![]() ![]() World © Batchelor/Sutton © No reproduction without permission. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Sauber Petronas C20 inspects his car after his accident at Becketts Formula One testing - Silvertsone, UK, 1. Very soon his mechanical expertise, and the need for family funding, became superfluous, as Kimi's natural talent for driving fast led to sponsored rides. At 16 he left school and enrolled in a course for mechanics, believing this skill might be the only way to stay involved in motorsport. Kimi, a reluctant student who used his schoolbag as a sled to slide down snow-covered hills, enjoyed winter sports, especially ice hockey, though he eventually gave it up because he hated getting up for early-morning practice. Matti had to work nights as a taxi driver and nightclub bouncer and funds diverted to karting meant plans to replace the outside lavatory with a proper bathroom in the family home had to be postponed. A move to karts paved the way for Kimi (who began competitive karting at 10) and Rami (who eventually became a successful rally driver) to make rapid progress in motorsport, though it came at a cost. At first (when Kimi was just three years old) the brothers tore around on miniature motocross bikes fitted with training wheels. Money was scarce but the Raikkonens were a happy family and their humble homestead surrounded by open countryside was an ideal environment for the two rambunctious youngsters to flex their racing muscles. ![]() To provide for Kimi, born on 17 October, 1979, and his older brother Rami, their hard-working parents Matti and Paula toiled, respectively, as a road builder and an office clerk. Kimi Matias Raikkonen spent his childhood in a house built by his great grandfather in Espoo, a suburb of the Finnish capital, Helsinki. ![]()
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