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Kimi Raikkonen was characteristically nonplussed when quizzed about the prospect of equalling Rubens Barrichello’s record for world championship race starts in Formula 1 ahead of the Russian Grand Prix weekend.
But it’s an achievement even the often-underwhelmed Finn, who is set to match the record from last on the Sochi grid today, should celebrate.
Celebrating 322 starts does perhaps privilege longevity over achievement and there’s no doubt any driver would prefer to have a record for race wins or pole positions.
That’s perhaps why Raikkonen himself downplays it as, after all, when you think of him it’s his 2007 world championship or race wins for McLaren and Ferrari that spring to mind rather than the number of times he’s lined up on the grid.
Raikkonen himself scoffed at the suggestion he might choose to extend his F1 career beyond the end of this season simply to extend the record. He downplayed its impact despite this being the first time this record has been matched in 12 years.
“Every record is going to be broken at some point in most of the sports” :: Kimi Raikkonen
“No that’s not the reason if I am staying or not,” says Raikkonen of his plans for 2021, on which he remains undecided.
“Obviously every record is going to be broken at some point in most of the sports, that’s just how it has happened.
“I’ve said it many times, for me it makes no difference right now but maybe in the future when I look back on things whatever the number will be or the position will be maybe I’ll look at it a bit different. But right now it’s like any other race.”
But the reason it does matter is less about what it is than what it represents.
This is one of the most difficult of all records to break and it has taken almost two decades for Raikkonen to get there, albeit with two years spent out of F1 slowing that process down.
Assuming he equals the record at Sochi then breaks it at the Nurburgring, Raikkonen will become only the eighth driver to hold the record outright after Giuseppe Farina, Juan Manuel Fangio, Maurice Trintignant, Jack Brabham, Graham Hill, Riccardo Patrese (pictured above) and Barrichello.
Those drivers were all race winners in F1 and half of them were world champions, with Raikkonen adding a tick in both those columns. So immediately it shows that the holders of these records are an elite bunch. Even the least celebrated of them, Trintignant, holds the distinction of being a two-time Monaco Grand Prix winner.
This sums up a more intangible quality, which proves all of these drivers were considered good enough to justify seats for an extended period of time that stretched well beyond most F1 careers. Given how difficult it can be to get on the F1 grid, let alone stay there, that shows determination and genuine quality.
While Raikkonen has, at times, been a frustrating driver and lacks the spark that once made him one of the fastest ever, you cannot deny that he’s been valued by teams and has performed over an extended period of time.
Once dropped by Ferrari, he was able to pick up a two-year deal with the Sauber-run Alfa Romeo team, which has benefited from the experience of a driver who continues to perform even at the age of 40.
What’s more, he’s also been on a convincing run of form as late. Alfa Romeo’s early season struggles didn’t bring out the best in him, but since the upturn in form at the Spanish Grand Prix Raikkonen has performed well.
He doesn’t have that last few tenths of a second that he once had and the team would benefit from a driver who does have that, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been able to do a decent job.
Considering Raikkonen first came to attention in F1 for his improbable promotion to a Sauber seat in 2001 (pictured below) straight out of Formula Renault, the fact the narrative surrounding him is one of age and experience shows just how much perception of him has changed. But what matters is he has endured and remains one of the most popular drivers on the grid to this day.
Raikkonen might not appreciate the record, or hold it for long should he not continue to race in F1 next year with Renault returnee Fernando Alonso on course to catch up and overtake him in 2021, but it’s a fitting testament to his talent.
But while his calling card may have been that amazing speed of the first decade of the century, that doesn’t mean we can can dismiss what this record says about the staying power and qualities of Raikkonen. And neither should the man himself.
