[Watch] Kimi Räikkönen's legendary battle with Michael Schumacher in the German's final F1 race
Finnish driver Kimi Räikkönen returned to F1 with Lotus Renault for the 2012 season following a break since his time at Ferrari. Finishing third in the driver's standings ahead of Lewis Hamilton, Räikkönen had some epic battles throughout the season.
One of those was an exhilarating battle with Michael Schumacher of Mercedes at the Brazilian Grand Prix, which also marked the German seven-time world champion's 306th and final F1 race before he retired from the sport for good.
Michael Schumacher's final race included this thrilling battle with Kimi Raikkonen 🍿
#BrazilGP 🇧🇷 #F1 https://t.co/2a8Hdne82C
The race saw several dramatic moments and the one that truly stands out is the battle between the two ex-Ferrari drivers on lap 39. Schumacher and Räikkönen had a phenomenal wheel-to-wheel battle, both former world champions going for it with full aggression, bringing to life the real spirit of F1.
The race, which was eventually won by Jenson Button of McLaren-Mercedes, also marked the British driver's final win in F1. The Grand Prix was also McLaren's last victory until the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, which ended in a P1 and P2 for Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris respectively.
Kimi Räikkönen and Mick Schumacher on racing one another
Räikkönen, 42, who will retire at the end of the current season, is among a few drivers who have had the unique opportunity to race Michael Schumacher as well as his son, Mick, who is driving for Haas in what is his debut season.
Alpha Romeo's Räikkönen and the young German have not really had the chance to battle it out on track, with both teams taking up the bottom two positions in the constructor's standings.
Räikkönen had a hilarious response to Mick Schumacher's thoughts on their lack of on-track battles in the tweet below.
Schumacher is asked how much it means to have shared the racetrack with Raikkonen:
Mick: "..."
Kimi: "Good answer!"
Mick: "It's great! Unfortunately I didn't get to battle much with him."
Kimi: "I can slow down in some races and you can race with me!"
#F1 #BrazilGP 🇧🇷
Known as 'Iceman', Räikkönen currently stands 16th in the driver's standings with 10 points.