The science of systems biology. Systems biology

Full name
Date of BirthOctober 17, 1979
Place of Birth Espoo, Finland
seminal position single
Growth 1.75 m
The weight 62 kg

Year	Team	the Grand Prix	Starts	victories	catwalks	Poles	Glasses	Place
2001	Sauber	17	16	0	0	0	9	10
2002	McLaren	17	17	0	4	0	24	6
2003	McLaren	16	16	1	10	2	91	2
2004	McLaren	18	18	1	4	1	45	7
2005	McLaren	19	18	7	12	5	112	2
2006	McLaren	18	18	0	6	3	65	5
2007	Ferrari	17	17	6	12	3	110	1
2008	Ferrari	18	18	2	9	2	75	3
2009	Ferrari	17	17	1	5	0	48	6
Outcome		157	155	18	62	16	579

The small country of Finland has given the world quite a few outstanding riders. One such pilot is Kimi Raikkonen.

Räikkönen began his career in karting at the age of 12 and had a long run in karting before being offered four races in British Formula Renault in 1999. He raced in Formula Ford a few times, but then decided to focus on Formula Renault. The choice turned out to be successful - a victory in all four races of the winter series, then in the next season of 2000, the first places in seven out of ten races and prizes in the remaining three. At the same time, he managed to take part in two European races, winning two of them. Such successes could not go unnoticed, and in September, Peter Sauber, after seeing Kimi in tests at Mugello, signed a contract with the young Finn for 2001. Raikkonen partnered with Nick Heidfeld, but that might not have happened. The FIA was reluctant to give Raikkonen a Super License to compete in Formula 1 on the grounds that the Finn was too young and had little experience in the junior series. However, Sauber persisted and Raikkonen received the long-awaited permit, but with a trial period for the first four Grand Prix of the season. The debut turned out to be very successful - the sixth place in Australia and the confident piloting of the car in Malaysia, Brazil and Imola removed all questions regarding Raikkonen's further participation in the World Championship. Kimi in the course of the season, in addition to the stage in Melbourne, received points in three more races (in two of them he finished fourth). In August 2001, the McLaren team were looking for a replacement for Mika Hakkinen, and Raikkonen signed a five-year contract with the team in September. In 2002, Kimi was close to winning his first career victory at the French Grand Prix, but lost the lead to Michael Schumacher with a few laps to go.

In 2003, Raikkonen fought for the championship title, while his more experienced teammate David Coulthard fought his car all season and scored half as many points as Kimi. Kimi himself retained the opportunity to become world champion until the last race of the season. It seemed that 2004 would be the year of the young Finnish rider, but it turned out quite the opposite. A failed McLaren chassis and an unreliable Mercedes engine took their toll and Raikkonen ended the season in a low seventh position. However, in such a bad year for the team, the Finn was able to win the Belgian Grand Prix.

The beginning of 2005 was also disappointing. But already in the fourth race of the season, it became clear that the speed of McLaren allows you to fight for the world title. At Imola, Raikkonen was in the lead, but retired early in the race due to drive problems. This was followed by two victories in Spain and Monaco. It seemed that Raikkonen forced Alonso to fight, but at the European Grand Prix, one lap to go, the front suspension broke in the car of the leading Finn and Alonso got the victory. Throughout the season, Kimi was the fastest driver in the championship, but constant technical problems with the car did not allow him to compete for the world title.

Kimi met the beginning of 2006 with the rank of two-time vice-champion and with hopes of winning the championship. But, as in 2004, luck turned away from the pilot of the British team. Slow and unreliable McLaren chassis, collisions on the track with a teammate, rumors about the transition to the camp of the worst opponents of the team Ron Denis from Ferrari, deprived Kimi of a chance to fight for the championship.

In September 2006, during the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Michael Schumacher officially announced his retirement, and the Ferrari team named the pilot, who in 2007 was supposed to pair with Felipe Masse. It came as no surprise to anyone that this driver turned out to be Kimi Raikkonen.

The 2007 season opened with a race in Melbourne, Australia. Without any problems, Raikkonen won the first place in the first stage of the championship. In addition to this victory, Kimi had races in France and Great Britain, Belgium, China and Brazil. For the third time in his career, the Finn fought for the championship title. This time, his rivals were not Ferrari pilots, as in previous years, but McLaren racers - the current world champion Fernando Alonso and debutant Lewis Hamilton. Of the three contenders for the title ahead of the last stage in Brazil, Kimi had the least chance of winning the title. Raikkonen was not enough to win the race, the Finn needed a confluence of the following facts - Alonso must finish no higher than third place, and Hamilton - no higher than sixth. In the end, everything worked out in favor of Kimi Raikkonen. Finn, after two second places in the championship, added to his asset the most significant trophy in the world of motorsport - the Formula 1 world champion title.

Kimi began the 2008 season as the reigning world champion. Two victories in the first four races - have become a weighty bid for the overall victory in the World Championship. However, the victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in April was the last for Kimi in 2008. Finn was unlucky in France, and in Canada, Lewis Hamilton completely knocked him out of the fight by driving into the rear wing of a Ferrari in the pit lane. After the accident at the Belgian Grand Prix, Raikkonen had to obey the decision of the Italian team and take on the role of co-pilot. After that, there was talk that Kimi had lost motivation and lost interest in Formula 1. However, the 2007 world champion refuted these assumptions by extending his contract with Ferrari until the end of 2010.

Kimi Raikkonen was the calmest and most impressive driver at the same time. On the one hand, he was plagued by constant technical problems on the way to the top. But in such situations, he did not lose his mental balance and worked hard with his mechanics. They called him "Kimster" ("Kimi is a master") and there was a reason for this - despite his laconicism, he could always explain what was wrong and how. On the other hand, the same problems often threw him down the starting grid, and then his other side appeared. On account of his many comebacks, for which he was worthy of boundless respect. But it all started with a big pull, and in 2001 year, no one understood how a Finn could claim something in the royal class. Fortunately, Kimi justified the trust and, unfortunately, while the race track Raikkonen turned into a different path.

Miracles on turns

Kimi Mathias Raikkonen was born on October 17 1979 years in Espoo, a suburb of Helsinki. The family did not bathe in money, but the parents worked hard all the time to provide their sons with a good future. Kimi, along with her older brother Rami, loved to race motorcycles from an early age, and success did not bypass them. But when Iceman was 10 years old, they parted ways. Rami was more interested in rally racing, but Kimi Mathias took a step towards open wheel racing. To satisfy the desires of the youngest son, the parents abandoned the planned renovation and bought a kart. With this little car, Kimi quickly became friends and began to wind circles in the junior series of Finland. He was a fully athletic person and did not threaten success in school. For example, he used his student backpack instead of sleds on various hills, and then disappeared at the rink, where he played hockey.

At the age of 16, Raikkonen graduated from high school and began working as a mechanic so as not to part with the world of motors. But very soon he realized that at work he would lose his innate talent as a racer. So his family helped keep the focus on racing. AT 1998 In the same year, Iceman won his first race in Norway, and the following year he finished second in the European Championship in the Formula Super A series. Such success sent him to England, where he began to compete in Formula Renault. Kimi instantly conquered the heights of the new series. He first won the winter championship in 1999 year, and the following year he won the main trophy of the British Formula Renault. Finally 2000 of the year, he had only 23 races in his asset, but the world was dumbfounded by the news that Sauber wanted to sign a contract with him. Kimi had brilliant tests at Mugello, but everything rested on the fact that he did not have a Superlicense. Max Mosley did not hide the fact that he was against the performance of the Finn in Formula 1, but, nevertheless, Raikkonen was made an exception, and he began to prepare for the first stage 2001 th year.

step towards genius

The trip to Australia was the first for Kimi that he made outside of Europe. But such a long pilot did not take away from him one of the main qualities - a quick study of a new route. Only five laps were enough for Finn to find his trajectory and he gave out an excellent Grand Prix. Finn started 13th and thanks to several overtakings he made his way to sixth place. Nick Heifeld, a young teammate, was taller than him, but the German had a season in Formula One and a junior series championship behind him. The season was similar for both - a small advantage was still on the side of Nick, but in the end Kimi won.

Already in the middle of the season, the bosses of the McLaren team, who were looking for a replacement, seized on Raikkonen. Mika then announced a break in his career, but never returned - maybe not yet. At that time, Mika and Kimi had already become friends, although before 2001 They didn't even know each other for years. Perhaps the two-time champion lobbied the interests of his compatriot somewhat, but this is not important now - Kimi fully justified the trust and only miracles in several races deprived him of victories and titles.

After leaving the McLaren team fell into a stupor. Neither Coulthard nor Raikkonen were able to impose a fight on Ferrari and Williams and led the internecine struggle for fifth place in the individual standings. It was won by a more experienced Briton, but Kimi's performance did not go unnoticed. There were no victories in his track record that year, but the statistics cannot describe the French Grand Prix. A few laps before the finish line, Kimi was in the lead and ahead of , who was preparing to win the fifth title ahead of schedule with six races before the end of the season. The second place was enough for the German that day, so he did not fight hard, but then the stars had their say. In front of the Adelaide hairpin, Alan McNish's engine exploded and leaked oil. This is what became a fatal circumstance for the Finnish pilot, who slipped and lost the lead. After that ill-fated second place, Kimi got another podium in Japan and became the sixth driver in the championship.

Roller coaster

At the Australian Grand Prix 2003 Kimi had one of the best races of his career. He failed to qualify - Raikkonen made a mistake on the fast lap and he was forced to start from 15th position. The poor starting position eventually helped him find the right decision before the race. The fact is that a few minutes before the start it started to rain and everyone changed into rain tires. The Finn did the same, but after the warm-up lap he turned into the pits and put on slicks. The risk was justified - the track began to dry out quickly and Raikkonen quickly improved his position until he was in the lead. Everything was going well for him, and he fought off well , but all efforts were crossed out by a speeding ticket in the pit lane. Kimi, after driving through the pit lane, was in eighth position, but now the problems of others helped him climb to third place.

The season began in good health, but no one expected Kimi to start fighting for the championship. At the second stage in Malaysia, Iceman won the first race in his career - and despite the fact that he started from seventh position. Finn continued to fight for the title until the last race, but still lost . He had almost everything in his hands, but constant starts from the middle of the grid did not allow him to win the title. And Kimi failed to realize two of his poles. First, at the European Grand Prix, his engine burned out after 25 laps of leadership, and then he lost the head-to-head fight to Michael in the USA.

Already in his third season, Kimi was incredibly close to the championship title, but in many ways everything was decided by experience. . Now the Finn himself had to learn the necessary lessons and implement them correctly in time. AT 2004 there was no such opportunity. Mercedes engines began to seriously act up, and all chances for a fight were lost in the first half of the championship. In the eight starting stages, Raikkonen got only one point and all that remained was to reach the championship, catching chances in individual races. One of these took place in Spa, where Kimi started from 10th place and won the race. In the course of the race, Raikkonen in a beautiful fight bypassed the main competitors and got the only victory of the season, waiting for tenacious equipment.

It remained with the hope to wait for the next season and hope that there will be more trips to the finish line. So in the end it turned out - there were more of them, but not enough to win. Finn won the second deafening defeat, the justification for which is difficult to find - he just had colossal bad luck. At the first Australian Grand Prix, he was supposed to start from tenth position, but the situation was further aggravated when the engine died. Raikkonen started from the pit lane like he did two years ago and made his way to eighth place, 40 seconds behind the winner.

Getting closer to the title

In Malaysia, after a pit stop, Raikkonen immediately pierced the wheel and was forced to repeat the procedure. Despite the fact that Kimi set the fastest lap, he was content with only ninth place. In Bahrain, Kimi started ninth and came on the podium but retired in San Marino. As a result, in the first four stages, the Finn got only seven points and lagged behind by as many as 29 points. The next stage took place in Spain, and it was urgently necessary to strike at the opponent's territory. This time the solitaire converged - pole position, and then a confident victory in the race. In Monaco, Kimi closed the gap a little more, but at the Nurburgring he received a strong psychological blow. Raikkonen was in the lead in the race, but in one of the moments he went unsuccessfully round and got a slow puncture.

Fernando was not far away, and the McLaren team decided to take a chance - to go for victory with the risk of a puncture. Because of these problems, the car experienced heavy loads, but still Kimi left the leader for the last lap. And after a few hundred meters, Raikkonen finished the race. The front suspension still could not withstand the hard braking before the first turn and broke - the Finn flew into the safety zone, and to your victory. The gap between the two pilots again became huge and psychologically did not recoup. True, Kimi managed to save the intrigue until the Brazilian Grand Prix, but in fact he lost the championship even earlier. And again, such a failure was replaced by a pure failure for both Kimi and McLaren.

AT 2006 year the role of Sauron and Gandalf the White was divided between Ferrari and Renault, and the rest were content with petty battles for places on the podium. Kimi won this "small" battle - he got into the top three as many as six times and got fifth place in the individual standings. According to tradition, Iceman again had to fight for the title in McLaren, but in the end it turned out a little differently. Raikkonen before the start of the season 2007 year moved to Ferrari and signed a contract for a record salary - 51 million dollars. But the Finn was faced with the task of not only working off this money, but also replacing , which temporarily, as it turned out, did away with racing. At the beginning of the season, he finally started to get something. In the first three stages, he won the victory and came second twice more - an excellent individual result, but the rivals did not lag behind. A terrible battle was fought by all the pilots from McLaren and Ferrari and took turns taking each other's victories.

All the Grand Prix in the season were divided among themselves by these pilots, but along the way they had some advantage Hamilton. The Briton was the best in additional indicators and in the end turned out to be the main favorite. It was only necessary to avoid the mistakes that he did make. Two stages before the finish of the championship, Kimi was 17 points behind Lewis and became the champion. Finn won two races while both his rivals from McLaren were one point behind him. All the failures of Raikkonen in the past still received compensation, and the Finn fully deserved it. Perhaps this championship fades against the backdrop of the scandals that haunted the rival team, but the Finn should not worry about these problems. There were a lot of great riders who were left out of the list of champions at the last moment and it's good that Raikkonen was not among them.

Calm

The next two seasons in Ferrari were not so successful. AT 2008 2010, everything was in order with the technique, but many blamed the Finn for his failures. Kimi's entourage ate him up with talk that he had lost his goal and that he was not so interested in racing anymore. Perhaps it was these statements that interfered with Raikkonen, but he still spent the season badly, as for the reigning world champion. Kimi won two victories and got on the podium a few more times, which was only enough for the third position in the championship. Even Robert Kubica caught up with him on points, who again sharply added, but the Pole had fewer victories. Such a result was supposed to give the Finn additional strength and force him to prove everything to everyone again, but then Ferrari was sunk by changes in the regulations. The Scarlet were one of the few who used KERS, but this development did not help them even at the most opportune moment.

In the first five stages, Kimi got three points, but in Monaco he started second in Button. It seemed that Raikkonen should have won at the start, thanks to KERS, but he even managed to lose the position to Barrichello. Finn finished third and it was the best result at that time. Despite the unsuccessful start of that race, Ferrari was remembered and immediately forgotten right up to the stage in Hungary. This Grand Prix has become a key one in the championship for the stable from Maranello. Kimi finished second, but the Grand Prix was overshadowed by a terrible accident . The life of the Brazilian pilot was in the balance, but, fortunately, everything worked out. After this stage, Kimi managed to win at Spa, fighting Fisichella at Force India, but the fate of the last races of the season was a foregone conclusion.

The team stopped developing the car, not seeing any special prospects, and Kimi drove the championship by inertia, which was accompanied by rumors about his future. As a result, the page turned when the world learned about the official early termination of Ferrari's contract with Kimi. Finn started looking for a new job and found it with the Citroen-Junior team that competes in the World Rally Championship. Of course, the Finn had a chance to stay in Formula 1, but he wanted peace of mind.

Career in the WRC

December 2009 of the year, the rider decided to spend the next year in the WRC, signing on March 28 2010 year contract with the Citroën Junior Team.

Räikkönen finished 8th in the third race of the season 2010 (Rally Jordan) and earned 4 points. Thus, he became the second driver in history after Carlos Reutemann, who managed to earn points in both Formula 1 and the World Rally Championship. At the end of the championship, Kimi took 10th place in the drivers' standings with 25 points in his account.

January 2 2011 there was information that Raikkonen could end his sports career. Finnish driver's navigator Kai Lindström told the Finnish press that Kimi was considering such an option after his father's death, but on January 10, Raikkonen was registered as a participant in Rally Sweden - 2011 .

Return to Formula 1

29th of November 2011 Lotus team announced the signing of a two-year contract with Kimi Raikkonen for the seasons 2012 -2013 .

At the end of November, it became known that Robert Kubica would not be able to fully recover from the accident by the start of the season. 2012 of the year. As a result, Kimi signed a two-year contract with Lotus and will act as a combat pilot. His partner was Romain Grosjean, who had already tried his hand at Formula 1 in 2009 year, but could not show a decent result.

On January 23-24, he conducted individual tests driving the year before last Renault R30 car in Valencia on Pirelli demo tires. After two years of absence behind the wheel of Formula 1, he was able to show a good pace.

In the first qualification of the season at the Australian Grand Prix, Raikkonen, due to his own mistake and a misunderstanding with his team, was able to show only 18th time, but in the race, thanks to a good pace and gatherings of rivals, he finished in 7th place, earning the first points of the season.

At the second stage of the season, the Malaysian Grand Prix, Kimi set 5th time in qualifying, but due to a penalty imposed after changing the gearbox, he started from 10th position. Confidently speaking in difficult conditions of changing weather, Raikkonen finished in 5th place. In addition, shortly before the finish line, the Finn showed the fastest lap of the race.

AT 2012 year, at the end of the season, he became the only driver who finished in all at all the grand prix of the season.

autumn 2013 year it became known that Kimi in the season 2013 /2014 years will become a pilot of the Ferrari team.

Kimi Raikkonen participated in various karting competitions from the age of nine, where he won several championship titles. In 1999-2000, he competed in Formula Renault, in which he participated in 23 races (thirteen of them he won). After such successful performances, Raikkonen was invited to the Formula 1 tests in the Sauber team. According to their results, Peter Sauber signed a contract with the Finnish pilot. However, little experience in open-wheel series performances did not allow Raikkonen to receive permission to participate in Formula 1. After some deliberation, he was nevertheless given a conditional super license with a trial period of four stages. At the debut Australian Grand Prix in 2001, Räikkönen finished sixth.

2002-2006 McLaren

In the 2002 season, the young Finn moved to the team of Ron Dennis to replace his fellow countryman Mika Hakkinen. Already during his debut race for McLaren, Kimi finished in third position, and at the French Grand Prix he was one step away from his first victory. But in general, the season was not very successful due to the technical problems of McLaren. But the next year for the Finn was a triumph - a victory in the second stage of the season, two third places and seven second. As a result - vice-championship and many photos of happy Kimi. Further career at McLaren was still like a rollercoaster: endless technical problems in 2004, the second vice-championship in 2005 and a complete failure in the 2006 season. Gradually, the Finnish pilot became less and less talkative and more and more serious.

2007 Championship title

At the end of 2006, Michael Schumacher announced that he was leaving Formula 1. Ferrari did not hesitate for a long time and Kimi Raikkonen was taken in his place. For this, the Finnish pilot thanked the team in full: he said in all interviews that he was very happy with the transition to Scuderia and wants Ferrari to become his last team in his career. And then he took and won the Australian Grand Prix and the whole season. At the moment, this is the only champion title in the piggy bank of Kimi Raikkonen.

2008-2009 year. Ferrari

The 2008 season began quite well for our today's hero. After an extremely unsuccessful race in Australia, Raikkonen won stages in Malaysia and Spain, finished second in Bahrain and confidently led the individual classification. But then, one after another, technical problems with the car and the mistakes of the pilot himself began to pour in. As a result - the third place in the overall standings. At the beginning of the 2009 season, Stefano Dominicali, head of Ferrari, said that the Finn's future in the team depends only on himself. But the losing streak continued for the pilot, and that year Kimi Raikkonen finished ninth in the individual standings.

2010-2011 year. Outside Formula 1

At the end of the 2009 season, Kimi Raikkonen announced his retirement from Formula 1 and moved to the WRC, where he drove for the Citroën Junior Team. And in 2011, the Finn created his own Ice 1 Racing teams in the WRC series and motocross. For the first time in a long time, the appearance of our hero also changed: instead of the usual short haircut, Kimi Raikkonen's hair became longer.

2012-2013 year. lotus

The Finnish pilot has decided to return to Formula 1 after a two-year pause. At the end of the 2011 season there were rumors about the collaboration between Kimi Raikkonen and Williams. But for his return, the rider chose Lotus. In general, the 2012 season went well for the Finn: a stable finish in the top ten (with the exception of the Chinese race), not a single retirement for the season, 7 podiums, a victory in Abu Dhabi and the third result in the individual standings. The following year passed on the same note. True, according to the results of the 2013 season, Kimi became only the fifth. The statistics were spoiled by two final stages in which the rider did not participate due to back problems. And in September 2013, the Ferrari press service reported that in the 2014 season, Raikkonen would again drive an Italian car. For two seasons at Lotus, Kimi Raikkonen appeared before fans with both long and short haircuts.

2014-2016 year. Ferrari

The return to the Scuderia was not as enchanting as the debut of seven years ago. It was difficult for the team to switch to the new 1.6-liter V6 turbo engines, so neither Fernando Alonso nor Kimi Raikkonen could show worthy results for the championship team. But the situation improved significantly in the 2015 season, when he became the team leader, and Sebastian Vettel became the new partner of the Finn. Kimi was able to finish on the podium three times and finish the championship in 4th place. After much deliberation, the head of Ferrari extended the contract with the pilot for 2016, and then for 2017. Raikkonen again announced that after leaving the Italian team he would end his career in Formula 1. And the pilot, Paula Raikkonen, admitted in an interview that after her son returned to the Scuderia, he began to smile much more.

Personal life

Kimi Raikkonen met Finnish model Jenny Dahlman (pictured below left) in 2002. They got married on July 31, 2004, and in 2013 their marriage broke up. In the same year, at the Hungarian Grand Prix, journalists first noticed Mintta Virtanen in the Formula 1 paddock, Raikkonen's new darling. The girl skillfully combines the modeling business, work as a stewardess and the support of her beloved - she appears in the boxes of the Queen of Motorsport at almost every stage. For a long time, the couple lived in a civil marriage, but on August 7 in Italy they legalized their relationship. On January 27, 2015, their son Robin was born - an exact copy of Kimi. Minttu claims that the famous pilot is completely different at home - more emotional and sociable. And observant paparazzi noticed that after meeting with Minttu Raikkonen became more at home and calmer.

tattoos

The Finnish pilot is a big fan of body imagery. Raikkonen's first tattoo was a small smiling sun, which the Finn stuffed on his right wrist back in 2001. In 2007, he changed it to a large abstract image. At that time, there were not many drivers in the Formula 1 paddock with such prominent tattoos. Therefore, journalists almost immediately asked Jean Todt (who then led Ferrari) for his opinion on the appearance of the pilot. The Frenchman surprised many by declaring that he would terminate contracts with those sponsors who would say something against Raikkonen's tattoos. “This is a personal matter for the pilots. If Kimi wants to get a tattoo on her face, for God's sake," added Todt. In 2008, Kimi got his second tattoo on his left arm. It was the Finn's nickname - Iceman.

Kimi Raikkonen was the calmest and most impressive driver at the same time. On the one hand, he was plagued by constant technical problems on the way to the top. But in such situations, he did not lose his mental balance and worked hard with his mechanics. They called him "Kimster" ("Kimi is the master") and there was a reason for this - despite his laconicism, he could constantly explain what was wrong and how. On the other hand, the same problems often threw him down the starting grid, and then his other side appeared. On account of his many comebacks, for which he was worthy of boundless respect. But it all started with a big connection, and in 2001 no one understood how a Finn could claim something in the royal class. Fortunately, Kimi justified the trust and, unfortunately, while the race track Raikkonen turned into a different path.

Miracles on turns

Kimi Matias Raikkonen was born on October 17, 1979 in Espoo, a suburb of Helsinki. The family did not bathe in money, but the parents worked hard all the time to provide their sons with a good future. Kimi, along with her older brother Rami, loved to race motorcycles from an early age, and success did not bypass them. But when Iceman was 10 years old, they parted ways. Rami was more interested in rally racing, but Kimi Mathias took a step towards open wheel racing. To satisfy the desires of the youngest son, the parents abandoned the planned renovation and bought a kart. With this little car, Kimi quickly became friends and began to wind circles in the junior series of Finland. He was a fully athletic person and did not threaten success in school. For example, he used his student backpack instead of sleds on various hills, and then disappeared at the rink, where he played hockey.

At the age of 16, Raikkonen graduated from high school and began working as a mechanic so as not to part with the world of motors. But very soon he realized that at work he would lose his innate talent as a racer. So his family helped keep the focus on racing. In 1998, Iceman won his first race in Norway, and the very next year he finished second in the European Championship in the Formula Super A series. Such success sent him to England, where he began to compete in Formula Renault. Kimi instantly conquered the heights of the new series. He first won the winter championship in 1999, and the following year he won the main British Formula Renault trophy. At the end of 2000, he had only 23 races, but the world was dumbfounded by the news that Sauber wanted to sign him. Kimi had brilliant tests at Mugello, but everything rested on the fact that he did not have a Superlicense. Max Mosley did not hide the fact that he was against the performance of the Finn in Formula 1, but, nevertheless, Raikkonen was made an exception, and he began to prepare for the first stage of 2001.

step towards genius

The trip to Australia was the first for Kimi that he made outside of Europe. But such a long pilot did not take away from him one of the main qualities - a quick study of a new route. Only five laps were enough for Finn to find his trajectory and he gave out an excellent Grand Prix. Finn started 13th and thanks to several overtakings he made his way to sixth place. Nick Heifeld, a young teammate, was taller than him, but the German had a season in Formula One and a junior series championship behind him. The season for both was similar - a small advantage was still on the side of Nick, but in the end Kimi won.

Already in the middle of the season, the McLaren team bosses grabbed Raikkonen, who were looking for a replacement for Hakkinen. Mika then announced a break in his career, but never returned - maybe not yet. At that time, Mika and Kimi had already become friends, although they had not even met until 2001. Perhaps the two-time champion lobbied the interests of his compatriot somewhat, but this is not important now - Kimi fully justified the trust and only miracles in several races deprived him of victories and titles.

After the departure of Hakkinen, the McLaren team fell into a kind of stupor. Neither Coulthard nor Raikkonen were able to impose a fight on Ferrari and Williams and led the internecine struggle for fifth place in the individual standings. It was won by a more experienced Briton, but Kimi's performance did not go unnoticed. There were no victories in his track record that year, but the statistics cannot describe the French Grand Prix. A few laps to go, Kimi was in the lead and ahead of Michael Schumacher, who was preparing to win the fifth title ahead of schedule with six races before the end of the season. The second place was enough for the German that day, so he did not fight hard, but then the stars had their say. In front of the Adelaide hairpin, Alan McNish's engine exploded and leaked oil. This is what became a fatal circumstance for the Finnish pilot, who slipped and lost the lead. After that ill-fated second place, Kimi got another podium in Japan and became the sixth driver in the championship.

Roller coaster

At the 2003 Australian Grand Prix, Kimi had one of the best races of his career. He failed to qualify - Raikkonen made a mistake on the fast lap and he was forced to start from 15th position. The poor starting position eventually helped him find the right decision before the race. The fact is that a few minutes before the start it started to rain and everyone changed into rain tires. The Finn did the same, but after the warm-up lap he turned into the pits and put on slicks. The risk was justified - the track began to dry out quickly and Raikkonen quickly improved his position until he was in the lead. Everything was going well for him, and he fought off Michael Schumacher well, but all efforts were crossed out by a speeding ticket in the pit lane. Kimi, after driving through the pit lane, was in eighth position, but now the problems of others helped him climb to third place.

The season began in good health, but no one expected Kimi to start fighting for the championship. At the second stage in Malaysia, Iceman won the first race in his career - and despite the fact that he started from seventh position. Finn continued to fight for the title until the last race, but still lost to Schumacher. He had almost everything in his hands, but constant starts from the middle of the grid did not allow him to win the title. And Kimi failed to realize two of his poles. First, at the European Grand Prix, his engine burned out after 25 laps of leadership, and then he lost the head-to-head fight to Michael in the USA.

Already in his third season, Kimi was incredibly close to the championship title, but in many ways everything was decided by the experience of Schumacher. Now the Finn himself had to learn the necessary lessons and implement them correctly in time. In 2004 this was not possible. Mercedes engines began to seriously act up, and all chances for a fight were lost in the first half of the championship. In the eight starting stages, Raikkonen got only one point and all that remained was to reach the championship, catching chances in individual races. One of these took place in Spa, where Kimi started from 10th place and won the race. In the course of the race, Raikkonen in a beautiful fight bypassed the main competitors and got the only victory of the season, waiting for tenacious equipment.

Getting closer to the title

In Malaysia, after a pit stop, Raikkonen immediately pierced the wheel and was forced to repeat the procedure. Despite the fact that Kimi set the fastest lap, he was content with only ninth place. In Bahrain, Kimi started ninth and came on the podium but retired in San Marino. As a result, in the first four stages, the Finn got only seven points and lagged behind Alonso by as much as 29 points. The next stage took place in Spain, and it was urgently necessary to strike at the opponent's territory. This time the solitaire converged - pole position, and then a confident victory in the race. In Monaco, Kimi closed the gap a little more, but at the Nurburgring he received a strong psychological blow. Raikkonen was in the lead in the race, but in one of the moments he went unsuccessfully round and got a slow puncture.

Fernando Alonso was not far away, and the McLaren team decided to take a chance - to go for the victory with the risk of a puncture. Because of these problems, the car experienced heavy loads, but still Kimi left the leader for the last lap. And after a few hundred meters, Raikkonen finished the race. The front suspension did not withstand the hard braking before the first turn and broke - the Finn flew into the safety zone, and Fernando Alonso to his victory. The gap between the two pilots again became huge and psychologically did not recoup. True, Kimi managed to save the intrigue until the Brazilian Grand Prix, but in fact he lost the championship even earlier. And again, such a failure was replaced by a pure failure for both Kimi and McLaren.

In 2006, the role of Sauron and Gandalf the White was shared between Ferrari and Renault, while the rest were content with petty battles for places on the podium. Kimi won this "small" battle - he got into the top three as many as six times and got fifth place in the individual standings. According to tradition, Iceman again had to fight for the title in McLaren, but in the end it turned out a little differently. Raikkonen moved to Ferrari before the start of the 2007 season and signed a contract for a record salary of $51 million. But the Finn was faced with the task of not only working off this money, but also replacing Michael Schumacher himself, who, as it turned out, had temporarily stopped racing. At the beginning of the season, he finally started to get something. In the first three stages, he won the victory and came second twice more - an excellent individual result, but the rivals did not lag behind. A terrible battle was fought by all the pilots from McLaren and Ferrari and took turns taking each other's victories.

All the Grand Prix in the season were divided between these pilots, but in the course of a certain advantage, Lewis Hamilton owned. The Briton was the best in additional indicators and in the end turned out to be the main favorite. It was only necessary to avoid the mistakes that he did make. Two stages before the finish of the championship, Kimi was 17 points behind Lewis and became the champion. Finn won two races while both his rivals from McLaren were one point behind him. All the failures of Raikkonen in the past still received compensation, and the Finn fully deserved it. Perhaps this championship fades against the backdrop of the scandals that haunted the rival team, but the Finn should not worry about these problems. There were a lot of great riders who were left out of the list of champions at the last moment and it's good that Raikkonen was not among them.

Calm

The next two seasons in Ferrari were not so successful. In 2008, everything was in order with the technique, but many blamed him for the failures of the Finn. Kimi's entourage ate him up with talk that he had lost his goal and that he was not so interested in racing anymore. Perhaps it was these statements that interfered with Raikkonen, but he still spent the season badly, as for the reigning world champion. Kimi won two victories and got on the podium a few more times, which was only enough for the third position in the championship. Even Robert Kubica caught up with him on points, who again sharply added, but the Pole had fewer victories. Such a result was supposed to give the Finn additional strength and force him to prove everything to everyone again, but then Ferrari was sunk by changes in the regulations. The Scarlet were one of the few who used KERS, but this development did not help them even at the most opportune moment.

In the first five stages, Kimi got three points, but in Monaco he started second behind Jenson Button. It seemed that Raikkonen should have won at the start, thanks to KERS, but he even managed to lose the position to Barrichello. Finn finished third and it was the best result at that time. Despite the unsuccessful start of that race, Ferrari was remembered and immediately forgotten right up to the stage in Hungary. This Grand Prix has become a key one in the championship for the stable from Maranello. Kimi finished second, but the Grand Prix was marred by Massa's horrific crash. The life of the Brazilian pilot was in the balance, but, fortunately, everything worked out. After this stage, Kimi managed to win at Spa, fighting Fisichella at Force India, but the fate of the last races of the season was a foregone conclusion.

What is systems biology and what opportunities does it open in the study of the cell? How does systems biology improve understanding of the mechanisms of cancer and the principles of its treatment? What are the current developments in the field of cancer drugs? Mikhail Gelfand, Doctor of Biology, tells about this.

New sequencing technologies, new technologies for determining the nucleotide sequence in genomes can actually be used not only to study the genomes themselves, but also to study how the cell is arranged, individual interactions in cells. And in recent years, many experimental techniques have appeared, which are based on determining the sequence of nucleotides in genome fragments, but you are not studying the genome, but all the interactions that occur in the cell. This area is usually called systems biology - in the sense that you look at the cell as a whole system: not a single gene or protein, but all proteins and interactions at once.

Why are genomes the same, but tissues and cells are different? Answer: because different genes work in them. We have 25,000 protein-coding genes, and there are also RNA genes. And there is no such thing that all the genes in each cell work at the same time. And the individuality of cells and tissues is determined by which genes work in them, which ones are silent. And you can just see which genes work, which information is read from, how intensively this reading occurs. You can look at which proteins interact with DNA, it's the same trick as looking at spatial structure. You take a lot of cells, chemically sew proteins to DNA, those proteins that interacted with DNA at the moment turn out to be sewn tightly, then you cut the DNA, pull on the proteins that are attached to it, and determine those sequences that stretched out along with these proteins . Compare with the genome and see that the specific protein you pulled is associated with the genome in such and such a set of places, with such and such intensity.

On the one hand, we began to understand much more, for the first time we can begin to think about how the cell is arranged as a whole - not how it looks, not what we see under a microscope, but how molecular interactions are arranged in it, how all mechanisms are arranged , signaling pathways, work of genes, switching on/off. On the other hand, it became clear how much we do not understand. In absolute terms, we have become much smarter, and in relative terms, much dumber, because we saw that something that we thought we understood quite well, something that only needed to be completed a little, it turned out that there is much more there is. Our misunderstanding of biology has greatly increased.

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2002-2006 McLaren

2007 Championship title

2008-2009 year. Ferrari

2010-2011 year. Outside Formula 1

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2014-2016 year. Ferrari

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