Kimi Raikkonen had "massive physical problems" ahead of F1 debut

Alfa Romeo Sauber sporting director Beat Zehnder has revealed that Kimi Raikkonen struggled with physical fitness ahead of his F1 debut with the team in 2001.

Speaking to RN365 about the discreet test Raikkonen did for Sauber during the 2000 season in Mugello, Zehnder said:

"He (Raikkonen) was testing alongside Pedro Diniz and he was, pretty soon, at the same lap time level. And he had massive physical problems. Mugello is not the best track for a rookie to start testing, because it's physically very demanding."

Zehnder added:

"Kimi had massive problems. He couldn't hold his neck up after three laps, so we did a three-lap stint, 15 minutes break, three-lap stint. Josef (Leberer, Sauber physio) was doing the massage always in between, and quite soon, it was apparent that he's a talent."

The iconic Mugello circuit in northern Italy, known for its undulating corners, is notorious for the physical toll it extracts from drivers. With average speeds exceeding 160 kmph in the cambered corners, F1 drivers can often experience sustained g-forces exceeding 4Gs.

In 2001, when he made his debut with Sauber, 22-year-old Kimi Raikkonen had just 23 races worth of single-seater experience under his belt. He became one of the youngest drivers to race in F1 until Max Verstappen’s arrival in 2015.

At the very first race, Kimi Raikkonen impressed the F1 paddock with stunning race pace on his way to a sixth-place finish – thereby scoring a point on his debut.

However, similar to Max Verstappen fifteen years later, Kimi Raikkonen’s entry into F1 was vehemently opposed by other teams. They cited his lack of experience in single-seat racing.

According to Zehnder, McLaren team principal Ron Dennis was the foremost among them. Ironically, Raikkonen’s performances impressed Dennis so much that the Finn was drafted in to replace Mika Hakkinen at McLaren the following season.

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How Kimi Raikkonen’s F1 debut convinced Red Bull to own a team

In 1999, Red Bull decided to increase their presence in F1 and became the primary sponsor for the Swiss-based Sauber team. As part of the deal, Red Bull would own a part of the team and would develop its own junior drivers to be placed with the team in the future.

At the end of the 2000 F1 season, Sauber were on the hunt for a new driver for the following season. The team considered various options, including the promising Jenson Button. However, when all options were thought to be unsuitable, Sauber decided to run a young rookie.

Red Bull wanted Sauber to give the seat to their junior driver Enrique Bernoldi. However, team founder Peter Sauber had just discovered a new talent from Finland, who in his very first test in an F1 car had lapped faster than their test driver.

Kimi Raikkonen's pace at Mugello and in further tests at Jerez and Barcelona convinced Peter Sauber to hire the young Finn for the following season.

Therefore, against Red Bull’s insistence, Kimi Raikkonen made his debut for the team the following season.

Frustrated at Sauber’s choices, Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz decided to end the energy drinks company’s partnership with the team. He decided it was time to buy his own team.

Three years later, when the Ford decided to put the Jaguar team on sale, Mateschitz bought the team for a paltry $1 – with a caveat. Over the next three years, he invested nearly $300 million into Red Bull Racing, (excluding his investment into Toro Rosso) in order to get it up to a championship fighting state.

Five years after the purchase, the Austrian company won their first F1 world championship with Sebastian Vettel, beating McLaren and Ferrari.