Interview with Kimi Raikkonen, as the Alfa Romeo racing driver opens up about his book, Finnish fans and the kids
Kimi, you have published a book that has become a bestseller in Finland. Has thus the opinion of the fans at home changed?
It’s hard to say because I only spend an average of three weeks a year in Finland. Our home is Switzerland. When I travel to Finland, it’s to our summer house, which is very remote. But what I noticed in Switzerland: more people come and politely ask for an autograph. I guess that’s because I’m driving for a Swiss team again.
Do you feel a bit Swiss after such a long time?
No, but I’ve been living in Switzerland since 2001, it’s more my home than Finland. We feel very much at home in Switzerland. I don’t care what the Finnish fans think of the Formula 1 drivers. I even think they’re more critical of local drivers than of foreign drivers. I guess that’s because they’re angry because we don’t do anything special for them.
Does it mean anything to you that you wrote a bestseller?
No, that was never the goal. I just wanted to tell things the way I experienced them. Of course I hear about the sales numbers, little by little the book came onto the market in different languages. But I don’t ask how sales are going. If people like the book, I’m happy about it. If they don’t like it, let them burn it and at least use it as a heat source.
Do your children actually speak Finnish?
Finnish and English. Our daughter becomes two, she only speaks a few words. Robin probably speaks better English than Finnish. He’s in kindergarten now, but it’s an English-speaking kindergarten. I think we will stay in Switzerland and when he comes to school, it will be an international school. He will also learn German or Swiss German like that, when they are so small, they will learn it in no time at all. I think it’s good when the children grow up multilingual, it’s much easier than learning a language later.
What is Robin enthusiastic about?
Motocross. He likes cars, but I think he prefers bikes. But nobody knows yet where the journey is going. One day the kids like this, the next day something completely different, it changes all the time. Maybe this summer I’ll put him in a go-kart. At this age everything is just a game. If it doesn’t become racing, it doesn’t matter.
How will you react if he wants to pursue a racing career?
Then that’s okay, too. We will support whatever they want to do. For my part, they can also become dancers. It is only important to me that they enjoy what they do. I want them to do something meaningful that fulfills them. I don’t want them hanging around train stations doing stupid things. Then I prefer them to stay at home and play computer games.
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