Kimi Raikkonen is a veteran Formula One driver. His years on the grid have provided the world of motorsport racing with some iconic moments.
As we head to Spa for the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend, we remember one of his breathtaking races when the Iceman showed the world of F1 just how fearless he was as he pushed the limits of his McLaren through a cloud of smoke.
Kimi Raikkonen goes full throttle through a cloud of smoke
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It was the Finnish driver’s second season in F1, and he still had a lot to prove. And he did exactly that as was zipping around Spa back in 2002. As was he chasing down Olivier Panis of BAR, Panis’ engine blew up, which created a cloud of smoke.
Uncertain of what was going to happen, Raikkonen increased his pace instead of slowing down. His gamble paid off as he made through the cloud of smoke without a single scratch on his McLaren.
This not only proved how talented Raikkonen was, but also how fierce he can be while pushing the limits of his car, trying to chase down his rivals to gain a position during the course of a race.
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How did Kimi’s race pan out?
The Finn was optimistic for the race as he qualified second, behind the Ferrari of Michael Schumacher. He was aiming to grab the lead from the German driver and bring home a victory for his McLaren colleagues.
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However, luck wasn’t on his side as just after thirty-five laps around the Belgian track, Raikkonen had to retire from the race, and go home empty-handed from Spa.
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Now as we turn to the track in 2021 this weekend, Kimi will be hoping to score some points for Alfa Romeo, and take them higher in the pecking order in the constructor’s championship.
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