Tributes flood in as Raikkonen calls time on F1 career

Kimi Raikkonen announced ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix that 2021 is to be his last year in Formula 1, spelling the end of a remarkable career that began in 2001 with the Sauber team.

Over the years, Raikkonen has driven for the sport's behemoths. A move to replace double World Champion Mika Hakkinen at McLaren in 2002 shot Raikkonen to the top of the sport, but it wasn't until he moved to Ferrari in 2007 that the Finn finally reached the pinnacle by winning that year's World Championship.

After two years experimenting with other motorsports while on hiatus from Formula 1, Raikkonen returned with Lotus to become a thorn in the side of Red Bull Racing and Ferrari, before a sensational return to Ferrari for the start of the hybrid era in 2014. Dropped by Ferrari at the end of 2018, Raikkonen returned back to where it all started for him by going back to Sauber, now known as Alfa Romeo, where he has seen out his career with three years of racing in the midfield.

The unique character that is Kimi Raikkonen may have, on occasion, been a nightmare for his team's press officers and the sport's media and broadcasters, but the Finn won the hearts of millions around the world and those within the paddock.

Here's some of the tributes that key motorsport figures have paid to the retiring Kimi Raikkonen.