Raikkonen confesses: the world championship, private life, Ferrari

There is no victory without a cup. Kimi Raikkonen, who won the World Drivers' Championship in 2007, however, does not have it with him, indeed he confesses that he does not know where he is exactly. "I can think of it as being in the Ferrari factory along with the other trophies I've won," he declares. "I have to remember to ask for it. Besides, I want that cup at all costs, I did a lot to get it."

The interview that the Finnish pilot gave to the German newspaper Bild begins with light, almost joking tones. Under the magnifying glass, for once, it is not so much the competitive prowess of the Maranello standard bearer, but his more intimate and personal side. Starting with his dearest loved ones, such as his wife Jenni, a rare presence during the race weekends. "In her case it's not about exorcising fear," Raikkonen explains, "she's simply bored. I would do the same in her place. (Jenni) has her life and her hobbies. I'd rather go further with her. often on horseback. But my allergy to the fur of these animals is too strong."

Kimi, an understanding husband, but not yet ready for other, demanding steps: "I want children," he says, "but not before I stop running. At the moment I don't have the time necessary to start a family, I move around without a moment's rest. respite from one place to another. For my wife and my family I want to be there."

To those who reproach him for having softened compared to the times when he was chasing world championship consecration as a Silver Arrow, Raikkonen replies: "When I compete, I aim high, even a third place would no longer suit me. I'm here to win ". The Finnish driver, increasingly integrated in the Emilian region, so much so as to declare that Ferrari could represent the last team in his career ("I'm happy here, why should I leave?"), underlines that he has freed himself from an intrusive shadow, that by Michael Schumacher: "It's history," he concludes, "and I very often don't waste time dealing with the past. Certainly (Michael Schumacher) has long exerted his influence on the team, shaping it, but that doesn't count for me. I only look at what's in front of me."

What if they were still the record times set by the Kerpen champion during the first pre-season tests? "I wasn't impressed, not even a year had passed since his retirement. An extraordinary pensioner like you couldn't have forgotten so quickly."

Ottavia Molteni