Mauri HarperAt just nine years old, Robin Raikkonen is swiftly advancing in karting, mirroring the early steps of his father, Kimi Raikkonen, towards a promising future in Formula 1 racing.
As a “new Kimi” makes his way towards Formula 1, there is no doubt that a “new Raikkonen” also seems destined for the top category of motorsport.
This week at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, Andrea “Kimi” Antonelli – a teenage protégé of Toto Wolff who is in the running for Lewis Hamilton’s seat in 2025 – got his first glimpse of an F1 car.
The Italian, whose nickname is a tribute to 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen, was behind the wheel of the 2021 Mercedes, declaring he loved “every second.”
But even younger than this “new Kimi” is “Raikkonen junior,” Robin Raikkonen, 9, the son of the famous former Ferrari and McLaren driver.
Young Robin is already making strides in his international karting journey.
“I think Kimi (Raikkonen) is moving very sensibly with Robin,” said Toni Vilander, a family friend and racing driver, now an F1 consultant for Viaplay, to Iltalehti newspaper.
“The biggest change compared to our time is that everything happens at a much younger age. By the age of 10, you already need to have experience in Italy.”
“The family is doing everything very intelligently. They post Robin’s results a bit later, so that not everyone knows where they are and what they are doing.”
Former Finnish Formula 1 driver Mika Salo thinks that Robin will probably be on the F1 grid one day.
“Obviously, we must remember he is still a child,” said the former Ferrari and Toyota driver, “so it’s completely premature to predict what will happen in the future.”
“But I’ve calculated that the whole journey from karting to Formula 1 costs about 10 million euros. And as we know, Kimi has not only money but also exceptionally strong contacts and an excellent reputation.”
Indeed, the very young Raikkonen is already driving for the CRG team – famous in motorsport for having also raced Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
Robin Raikkonen Races Toward F1 Glory. Robin Raikkonen Races Toward F1 Glory
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