Raikkonen Surprised a Lot Many People With Sauber: Mika Hakkinen

Kimi Raikkonen’s Sauber deal has been written and discussed extensively in the media. Fans have both questioned it as well as applauded it. Questioned for the simple reason that Raikkonen is way past his prime and by the team he completes the Sauber deal of two years, he would have turned 40. And applauded it for the reason that their favourite Finn will be staying in the sport for 2 more years.

Fellow Finn world champion, Mika Hakkinen recently spoke on Raikkonen.

“The news that Kimi is going to stay in Formula One for two more years with Sauber surprised many people, but it shows two things very clearly,” Hakkinen told Unibet.

“He has not lost his love for driving these amazing cars, and the team has ambition.

“As a Formula One driver you wake up each day knowing what you want to do at the race.

“It becomes a kind of obsession to keep pushing yourself and the team to achieve results.

“As a result, if you wake up one morning and that hunger is no longer there, it’s time to stop.

“I stopped at the end of 2001, when I was still only 33, but Kimi is planning to keep racing in Formula one until he is 40.

“He still has the hunger to do it, and that’s the key point. He just likes doing this job.

“The speed is still there – he was quickest in second practice in Singapore – and he is going to a team that really wants to work with him. It’s a great news story for Formula One.

“He started his career with Sauber, a team that has been through some tough times in recent years, and they clearly have the desire to build on their strong performances this season.

“Only one year ago they attracted support from Alfa Romeo, they have ambitious owners, and they will want Kimi to show them how to progress to the next step.

“This will not involve winning races, but sometimes there is a lot of satisfaction to be gained from helping a team to improve, score points and threaten the big teams. It will be interesting to watch.”