Finnish Formula One Drivers - Current Drivers

Current Drivers

Kimi Räikkönen currently drives for Lotus having returned from a two season break. His Formula One debut was with Sauber before he secured a seat at McLaren, replacing compatriot Mika Häkkinen. His second season with the team was very successful and Räikkönen took ten podium finishes on the way to second place in the Drivers' Championship. After three further seasons with McLaren, during which he had mixed results, he moved to Ferrari, replacing Michael Schumacher. Räikkönen won the 2007 title, his first year with the team, but he only won three races over the following two years. Ferrari signed Fernando Alonso and released Räikkönen from his contract a year early. He spent two years in other racing categories before returning to Formula One in 2012. An Autosport survey taken by 217 Formula One drivers saw Räikkönen voted as the 22nd greatest F1 driver of all time.

Heikki Kovalainen races for Caterham, previously known as Lotus, having joined the team in 2010. Over the three years his best finish was 12th. Kovalainen's first experience of Formula One came in 2004 as a test driver for Renault. When Fernando Alonso left the team to go to McLaren at the end of the 2006 season Kovalainen was promoted to the race seat. With Renault he achieved one podium finish and seventh in the championship. For the 2008 season he swapped places with Alonso and started a two year stint at McLaren. During this time Kovalainen achieved his only race win, securing first place at the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix. He left the team at the end of the 2009 season to take up his current drive.

Kimi Räikkönen
2012 season: 3rd position
Heikki Kovalainen
2012 season: 20th position

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