RALLY FRANCE: FIVE KEY KIMI FACTS

You may know Kimi Räikkönen is seventh overall after the opening day of the Rallye de France. You probably know the Iceman will stop at nothing to achieve success and you've probably heard he’s not always the most communicative individual out there. These facts are well known. But here are five more facts about Kimi that may come as something of a surprise…

1. He drives slowly on the road

When he’s at home, driving his AMG Mercedes, Audi Q7 or Cadillac Escalade (just three every day cars among his varied fleet), he likes to take it easy. This is mostly because he has homes in both Finland and Switzerland – two of the most draconian countries in the world when it comes to speeding fines, and where the size of the fine is related to income earned. “It’s just not worth it,” he concludes. “You’ll normally find me on the speed limit.”

2. He owns a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray that once was Sharon Stone's

He bought it at an AIDS charity auction for 200,000 Euros. He’s hardly ever driven it, but it was all for a good cause. He’s not just into powerful cars too: in the Raikkonen garage you will find an old Mini and a Fiat 500. Not to mention a couple of custom-built motorbikes with ‘Iceman’ emblazoned on the fuel tank. There’s nothing like travelling anonymously.

3. He once attempted to steal his brother’s rally car

Kimi’s older brother Rami is also a rally driver. In fact Rami even won his class on the Rally Finland a few years ago. When Rami had his first rally car, an Opel, younger brother kept on begging permission to drive it. Rami didn’t think it was a particularly good idea, so Kimi decided that it would be quicker and easier to help himself.

4. Kimi’s first car was a Lada

In what is possibly the finest endorsement of the Russian car industry yet, Kimi recently admitted that his first car was a Lada. He goes so far as to even claim that it was a “good car” and that he sold it to “a friend”. Whether or not this person is still his friend remains to be seen.

5. Kimi’s motorsport career was inspired by a toilet

Kimi’s father Matti (who drove a steamroller) was faced with a dilemma when his children were young: buy them go-karts or replace the ageing outdoor toilet in the family home with an indoor one? Thankfully for fans all over the world, Matti decided that icicles on his buttocks were a small price to pay for his offspring’s happiness…

Source: RedBull
Courtesy: vida