three seasons at Ferrari, he left the F1 car scene to drive rally racing, and two years later he returned to F1, joining Lotus, Ferrari and currently playing for Alfa Romeo.
To date, Raikkonen has competed in 344 F1 Grands Prix, achieved 18 pole positions, 21 wins and 103 podium finishes, and this season he is temporarily 17th in the drivers' standings with 2 points. After Raikkonen announced the news, F1 CEO Domenicali praised Raikkonen's contribution to the sport. He said: "Kimi is an incredible part of our sport, he is a personal friend of mine and a true champion. I had the privilege of working with him at the Ferrari team and thus recognised that he was an amazing man. We will all miss him and his unique style and wish him and his family all the best in the future. ”
Why is Raikkonen called the Iceman
Finnish racer Kimi's nickname for "Iceman" was originally a name from the McLaren staff, and he himself said: "When I joined McLaren in 2001, they gave me the nickname Iceman, and as to why, I don't know, the team's mechanics always like to call me that, but without the flower of this nickname, it doesn't matter to me.".
Raikkonen is young but taciturn, and the taciturn at the same time but also broke out of the drunken trouble, whether in the TV camera or in the paddock, Raikkonen is always a "iceman" face, his calm, confident, taciturn as if there is ice helping him, so that he is always sober on the field, can make the most perfect analysis. Maybe that's why it's called the "Iceman."
As for the question of "why is Raikkonen popular", the biggest feature of Raikkonen is quiet, and in the following seasons of Ferrari, although it seems to have been treated unfairly by the outside world, he has never responded much to controversial topics. But under the cold exterior, the Iceman always gives the fans warmth inside.
In an F1 Spanish Grand Prix, Raikkonen withdrew. At this time, the cameras on the scene captured a scene of a car fan in the stands crying sadly because of Raikkonen's retirement. Not long after, the little friend was invited to the VIP area of the team by the Ferrari team and received a personal reception from kimi, and the power of idols and role models will not only affect the future growth of this car fan, but also make each of us feel that there is a hot heart hidden under the cold face of the iceman.
Source: Beijing Daily Client