Why Raikkonen is unmoved by becoming an F1 record-breaker

Now F1's most experienced driver ever, Kimi Raikkonen has a reputation for giving journalists the cold shoulder. But he's also authentic and no-nonsense, with feet firmly planted on the ground - and it’s this, allied to his extraordinary driving ability and technical nous, which has kept his career going, and going, says Alex Kalinauckas.

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GP Racing is trying not to panic. We're minutes away from speaking to Kimi Raikkonen and the doors to the Monza 'Media Meeting Area' are seemingly locked. "It's fine," we think, clearly exasperated, "he's only notoriously difficult to interview and hates to be dragged away from the parts of Formula 1 he actually enjoys..."

A text to the FIA's media delegate, another to Will Ponissi (Alfa Romeo's press attache), a few moments of struggling to banish our unhelpful inner monologue, and we're saved! A circuit press officer arrives - and reveals the locked door isn't the right one, and the correct one just needs a good shove. Mercifully, she holds back her thoughts on our obvious inadequacy...

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Author Alex Kalinauckas

Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.