| Kimi Räikkönen | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Nationality |
Finnish |
|
2012 team |
Lotus-Renault |
|
2012 car # |
9 |
|
Races |
170 (169 starts) |
|
Championships |
1 (2007) |
|
Wins |
18 |
|
Podiums |
68 |
|
Career points |
720 |
|
Pole positions |
16 |
|
Fastest laps |
37 |
Kimi-Matias Räikkönen (born 17 October 1979) is a Finnish Formula One racing driver, currently racing for Lotus. After nine seasons racing in Formula One, in which he took the 2007 Formula One World Drivers' Championship, he competed in the World Rally Championship from 2010 to 2011.
Räikkönen entered Formula One as a regular driver for Sauber-Petronas in 2001. Previously he had only raced in very junior open-wheel categories. He was given a Super Licence from the Fédéderation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) after a performance delivery promise by his team boss, Peter Sauber. He joined McLaren Mercedes in 2002, and became a title contender by finishing runner-up in the 2003 and 2005 championships to Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, respectively.
Räikkönen switched to Ferrari in 2007, becoming the highest pad driver in motor sport with an estimated wage of $51 million per year. In turn his move to Ferrari saw him win his first Formula One World Drivers' Championship, beating McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso by one point and also became one of the very few drivers to win in their first season at Ferrari. In 2008, he equalled the record for fastest laps in a season for the second time. After one more year in Formula 1, he left the Ferrari team to race a Citroën C4 WRC for the Citroën Junior Team in the World Rally Championship for 2010. Along with rallying, Räikkönen has also raced for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Camping World Truck Series.
As of 2008, he is listed as the 26th highest paid celebrity overall and the 5th highest paid sportsman. In 2009, Räikkönen was listed as the equal 2nd highest paid athlete in the world, behind Tiger Woods. Räikkönen has signed a two year deal with Lotus starting with the 2012 Formula One season.