‘NASCAR or a Completely Different Racing Series’ – Kimi Raikkonen Keeping His Options Open After Leaving F1

When Kimi Raikkonen signed a two-year deal with Alfa Romeo in 2019, it looked like the Finn might sign off his F1 career by the end of the 2020 season.

However, against all odds, Kimi decided to extend his stay at the Ferrari’s sister team until the end of the 2021 season. This leads to one question. Could 2021 end up as the Iceman’s final F1 campaign?

Well, it looks like the 41-year-old is not focusing on retirement at the moment, and is rather keen on performing solidly over the upcoming F1 season.

Considering Kimi is already into his 40s, one might assume that the Finn would be signing off from racing entirely. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case, as Kimi’s love for racing is still very much intact.

What did Kimi Raikkonen say?

According to Formule1, he revealed that would not be retiring from racing altogether. Instead, the former Ferrari driver might opt for other racing series like NASCAR or rally.

“There are a lot of fun things to do, but I won’t think about it until I quit Formula 1. Whether it will be rally, NASCAR, or a completely different racing series. We’ll see,” he said. (Translated via Google Translate)

Apart from F1, Kimi is already an experienced rally driver, as he was an essential part of the racing series in the late 2000s. Despite possessing a Ferrari contract in hand, Kimi announced his exit from F1 and switched to rallying.

However, it only turned out to be a brief break from F1 for the Finn, as he returned to the single-seaters over the 2012 season, signing for Lotus racing.

Kimi considering Le Mans after F1 retirement

It is a known fact that the one-time world champion has always hailed the Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit, also known as the Green Hell, as one of his favorite circuits.

Hence, he felt that taking part in the 24 hours of the Nurburgring alongside his close friend, Toni Villander, would be perfect.

“Oh yes, that would be great. But as said: there are plenty of nice things,” Kimi said. Overall, Kimi is still quick, despite being the oldest driver on the grid.

So, with a newly designed Ferrari engine at the back, will he managed to churn out yet another strong outing with Alfa Romeo over 2021? And will the Iceman stick with F1 beyond 2021? Well, let’s see what the future holds.

Read More: ‘He is Motivated’ – Alfa Romeo Boss Hints at Kimi Raikkonen Staying in F1 After 2021