F1 champion Kimi Räikkönen talks about the Singapore Grand Prix 2019, partying in his twenties – and how Richard Mille persuaded him to start wearing a watch
The Finnish ‘Iceman’ talks candidly about joining Alfa Romeo from Scuderia Ferrari, racing against Michael Schumacher and raising a family
Veteran Finnish F1 driver Kimi Räikkönen is back in the region for the Singapore Grand Prix weekend – which climaxes with the championship race on Sunday, September 22 – competing for the Swiss Alfa Romeo team in Singapore for the first time, after five years at Scuderia Ferrari.
Nicknamed the “Iceman” for his cool composure, Räikkönen was crowned world champion in 2007 after finishing second in 2003 and 2005. Räikkönen has won 21 Grands Prix, making him the most successful Finnish driver in terms of Formula One race wins.
In Singapore this week for his 307th start, Räikkönen also took time out to launch a new timepiece in collaboration with Alfa Romeo team sponsor Richard Mille: the RM 50-04 Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph Kimi Räikkönen. The extremely technical calibre is made of Grade 5 titanium and carbon TPT movement that weighs a total of just seven grams and comes in a limited edition of 30.
At the end of the day, the work we do as a driver, it doesn’t matter which team you go with
STYLE caught up with the fan favourite driver to talk F1 racing, watches, and what success means to him today.
What excites you most about this F1 race in Singapore?
To me they are all similar, just in different places and in different countries. It’s very similar how it works for us, it’s an evening race here. It’s going to be a long, long race on Sunday so it’s always a big challenge here. It’s hot and humid here so it’s different to, say, Europe, but we’ve been like this for awhile so it’s interesting.
You’ve started with a new team at Alfa Romeo this year. Have the changes been as you expected? Were there any particular challenges?
I don’t think there was any big challenge. A lot of people think it’s a challenge, you work with a different team and everything runs a different way. I’ve worked with different teams before. At the end of the day, the work we do as a driver, it’s a very similar thing. It doesn’t matter which team you go with. Maybe the big picture is slightly different here and there but we have our meetings, trying to sort out the cars as best as we can, do the set-up right … so that doesn’t change.
People who work next to you might be different, like the engineer, but then again with Alfa Romeo, I’ve worked with some of the engineers before, some multiple times. I mean you always have doubts because every car is slightly different; some cars are more easy for you to drive. I’ve changed teams a few times so I really know what to expect and so far it has been going really smoothly.
