Raikkonen to retire at the end of 2021
Announces decision to call time on an illustrious career
The Finn, who won the world championship in 2007 and will be 42 at the end of the season, made his debut with Sauber in the 2001 Australian Grand Prix.
He rejoined the team that became Alfa Romeo, where his contract expires at the end of this season.
Alfa Romeo has yet to confirm their plans for 2021, and on the eve of the returning Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, Raikkonen revealed that 2021 would be his final season.
“This is it,” he said on Instagram. “This will be my last season in Formula 1. This is a decision I did during last winter. It was not an easy decision but after this season it is time for new things.
View this post on Instagram
“Even though the season is still on, I want to thank my family, all my teams, everyone involved in my racing career and especially all of you great fans that have been rooting for me all this time.
“Formula 1 might come to an end for me but there is a lot more in life that I want to experience and enjoy. See you around after all of this.”
Raikkonen spent five years with McLaren after his debut year at Sauber, before moving to Ferrari for three seasons.
It was here that he won his only world championship, defeating Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso in the final race in Brazil in 2007.
After a two-year break from F1 to pursue rallying, he rejoined Lotus for two seasons before embarking on a five-year stint with Ferrari.
He then joined Alfa Romeo for what will ultimately be three campaigns.
Raikkonen has struggled with form this season, and he currently sits 17th in the drivers' standings with only two points.
He has 21 wins, 103 podiums, and 187 pole positions in 344 Grand Prix weekends, and he now has 10 more races to potentially add to that total.
It's unclear who will take his place at Alfa Romeo, though several names have been floated, including Mercedes driver Valtteri Botta.
Edited - SportsAction / Inputs - Agency
