Born on October 17, 1979, in Espoo, Finland, Räikkönen started his racing career at a young age, competing in karting competitions before moving on to single-seater racing. He made his Formula One debut in 2001 with the Sauber team before moving to McLaren in 2002. Räikkönen’s breakthrough season came in 2003 when he won his first Grand Prix and finished second in the drivers’ championship.