02/09/2021
NEWS STORY
Admitting that he has no plans for the future once he retires from F1 at season end, Kimi Raikkonen is adamant that the one thing he doesn't want is a schedule.
Like some of the best guitarists, Kimi Raikkonen has always believed that less is more, and while his laconic approach might be the bane of journalists lives it is one of the things that has endeared him to race fans over the years.
The Finn, who has contested a third of all the world championship races held to date, has never made any secret of the fact that all he enjoys is racing.
Not for him the press conferences, the public appearances and sponsor meet and greets, he doesn't even like spending time in the simulator... all he wants is to be out there racing.
Therefore, anyone expecting him to face the media today and take time out to reminisce about his career, far less share his daydreams for the future, was to be sadly disappointed.
Asked if he has plans for life beyond F1, the Finn replied: "No, no plans...
"I don't want to have some schedule put on," he continued, "because obviously the last 18, 19 years in F1, since I started - and I did rallying in those two years - there was always a schedule, what is coming next on this date or that date.
"I don't want that," he admitted. "That's for sure one of the big reasons I wanted to do something else, that life doesn't go because of the race or whatever it is, the work that is involved in F1.
"So I'm not in a rush. I've not even thought about it at all yet.
"Obviously ,sometimes you know in this situation for quite a while, so there is always obviously opportunities to do this or do that," he added. "But right now, I'm not interested to even think about it.
"If I would know right now, I would tell you," he grinned, "but like I said, I have zero plans. I'm not really planning to make any plans for right now.
"Like I said, I want to enjoy the time without the schedule. The schedule can be our family's schedule, and I'm happy with that. I'm looking forward to it.
"Who knows, maybe there will be some racing, maybe not," he teased. "I really don't know."
A Le Mans outing with Fernando... would be good.
Check out our Thursday gallery from Zandvoort, here.