Kimi Matias Raikkonen, the Iceman of the sport, never won the Singapore Grand Prix. However, what he did achieve here were two amazing podium finishes, one each in 2013 and 2015. The former in a Renault-powered Lotus and the other, in a Ferrari. Interestingly, both these podiums were part of a second win for the 2007 world champion.
The second coming
While he returned to Ferrari from the onset of the 2014 season, a phase during which he bagged his 2015 Singapore podium, Kimi Raikkonen earned his maiden Singapore podium in his second year since his return to Formula 1, circa 2012.
Here’s how it happened, but a bit of a background first.
The 2012 and 2013 seasons were an utterly Sebastian Vettel and RedBull dominant period; a passage of time where wins were rare for anyone else besides the German genius and his freaky fast Milton Keynes-based outfit.
Not the one to get Bowh-gged down
Whatever was left of those two seasons, in particular, was down to Ferrari’s way, especially owing to the enormous talent and indefatigable will of a man called Fernando Alonso.
But there was another driver in the mix, albeit not contesting with a wildly fast machine, who tried to salvage a bit of a fight for his team.
The name- Kimi Raikkonen. The effort- show stopping drives at tracks where you’d never think the modest Renault-powered machine would bag podiums, especially in front of the red hot form of the Red Bull and the Scuderia stable.
Picture Bahrain. Think of Abu Dhabi and the “Leave Me Alone” moment of 2012. The Hungaroring, lest it be forgotten.
And without much of a doubt, Singapore’s Marina Bay circuit and Raikkonen’s staid elegance at an exceedingly challenging track in 2013.
But before the 2013 recollection, let’s delve into the year before at Marina Bay
One year before marking a spectacular podium-powered drive at the 2013 Singapore Grand Prix, Kimi contested in what could be called an impressive, if not incredible, race at the very venue.
Kimi at Singapore in 2012
In the 2012 race, Kimi began from P12 and ended P6. Although, his then teammate at Lotus (powered by Renault), Romain Grosjean had managed a slightly better qualifying result in the form of P10.
But when it came to the race in 2012, Raikkonen demonstrated flashes of pace and his redoubtable race craft to forge his way ahead of cars that could be called more competitive than his Lotus to grab an impressive finish inside the top then. In the process of bagging his P6 at the electrifying street course of Singapore, not only did the enigmatic Finn better the likes of Mark Webber (who ended P11, in a Red Bull) but even Felipe Massa (P8, in a Ferrari).
What made the 2013 drive from Kimi interesting
2013 saw Raikkonen contest in much of the season with a back scuffle that wasn’t getting any better. As a matter of fact, as the season approached its very last part, Raikkonen’s woes were exacerbated by a back procedure that made him sit out of the USA and the Brazilian Grand Prix, at Texas and São Paulo, respectively. He had to seek treatment, it was that challenging. However, he reserved a flourishing drive at that year’s Singapore Grand Prix that made him his staunchest critics, and there’ve been a few, sit back and take notice.
Beginning the 2013 Singapore Grand Prix from thirteenth (P13), not the ideal place in any Grand Prix from which to begin your march, let alone a track constricted for space such as Singapore, Raikkonen battled his way through to earn a podium.
From P13 at the start to P3 in the end
In essence, he jumped 10 places up to earn a fantastic P3 in the end. It was an epic contest contested under the bright lights of a menacingly challenging Singapore during which the Lotus driver blossomed, akin to a lotus growing amid a contaminated pond.
Several of his key overtakes were nicely judged, excellently controlled and indicated his great powers of concentration. Right at the start, the phlegmatic driver moved ahead of the slow-starting Toro Rosso, an early advantage that would mirror his commanding drive to follow.
Making good use of the straight line speed of his E21, Raikkonen then waltzed ahead of the Force India of Paul di Resta.
Later on, an incredible move on Turn 5 on Valtteri Bottas’s Williams meant Raikkonen was consistently moving up the order.
Consistently quick
Making steady gains all throughout the 61-lap contest, Raikkonen emerged in contention of a podium that could very unlikely had it not been for his ambition and quiet confidence, not to forget a machinery that was competitive, if not, remorselessly fast.
His next overtake was mightier than the one made on his fellow Finn.
Down the outside of Turn 14, Kimi jumped ship on the often controversial and always entertaining Pastor Maldonado; the gap between the batting duo barley being a few inches with commentators wondering the two didn’t make contact! Was Kimi being the aggressor? He was salting the battlefield.
That being told, one incredible pass, perhaps the most definitive Kimi Raikkonen moment at the 2013 Singapore Grand Prix arrived at this very corner, not long after the Finn had passed the Colombian.
That move on Jenson
Having placed his car beautifully at the approach to turn 14, with easily two wheels up in front before the apex, Raikkonen blasted past the McLaren-Mercedes of Jenson Button. It was racing at its best. Prime Kimi, well, if you think only McLaren – and not Lotus- was his prime up against a former world champion in Button. And not to forget, a Lotus versus a McLaren.
Towards the end of a fascinating run at Singapore, Raikkonen benefitted from his ballsy manoeuvres and also having pitted under the safety car. He’d take third in the end and was behind Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso (in that order), two of the giants of the grid who’ve had nothing but respect for the laconic soul from Espoo.
In so doing, Kimi- laggard to some, but an icon to many- proved that stellar results could still be achieved despite not having the best machinery for as long as one competed with will and grit.
What do you reckon?