Kimi Raikkonen has called time on his Formula 1® career
Thursday, 2 September 2021
The Iceman will finish out the season.
Kimi Raikkonen has announced his impending retirement from Formula 1®.
The 41-year-old, who won the world title with Ferrari in 2007, will call time on his career at the end of the 2021 season.
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Raikkonen made his F1® debut with Sauber at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix and spent five seasons with McLaren before a three-year stint with Ferrari.
He took a break from F1® but returned with Lotus in 2012, going on to join Ferrari again before moving to Alfa Romeo in 2019.
The Finn, who has 21 race wins and 103 podium finishes to his name, confirmed his decision in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
"This is it. This will be my last season in Formula 1," the post read.
"This is a decision I did during last winter. It was not an easy decision but after this season it is time for new things. Even though the season is still on, I want to thank my family, all my teams, everyone involved in my racing career and especially all of you great fans that have been rooting for me all this time.
"Formula 1 might come to an end for me but there is a lot more in life that I want to experience and enjoy. See you around after all of this! Sincerely Kimi."
Speculation mounted earlier on Wednesday that Alfa Romeo was considering making a move for Valtteri Bottas, who is waiting to discover if he will remain Lewis Hamilton's teammate next year.
Mercedes future is in doubt, with George Russell a potential replacement as Hamilton's team-mate for next season.
