The 2019 Monaco Grand Prix will be the 300th Formula 1 race outing for one of the most popular characters on the grid: Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn will become just the fifth racer to enter 300 or more grands prix in Monte Carlo.
Michael Schumacher, Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso and Rubens Barrichello sit above Kimi in a list that he will top if he sees out his current deal with Alfa Romeo to the end of next year. Having put together a truly remarkable career, Raikkonen is of course associated with some superb F1 cars. Here, we take a look at all 17 cars the Iceman has propelled in the name of racing in the past.
2001: Sauber C20
Raikkonen scored points in his first F1 race driving this Sauber car and scored points in three more races with team-mate Nick Heidfeld also showing the machine’s potential by taking a podium in Interlagos.
2002: McLaren MP4-17
“If you want to win, hire a Finn.” Reportedly the line from Mika Hakkinen that convinced McLaren to replace him with his compatriot. Raikkone did not take a race win this season, but did take to the podium four times.
2003: McLaren MP4-17D
A first race win came in Monaco driving this car, while Raikkonen pushed Michael Schumacher close for the title, falling short by two points.
2004: McLaren MP4-19
A sluggish start to the season was turned around when a tweaked chassis was introduced in mid-season, helping Kimi secure podiums in Great Britain, China and Brazil, as well as winning in Belgium.
2005: McLaren MP4-20
Raikkonen’s best season in terms of race wins – seven triumphs coming with this machine. However, it was not enough for the title, as Fernando Alonso reigned with Renault.
2006: McLaren MP4-21
Kimi’s final year with McLaren was a winless one, ending his time with the team in typically see-sawing fashion year-by-year.
2007: Ferrari F2007
Kimi’s title-winning car was a scarlet Scuderia Ferrari, helping him to be crowned drivers’ champion in the year he replaced Michael Schumacher at Maranello. It doesn’t get much sweeter.
2008: Ferrari F2008
Two more race wins added, but Raikkonen took a back seat to Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa in a thrilling title fight with Lewis Hamilton that went down to the final corner of the season in Brazil.
2009: Ferrari F60
Ferrari were among the many teams – perhaps all of them, in fact – to be caught out by Brawn’s double diffuser as one of F1’s craziest seasons played out with Raikkonen taking a solitary win in Belgium once the field had begun to learn the BGP 001’s secrets.
2012: Lotus E20
After several years out of F1 spent rallying, driving in NASCAR and getting up to plenty else, Raikkonen returned with Lotus, winning the Abu Dhabi GP (“Leave me alone, I know what to do.”) in the process.
2013: Lotus E21
Another race win, in Australia, and six further second-place finishes came with this machine, prompting a return to one of his former employers…
2014: Ferrari F14 T
Raikkonen returned to Ferrari driving a car with a nose like a vacuum cleaner and performance not too dissimilar, as the Finn raced his first podium-free season since his debut campaign some 13 years prior.
2015: Ferrari SF15-T
A three-time race-winner in the hands of Sebastian Vettel, Raikkonen could only put this car in the podium places three times.
2016: Ferrari SF16-H
Kimi dropped further off the title pace in this car, not stepping on the podium in a 12-race stretch to end the season.
2017: Ferrari SF70H
Another car Kimi was perhaps unable to switch on quite like Vettel – the German winning five times this year. This model has been seen many times since, owing to their memorable crash on the opening lap in Singapore that year.
2018: Ferrari SF71H
The car which finally, after 113 grands prix, could see Kimi called a Formula 1 race-winner once again. Raikkonen took to the podium 12 times with this machine, bettered only by champion Hamilton across the season.
2019: Alfa Romeo Racing C38
Back where it all began, albeit with a different name above the door. Raikkonen has slipped back into life in the midfield smartly, scoring points in grand prix numbers: 295, 296, 297 and 298.
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