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Over a career spanning two decades, Kimi Raikkonen commanded a following unlike any of his peers. A reserved individual with a mostly monosyllabic vocabulary, his nickname "The Iceman" did not just apply to his demeanor off the track but on it as well.
Having debuted in the sport with the Sauber team in 2001, the Finn was soon picked up by McLaren the following year. There, he began to challenge the then five-time champion Michael Schumacher on a regular basis.
With his career coming to a close after the 2021 season, let's take a look at some of the most iconic moments from the Iceman's career.
Ranking Kimi Raikkonen's most iconic F1 moments
#1 Suzuka 2005
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Kimi Raikkonen was the best driver on the grid in 2005. Yes, it may seem hard to believe for the younger generation of fans who're used to seeing him putter around mid-pack for Alfa Romeo Racing today. But there was a period in the history of Formula 1 when there weren't too many drivers on the grid who could hold a candle to the Iceman.
One such race where his superiority was apparent was that year's Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka, a track not having too many overtaking opportunities.
Kimi Raikkonen started down in P17 and slowly made his way up the order. Finally, on the penultimate lap of the race, he pulled a magnificent pass around the outside of Giancarlo Fisichella to steal the win from the Renault driver.
Keep in mind that this was from the pre-DRS (Drag Reduction System) days, making his drive that much more impressive.
#2 Brazil 2007
Having lost patience with McLaren's inability to deliver championship-winning cars, Raikkonen moved to Ferrari in 2007. He had already been a championship runner-up twice before. On both occasions, slightly different circumstances could've resulted in him being a two-time champion by that point.
At the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix, Raikkonen had an outside shot at winning the title, with both Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton ahead of him on points. As it turned out, however, Lewis Hamilton suffered from severe mechanical issues and fell out of contention while Raikkonen won the race and picked up enough points to win the title.
The championship fulfilled what was a lifelong dream and vindicated Raikkonen's move to Ferrari.
#3 Abu Dhabi 2012
Kimi Raikkonen's career trajectory took a dive after winning the title with Ferrari. In 2008, he was meant to defend his title but instead took a backseat to teammate Felipe Massa, who would challenge and almost win the title. In 2009, Ferrari paid Kimi Raikkonen not to drive for them.
Due to this, Raikkonen stepped away from Formula 1 for a brief period before stepping back into an F1 cockpit with Lotus in 2012.
His sabbatical did raise questions about his competitiveness, but throughout the season, Raikkonen answered all those questions with some fantastic drives, accumulating multiple podiums throughout the season.
However, his return hit its highest point when Raikkonen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which featured his now-famous "Leave me alone, I know what I'm doing" radio message. The win silenced any and all doubts about whether Kimi Raikkonen had lost his touch.
