Kimi Raikkonen announced Wednesday that he will be retiring from Formula One at 2021. This opens the door for Valtteri bottas and George Russell, who will replace him at Alfa Romeo.
Raikkonen (41), is the last Ferrari driver to win a drivers' title. He did so in 2007. He is currently in his 19th season in F1 and has participated in 34 races.
This decision will have huge implications for the F1 driver market. Alfa Romeo has appointed Bottas to replace Raikkonen, while Mercedes is believed to have already selected Russell to partner Lewis Hamilton next year.
Raikkonen announced the news via social media: "This is it. This will be my final season in Formula 1. This was a decision I made last winter. Although it was not an easy decision, it is now time to move on.
"Even though the season is over, I want to thank all my families, my teams, and everyone who was involved in my racing career, as well as all of my great fans for rooting for me throughout this journey.
"Formula 1 may be over for me, but I have so much more to live and experience. We'll see you again after all this. Sincerely Kimi.
Raikkonen won 21 races. In 2001, he made his debut with Sauber before moving to McLaren in the following year. He earned his nickname "Iceman" at McLaren, a nickname that he has kept since.
In 2007, he moved to Ferrari and won the championship his first season with the team. This would be his highest point in his career.
He quit F1 after two disappointing seasons to pursue NASCAR and rally opportunities. In 2012, he returned to F1 with Lotus and in 2014 he moved back to Ferrari. He won the 2018 U.S Grand Prix and then returned to F1 with Lotus in 2012. In 2014, he went back to Ferrari.
During his time in F1, Raikkonen was a well-known figure in F1. He was known for his lack of words and often responded monosyllabically to journalists to answer stupid questions.
His radio messages to his teams made him a household name.
He famously said to his Lotus race engineer "Leave Me Alone, I Know What To Do!" This is one of the most memorable broadcast radio messages in F1 history.
