Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 2007-2009

I will never forget the three years I spent at Ferrari. At the wheel of a car from Maranello, I managed to realise my dream as a driver, which was to win the Formula 1 World Championship title, but it’s not just because of the results that I will never forget this experience. It was a very intense time, a mix of indescribable happiness and some difficult moments: throughout it all, we were always united, as befits a real team.

I took nine wins with Ferrari and three of them stand out. The first was in Melbourne, in 2007, because I could not ask for more than to start my career with the Reds in this way. Then there was the last one at Spa last year, because winning in those circumstances, with a car that was not as good as that of the opposition, was a real morale booster for the team, which was going through a particularly complicated time. Then, there was the victory in Sao Paolo, which brought me the world title and no other words are needed to explain why that race is special for me.

My character and how I express myself is very different to the Italian way, but that did not stop us from understanding each other and the emotions we shared. I gave my maximum effort over those three years and I got so much in return and even if, in the end, we went our separate ways, I will always have some really nice memories.”

Source: Ferrari S.p.A.