Kimi Raikkonen will return to Ferrari next year to pick up where he left off at the end of 2009.
Raikkonen’s first spell at the team got off to a brilliant start as he won on his debut in Melbourne (above) and overcame considerable odds late in the season to clinch the title by a single point.
His championship defence began well with two wins in the first four races. But he never saw the top step of the podium again that season and a string of four consecutive no-scores left him playing a supporting role to team mate Felipe Massa.
Few wins were on offer with the uncompetitive F60 the following year but he clinched one victory at Spa-Francorchamps – his fourth win on the Belgian track. At the end of the year Ferrari cut his contract short to hire Fernando Alonso.
Four years on, he is set to return as Alonso’s team mate. Here are pictures of Raikkonen’s first stint at Ferrari:
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Images © Ferrari spa/Ercole Colombo
MB (@muralibhats)
11th September 2013, 14:21
Nostalgia Moments..
Aditya (@adityafakhri)
11th September 2013, 14:29
Ah good days, Kimi in red looks amazing…
Hoping Ferrari outfit design were better next year haha.
https://www.racefans.net/2013/09/11/raikkonens-last-ferrari-stint-in-pictures-2007-2009/mass-raik-bahr-test-2007/
was it a testing? nice photos btw.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
11th September 2013, 14:35
@adityafakhri Yep that’s from a test.
Enigma (@enigma)
11th September 2013, 14:34
That 2007 Ferrari was beautiful. Probably the last time F1 cars were properly shaped and looking.
WilliamB (@william-brierty)
11th September 2013, 17:51
@enigma Completely agree. I think the F2007 was one of the all time great looking F1 cars. Although, admittedly, this is a man that liked the look of the Mercedes W02 speaking…
Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
11th September 2013, 22:31
@william-brierty my favourite Ferrari is probably the F300 – I think it’s boxiness made for a surprisingly eye-pleasing car! I do wish they’d drop the rear wing height for 2014 also – if they did I think next generation’s cars could look spectacular.
WilliamB (@william-brierty)
12th September 2013, 12:48
@vettel1 – I don’t do boxiness, and an ugly car coupled with the fact that I like Hakkinen and a dislike of Irvine saw me do the impossible in the later half of 1999 after Schumacher retired, I supported McLaren over Ferrari. No, in my opinion, the best looking F1 cars of all time are as follows…
McLaren MP4/5B – The high engine cover gave the Marlboro liveried legend the shapely looks it deserved.
Ferrari 248 F1 – A nicely proportioned, shapely car and with the white of the 2006 livery it looked properly epic.
McLaren MP4-22 – The very best of the chromed McLarens.
Williams FW11B – The most beautiful of the Williams-Renaults.
Tyrell 006 – Arguably one of the most iconic F1 cars of all time.
I couldn’t put them in order, although I definitely think the FW11B is in with a shout of being the best looking F1 car ever. I have a model of each of those in my office at home. I tend not to get much work done in there….
Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
12th September 2013, 20:20
@william-brierty I think the boxiness made it look really aggressive which I find surprisingly appealing ;)
For me my list would be as follows:
There are probably more to add to that as I’ll have forgotten many I’m sure and again the list is in no particular order. I’m not much of a fan of any of the modern cars though in particular – my favourite’s probably the RB7!
WilliamB (@william-brierty)
13th September 2013, 9:37
@vettel1 Loving the Williams, McLaren, Jordan and especially the Lancia, but I really don’t know about the Brabham, Mercedes or the Ferrari…or the RB7 for that matter! I made a decision last night. I my opinion my favourite modern F1 car is the Ferrari 248 F1, and my favourite F1 car of all time is the McLaren MP4/5B; the greatest car from one of the greatest years of F1 ever.
Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
13th September 2013, 23:49
@william-brierty there’s a certain element of sentimental beauty with the RB7! I do like the look of the car (and feel it was significantly better without the fun of the RB6, the narrow nose of the RB5, the step of the RB8 or the Infiniti logos on the RB9) and I am a fan of the brashness in the livery but by no means do I consider it my favourite car aesthetically ;)
I’m not really a particular fan of the 248 actually: Ferrari have made some stunning cars in their time, but I don’t really like the 248 apart from looking directly at the front! My favourite modern car I think is actually the STR 2: even though I’m not a fan of the gold, I really like the prominence of the bull and the quite squat appearance of it!
My favourite is probably the Brabham though – I’ve just always loved it. I think it’s a fantastically unique but brilliantly sculpted machine – it just looks fast!
Patrick (@paeschli)
11th September 2013, 20:59
This years Sauber is great too, sad it isn’t competitive :s
Nick (@npf1)
11th September 2013, 14:45
At the time, I thought the fully red Ferrari’s had grown on me, but seeing that testing pic of Kimi in a 2006 livery car reminds me it just looks better.
I do wonder the following though; now both drivers prefer flat-caps, will Ferrari finally start properly selling them, instead of the regular baseball caps? I’ve wanted one since Kimi wore them in 2009, but they go for stupid prices on eBay.
GeeMac (@geemac)
11th September 2013, 15:00
I was just looking for one of these articles! Thanks @keithcollantine.
Traverse (@)
11th September 2013, 15:01
The picture of Raikkonen with Kiss is the most ridiculous pic I’ve ever clapped eyes on.
Craig Woollard (@craig-o)
11th September 2013, 15:05
Was the F2009 not actually called the F60 @keithcollantine ?
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
11th September 2013, 15:18
To celebrate Ferrari 60th year in F1
OmarR-Pepper (@)
11th September 2013, 16:26
I predict Kimi and Fernando will have the same faces at the end of the next year: Kimi as happy as his face muscles permit, and Alonso :( . And as a Sebastian and Kimi fan, now I will have more possibilities to see Kimi as a champion AGAIN!!!! Excellent news!!
Michael Hu (@mjhu)
11th September 2013, 16:29
“Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, 2008” (the one featuring broken rear wing) had a 404 when I clicked in, would you please fix the URL Keith? Many thanks :)
And F2009 is actually named “F60”, as mentioned above
Michael Hu (@mjhu)
11th September 2013, 16:34
@keithcollantine
Dane (@n0b0dy100)
11th September 2013, 17:05
Hopefully the mullet doesn’t return as well!
kisii
11th September 2013, 17:39
The photo with Domenicali and RAI and MAS labeled 2008 launch can’t be right, Massa’s facial scars are visible.
George (@george)
11th September 2013, 18:19
It’s just the lighting I think
Sir Teukka (@merioksa)
11th September 2013, 20:40
The F2007 must be one of the most beautiful cars in the last decade.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
11th September 2013, 21:37
To this day, I am bemused that the stewards never punished Raikkonen for his start at Spa in 2009. He never even tried to make it around La Source, and instead used the run-off to pass everyone. If not for that, I have to wonder if he would have won the race at all. It was basically cheating, but the stewards never penalised him.
Bazza Spock (@bazza-spock)
11th September 2013, 22:20
Love the pic with Kiss. Would be great to get a still TV shot with the icecream in the garage too.