rpm.espn.com: Kimi Raikkonen

ESPN Network: ESPN.com \| RPM \| NBA.com \| NHL.com \| ESPNdeportes \| ABCSports \| WNBA.com \| FANTASY

Put the pedal to the metal in ESPN's
Fantasy Racing 2002.
Get your teams today!

Tuesday, January 15

Kimi Raikkonen
ESPN.com

Team: McLaren
Nationality: Finland

Kimi Raikkonen
Raikkonen

STATS

Year
Rank
Wins
Poles
Podium
Best finish

2001 9 0 0 0 4th, Twice

Career 0 0 0 4th, Twice

2001 Recap
The Good: Raikkonen entered Formula One as the least experienced driver on the circuit, with just 23 single-seater races under his belt. In fact, Raikkonen was so inexperienced that he started the season under probation before being granted a Super License. But that was all forgotten after Raikkonen proved to be quick, and smart. He handled the pressure with aplomb, and was clearly the series' second most impressive newcomer, after Juan Montoya.

Raikkonen scored a pair of fourth-place finishes and a fifth-place effort in 2001. He and teammate Nick Heidfeld earned enough points to put Sauber in fourth in the Constructors Championship, too.

And, of course, he parlayed one outstanding season with Sauber into a deal with championship contenders McLaren, despite the fact Heidfeld already had a contract with Mercedes.

Season Highlight: Right out of the box, Raikkonen rolled to a sixth-place finish in his debut in the Australian Grand Prix. In doing so, he became the 50th driver ever to score a point in his F1 debut.

The Bad: The young Finn's season began to tail off after he signed his deal with McLaren. Immediately after the announcement, Raikkonen was outqualified by his more experienced teammate in three straight events. Before the deal, he had outqualified Heidfeld in half of the races.

Season Lowlight: A first-lap incident with Jarno Trulli took Raikkonen out of contention in the U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis.

Kimi Raikkonen
After a strong rookie season with Sauber in 2001, Kimi Raikkonen has moved on to title contenders McLaren.

Key Stat: While Heidfeld eventually outqualified Raikkonen 11 times in 17 events, the youngster did beat the German in three races.

2002 Outlook
What needs to be done: With McLaren, Raikkonen will have the equipment to win races in 2002. He'll also have a championship contender, David Coulthard, as a teammate. Raikkonen will be under pressure again this year. And he'll need to prove he deserved the coveted spot in McLaren's lineup. If he can handle that, he should run up front.

Prediction: Raikkonen is cool, calm and collected. And now, with a year of experience and a top-notch car, podium finishes will be expected -- and he could be ready to win. By season's end, however, he still will probably find himself looking up in the standings at his teammate, Williams' dynamic duo and Ferrari's pair of stars.

Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories

	User comments on Kimi Raikkonen Debris, determination expected from Kimi F1 off-season driver spotlight index