WATCH: When not even a thick plume of smoke could stop Kimi Raikkonen go flat-out through Eau Rouge and Raidillon

Former F1 driver Kimi Raikkonen was one of the fastest and most daring F1 drivers. Even though he only has one world title to his name, he is still considered one of the best.

As the 2023 F1 Belgian GP approaches, we look back at several famous incidents and drives from yesteryear. One of the most iconic moves was performed by Raikkonen all the way back in 2002 when he was driving for McLaren.

In the 2002 F1 Belgian GP, everything was going well until another former F1 driver, Olivier Panis, had a major engine failure, which caused the car to emit a lot of smoke. The smoke was so thick that it completely covered the start of the Kemmel straight after the Raidillon turn, making it impossible to see anything through it.

Kimi Raikkonen was behind Panis and experienced the smoke firsthand. Despite it being clearly visible from Eau Rouge, Raikkonen kept pushing through the iconic corners and went straight through the smoke without even lifting the throttle. The commentators themselves were astonished to see Raikkonen not slowing down as he zoomed into the unknown.

Thankfully, the Finnish driver came out of the smoke safe and sound as the TV broadcast camera cut to the other end of the Kemmel Straight. It was observed that Panis had positioned his car off the racing line, allowing cars to pass through. His car eventually slowed down as he parked it on the grass.

Meanwhile, Kimi Raikkonen kept going at full speed and suddenly appeared through the thick clouds of smoke.

Sadly, the McLaren driver himself encountered an engine failure and had to retire from the race. Nonetheless, this act of bravery from him is still discussed and cherished to this day. F1's official Twitter handle recently posted a video of the moment, which took place in 2002.

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Kimi Raikkonen was nicknamed 'The King of Spa.

Although Kimi Raikkonen was not the most successful F1 driver around the famous Belgian circuit, Spa-Francorchamps, he was nicknamed 'The King of Spa'. The Finnish driver has only won four races around the circuit, compared to Michael Schumacher, who has won six of them.

However, Raikkonen has created some of the most iconic moments at the Belgian GP. He has won three of them back-to-back from 2004 to 2007, excluding 2006 since the race was not held at the track. The Finn also won at Spa in 2009, where he drove a slow Ferrari to the top of the grid.

Although Schumacher is the 'King of Spa' in terms of pure stats and race wins, Raikkonen was nicknamed so simply because of his prowess and command over the circuit in his prime years.