Kimi Raikkonen interview on his two decades of F1, the present and the future. Kimi Raikkonen interview.

Kimi Raikkonen interview for Spanish sports newspaper AS:

With two decades of Formula 1, does any part of your body hurt?
Kimi Raikkonen: “Of course, I always have pain, I’m getting old and at this point my whole body hurts. But I guess it’s normal. Not in the neck, but my back hurts, I can’t even remember since when it’s that bad. It’s the other side of doing something you like. The older you get, the more pain you have here and there.”

Have your training routines changed a lot in these two decades?
Kimi Raikkonen: “There are differences in general because 18 years ago training in a gym consisted of lifting weights and what is considered training has changed a lot. But in the end, the basis of preparation remains.”

What’s it like for a world champion to fight for 6th place?
Kimi Raikkonen: “I’m trying to improve also because I’m in a great team. Now we’re not fighting for podiums but the fight between 6th and 10th is just as tight, it’s fun. Somehow, it’s even more fun than the races I had last year. It’s really exciting, I’m having a good time this year.”

Are these cars harder to drive than the ones you’ve driven in the past?
Kimi Raikkonen: “I don’t know. It’s difficult because memory… If I have to remember now what happened to me in 2001…”

Too many races…
Kimi Raikkonen: “For 2001 I don’t know if I can trust my memory or not. With that car you went to the limit and now you manage the races in a different way. The best way to find out is to do a test with a car from another time and then yes, you can see some differences.”

Against which drivers did you have the most fun fighting?
Kimi Raikkonen: “There have been many exciting battles. It was many years against Michael. And also in the beginning against drivers like Mika Hakkinen, Mika Salo, all those ‘old’ guys. Then came the new ones, against whom I also have fun.”

Can you imagine yourself at home without racing?
Kimi Raikkonen: “One day I’ll stay at home, of course, when I’ve had enough. But I still don’t know when that will be.”

Will you race outside F1?
Kimi Raikkonen: “I don’t know, I’ve done rallies in the past and maybe I’ll do it again in the future. But I’m not sure, some days I think that when I stop I want to keep racing and other days I think that when I stop everything will be over.”

Now that Charles Leclerc is impressing, when do you think you will stop being the last Ferrari champion?
Kimi Raikkonen: “I told them last year, when we had the last contractual obligation, that I really hope that will change soon, I want to stop being the last Ferrari champion.”