Kimi Raikkonen's final F1 race ends with a DNF
Kimi Raikkonen finished his final race in F1 with an unfortunate DNF. The 2007 world champion's Alfa Romeo developed an issue with its brake-by-wire system, causing him to lock up his rear tires.
As we prepare to say goodbye to Kimi at his final race....
The Iceman, in his own words 😎
#AbuDhabiGP 🇦🇪 #F1 https://t.co/g9BpZyuDhC
Raikkonen is to retire from the sport after nearly 20 years. The Finnish driver, known as 'The Iceman', made his debut in the sport in 2001 with Sauber and won the world championship title in 2007 with Ferrari.
In the final race of the season at the revised Yas Marina Circuit, Raikkonen developed an issue with his brake-by-wire system. This system is used to stabilize the car under braking. The issue caused the Iceman to lock up his rear tires, initiating a spin. The resultant spin out caused the Alfa Romeo to touch the barriers. The car subsequently retired from the race.
Raikkonen was given a special livery as an emotional goodbye for all his years in the sport. His teammate Antonio Giovinazzi is also set to retire at the end of the season, moving to Formula E next season.
Kimi Raikkonen narrowly won the 2007 world championship
Kimi Raikkonen won the 2007 world championship with Ferrari after narrowly outscoring Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton scored 109 points at the end of the season while the Finnish driver scored 110, beating the Briton by just one point.
Kimi Raikkonen’s 20-year F1 career comes to an end today.
He won a world championship in 2007, but nothing beats when Raikkonen suffered a mechanical failure in Monaco, walked straight to his yacht, and was drinking beers in the hot tub by the end of the race.
LEGEND 😂 https://t.co/vJxa7W3tbb
Just like the 2021 season, the 2007 season of F1 was full of controversy. McLaren was disqualified from the constructors' championship after the now infamous Spygate scandal. The scandal, which saw secret information exchanged between Ferrari and McLaren engineers, rocked the sport. It resulted in McLaren’s dismissal from the constructor’s championship.
The F1 world is saddened by the news of Kimi Raikkonen retiring in his final race in the sport. Though most of the attention will be on the new winner, either Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton, many drivers and teams have poured their hearts out for the legendary Finnish driver.