The Iceman
Veteran Formula 1 driver Kimi Räikkönen has a new timepiece—and it matches his personality perfectly
Kimi Räikkönen doesn’t need to race in Formula 1 any more. At 40 years old, the Finnish driver has amassed 103 podium finishes with 21 Grand Prix victories, two second-place finishes in the World Drivers Championship (2003 and 2005) and an all-important World Drivers Championship victory in 2007.
The most decorated driver in his country’s history ahead of the great Mika Häkkinen, if Räikkönen had chosen to watch the 2019-20 Formula 1 season with his feet up in front of the TV, nobody would have begrudged him that right. However, still full of the grit, determination and passion for the sport that earned him that coveted championship title, the veteran driver takes great pleasure in lining up on that grid race after race—even if his approach to racing has changed somewhat now that he’s in the winter of his career.
“From now on, I consider F1 to be a hobby,” he confides. “I no longer feel the same pressure and I can just have fun at the wheel. That’s what I enjoy doing, even if I’m still concentrated on doing my best to achieve the result that the car deserves.”
Currently driving for the Swiss Alfa Romeo Racing team, Räikkönen’s technical prowess and legendary ability to keep his cool under even the most trying of circumstances is still as strong as ever. And it’s the Finn’s reputation for steely focus in the face of adversity that earned him his nickname, ‘Iceman’.
It’s fitting, then, that a driver who is renowned for his precision, finesse and technical excellence is now the proud wearer of a watch from Richard Mille, a brand that strives to achieve those very same characteristics in every one of its timepieces. The watch that adorns Räikkönen’s wrist is the RM 50-04 Tourbillon Split-seconds Chronograph. Much like in Räikkönen’s F1 racing car, no expense has been spared in keeping the weight of the RM 50-04 to an absolute minimum without losing anything in terms of rigidity. To that end, grade-five titanium has been used for the baseplate and bridges, while some of the bridges of the split-seconds chronograph as well as the transverse carriage that supports the entire calibre are made from super-light Carbon TPT. This means the movement comes in at a record-breaking seven grams. The pairing of the tourbillon escapement and the chronograph, combined with the incredible levels of weightsaving skeletonisation work, make the RM 50-04 a timepiece fitting of a Formula 1 pilot. “We in Finland are known for our guts and determination; we even have a word for it, sisu,” says Räikkönen. “However, in my sport, sisu is not enough. I have to rely on high-performance technology and teamwork but, most of all, there has to be sheer passion. Richard Mille has powered his own engine for years with guts, technological prowess and, above all, fun. That’s why I am more than happy to be at the wheel with the ground-breaking RM 50-04 on my wrist.”