They know in F1-circles that Kimi Räikkönen has been knocking on Williams F1-team's door some time ago. If Kimi wasn't there himself, then at least his representatives have been in contact with the team.
Quite understandable.
See Kimi Räikkönen is a man who sets a goal for himself and starts walking towards it. Last year in Singapore many drivers hoped for Kimi to come back and they thought that the man might come back to the tracks one day.
When Kimi starts something he takes it to the end. He was motivated to drive in F1-teams for as long as he won the WDC. After that he didn't really produce any result so he ended his career.
Moreover Kimi wants to race in different genres. He loves to race with a water jet-ski in the summer, play icehockey with his pals, he likes to sing karaoke and tell jokes.
When Kimi won the WDC, over 30 pals gathered in the private night-club Bläk to wait for the man to return from Italy where Räikkönen was celebrated by Ferrari's personnel.
Kimi appeared about 8 p.m.. He had flown from Italy to Finland in a private plane. He had with him actor Jasper Pääkkönen among others. Before the party I was alarmed to call singer Matti Esko, who's song Rekkamies was Kimi's favourite in karaoke-nights. Kimi also loved Kari Tapio's Paalupaikka-song.
- I have just come from the sauna but if they want me to sing Rekkamies to the World Champion Räikkönen, then I will immediately put my clothes on and start coming from Järvenpää to Helsinki, Matti Esko said when I called him.
Matti Esko was soon in Bläk and he waited with the others for Kimi's arrival. When the champion arrived and Matti Esko started to sing Rekkamies, Kimi grabbed the other microphone and started to sing together with the artist.
Kimi's voice wasn't bad at all. It was clear that the world champion had been singing earlier too.
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During the years Kimi has turned into an elegant man. He even knows the noble art of giving kisses on the cheek and knows by now that one doesn't eat holding a cap on the head.
In the beginning of his career Kimi was partying in public, but during the recent years he has rather stayed with his trusted pals than taken a cab to the centrum of cities.
Kimi Räikkönen does not like dishonesty, injustice or bullshit-talkers. He has also been very sensitive to what has been written about him.
Räikkönen has often wondered why he can't live his life out of publicity's reach.
F1-drivers and F1 World Champions are under a magnifying glass wherever they are. Kimi is not an exception.
Rita Tainola
Source: IS (paper edition)
Courtesy: Nicole