“But it’s good. [It’s] interesting to see always how it goes. It looks like things are getting closer now in the racing, so it’s good for F1 and all the fans.”
What Kimi thinks of F1’s next Kimi
Speaking of fans, the arrival of another ‘Kimi’ in F1 has sparked plenty of interest among onlookers – with confirmation that Kimi Antonelli will make his debut for Mercedes next year coming on the same day Raikkonen set foot in the paddock again.
ANALYSIS: Why Mercedes chose to take a risk and sign 18-year-old Antonelli for 2025
It means that Italy will be represented on the F1 grid for the first time since 2021, when Antonio Giovinazzi partnered Raikkonen at Alfa Romeo, and the latter is intrigued to see how the highly rated 18-year-old gets on.
“Yeah, I heard! When we came here, somebody said that they announced it!” Raikkonen chuckles, before pointing to the influx of new talent on the way for 2025, which includes Ferrari-backed Oliver Bearman at Haas and Jack Doohan at Alpine.
“It’s great. A lot of new faces, I think, coming next year, a lot of new drivers that have been signed to F1. It’s good for the sport, and it’s also great to have an Italian in the championship. It’s good for everybody, I think.”