The Iceman Cometh
Inseparable from car racing, Richard Mille pays homage to Kimi Räikkönen and his Alfa Romeo Racing team
At the 2019 Singapore Grand Prix, the “Iceman”, Kimi Räikkönen, had the chance to take his 307th start. Crowned world champion in 2007 after being vice world champion in 2003 and 2005, 39-year-old Räikkönen is a seasoned veteran on the racetrack. The nickname was earned by his ability to keep his cool under any circumstance, but now he is focusing more on the pleasure of driving and has rethought his approach to Formula-level racing.
“From now on, I consider F1 to be a hobby. I no longer feel the same pressure and I can just have fun at the wheel,” Kimi said. “That’s what I enjoy doing, even if I’m still concentrated on doing my best to achieve the result that the car deserves.”
Behind the wheel and elsewhere, his pride in wearing Richard Mille’s RM 50-04 watch is not without reason.
The extremely technical calibre weighs in at 7g and is made from grade-5 titanium fitted with a split-second chronograph tourbillon and a Carbon TPT movement. To combine these complications within a single mechanism requires the perfect transmission of energy to ensure faultless operation.
There was also the need to reduce friction, which led Richard Mille’s research team to improve the profile of the teeth on the barrel and the second wheel pinion. The latter decision contributed to an excellent distribution of torque and an optimised output. Moreover, the outstanding combination of the tourbillon escapement and the chronograph, paired with the unprecedented fine skeletonisation, make this particularly innovative watch the absolute chronographic perfection.
“In Finland, we are known for our guts and determination,” Kimi says. “We even have a word for it:
sisu. 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 all three of these: 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.”
This limited edition of just 30 pieces was unveiled on September 18 at an exclusive event that was attended by Kimi and the Alfa Romeo Racing Team alongside Richard Mille’s leadership team. It was an instant classic—a piece that, like the Iceman’s sport of choice— truly sets passionate hearts racing.