Raikkonen becomes Team Principal of Kawasaki motocross squad following F1 retirement

Kimi Raikkonen has revealed the first stage of his post-F1 retirement plans, with the Finn announced as Team Principal for the works Kawasaki Racing Team in MXGP.

Raikkonen has made no secret of his love of motocross, having previously been involved with his own Ice One Racing team – while the Finn has previously posted videos on social media showing him using motocross to train for the demands of F1.

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But now 2007 champion Raikkonen – who retired from Formula 1 at the end of 2021 with a record 349 starts to his name – will take over the running of the factory Kawasaki Racing Team in MXGP, the highest level of motocross racing.

“It’s no secret that, for me, one of my great passions in life for many years has been motocross,” said Raikkonen of the news. “But this team is not what you might call a hobby; it’s very serious, very focused and we aspire to be the best we possibly can.

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“Now I have retired from racing I will be able to spend more time on this project; not on the daily issues but more from a strategic point of view using my experience of how teams work and what creates success on the world stage.”

Raikkonen will run the team alongside his long-time motocross collaborator, Finnish former rider Antti Pyrhonen.