Home · Sports · Sep 9 archive
Red Bull Junior Programme Welcomes Kimi Raikkonen's Son Robin
Confirmed
In Short: Red Bull has signed 11-year-old Robin Raikkonen to its driver development programme, following a visit to the Italian Grand Prix where the Raikkonen family met team officials.
Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 F1 world champion, expressed excitement about his son joining the programme, stating, 'We are all thrilled and excited that Robin has been chosen to further his racing path as a member of the Red Bull Junior Team.
Red Bull has one of the best driver development stables in the sport and has given talents like Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, Alexander Albon, Isack Hadjar, and most recently Arvid Lindblad, their first chance in the sport.
Robin joins the programme with 'great humility' and is dedicated to 'warrant the trust that Red Bull is placing in him,' according to Kimi Raikkonen.
What's confirmed
- Red Bull has signed F1 world champion Kimi Raikkonen’s son to its driver programme.
- "Robin has already demonstrated exceptional ability in karting,” Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said.
- “We are all thrilled and excited that Robin has been chosen to further his racing path as a member of the Red Bull Junior Team. Laurent [Mekies] and everyone else at Red Bull have been incredibly supportive throughout all our discussions,” former Ferrari driver Kimi said.
What's still developing
- The Raikkonen family attended last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza and were seen in the Red Bull motorhome.
- The Raikkonen family visited the Red Bull garage at Monza on Sunday, where Robin was photographed sitting in Max Verstappen's car.
- The connection is strengthened by Gino Rosato, Robin's godfather and a longtime friend of the family, who recently joined Red Bull as a consultant.
- The Monza visit gives the report a logical destination, but Red Bull has yet to confirm that Robin has signed.
- Red Bull may be close to adding another world championship name to its junior program, although this one is still racing karts and the agreement remains unofficial.
- Kimi and Minttu Raikkonen also met senior team figures, including Laurent Mekies.
- The 11-year-old karter Robin Raikkonen - born just before Kimi Raikkonen's second season back with Ferrari in 2015 - had been rumoured to join Red Bull over the Monza weekend.
- F1 champion Raikkonen never raced for Red Bull but he was team-mates with one of its most famous products, Sebastian Vettel, at Ferrari, and he had plenty of experience racing the other (Max Verstappen).