Kimi Räikkönen Biography: Wife, Age, Car Race, Net Worth, Siblings, Ethnicity

Kimi-Matias Räikkönen, known as Kimi Räikkönen or “The Iceman,” is a Finnish Formula One driver recognized for his speed and stoic demeanor.

Over a 21-year F1 career (2001–2021), he achieved 21 Grand Prix wins, 103 podiums, and the 2007 Drivers’ Championship with Ferrari.

Profile

• Full Name: Kimi-Matias Räikkönen
• Stage Name: Kimi Räikkönen, The Iceman
• Born: 17, October 1979
• Age: 46 years old
• Birthplace: Espoo, Finland
• Nationality: Finnish
• Occupation: Racing Driver, Rally Driver
• Height: 1.75 m
• Parents: Matti Räikkönen and Paula Räikkönen
• Siblings: Rami Räikkönen
• Spouse: Minttu Virtanen (m. 2016), Jenni Dahlman (m. 2004–2014)
• Children: Robin Räikkönen, Rianna Räikkönen, Grace Räikkönen
• Relationship: Married
• Net Worth: $250 million

Early Life and Education

Kimi-Matias Räikkönen was born on October 17, 1979, in Espoo, Finland, to Matti Räikkönen, a road builder, and Paula Räikkönen, an office clerk.

He grew up with his older brother, Rami, in a modest family and developed an early interest in speed, starting with a mini motocross bike before moving to karting at age 10.

He left school at 16 to train as a mechanic and never pursued higher education. Of Finnish ethnicity, he was raised in the Evangelical Lutheran tradition, though his personal religious views remain private.

Career

Kimi Räikkönen burst onto the scene as a karting prodigy, dominating Finnish and European circuits from age 10 and turning pro at 16 with scant resources but sheer talent.

By 18, he had won the British Formula Renault Winter Series and seven of ten races in the Formula Renault UK Championship, amassing 13 victories in his first 23 car races—a staggering pace that caught Peter Sauber’s eye during a secret 2000 test at Mugello.

Despite lacking the typical junior formula pedigree and holding just a probationary super license, Räikkönen landed a full-time Sauber seat for 2001, becoming one of F1’s youngest debutants at 21 and immediately scoring points in a chaotic Australian Grand Prix opener, silencing skeptics with mature, fearless drives that netted nine top-six finishes and a sixth-place championship finish.

His ascent accelerated in 2002 when McLaren poached him to replace Mika Häkkinen, pairing the Finn with David Coulthard in a title-contending machine. Räikkönen’s maiden podium came at the Malaysian GP, and he notched four more that year despite reliability woes, ending runner-up in the standings—a feat he repeated in 2003 and 2005 amid mechanical gremlins that cost him potential titles.

A controversial 2006 sabbatical from F1 led to a Ferrari signing for 2007, where he unleashed six wins, including a masterful Brazilian finale charge to snatch the Drivers’ Championship on countback.

Podiums and poles flowed through 2009, but frustrations mounted, prompting his mid-contract exit to try rallying with Citroën in the World Rally Championship from 2009 to 2011, where a German stage win hinted at untapped gravel prowess.

Räikkönen’s F1 swansong spanned a Lotus revival in 2012–2013 with back-to-back wins in Abu Dhabi and Australia, a Ferrari homecoming from 2014–2018 yielding 12 more victories and a 2018 runner-up finish, and a sentimental Alfa Romeo farewell in 2019–2021 that tied him for third in all-time starts at 349.

Post-retirement, he dipped into NASCAR with one-off Cup Series runs in 2022 and 2023, helmed the Ice 1 Racing motocross team, and dabbled in snowmobiling and powerboating under playful pseudonyms like “James Hunt.”

His influence lingers as F1’s ultimate cool-under-pressure icon, inspiring a generation with his blend of precision engineering and unfiltered authenticity, while records like most podiums for a Finn cement his place among the sport’s immortals.

Social Media

• Instagram Handle: @kimimatiasraikkonen

Personal Life

Kimi Räikkönen married Finnish model Jenni Dahlman in 2004, but they divorced in 2014 due to the pressures of F1 life. He later married fitness entrepreneur Minttu Virtanen in 2016.

The couple has three children: son Robin and daughters Rianna and Grace. Kimi keeps a low profile while Minttu occasionally shares family moments online. He enjoys motocross, poker, and spending time by Swiss lakes, balancing family life with personal hobbies.

Net Worth

Kimi Räikkönen has an estimated net worth of $250 million, primarily from his F1 career, including peak Ferrari salaries of $50 million annually and earnings from McLaren and Lotus.

Endorsements with Oakley, Heineken, and Red Bull added significant income, while real estate investments in Switzerland, Finland, and Thailand, along with luxury cars and his Ice 1 Racing team, further contribute to his wealth.