Mika Salo: Robin Raikkonen has real talent

Kimi Raikkonen’s son, 9-year-old Robin, is competing in the Swiss Junior Kart Championship for the second year and a few weeks ago we wrote about his next victory in the RM Micro class.

The young racer’s successes are already being commented on in Finnish motorsport circles, especially Mika Salo, a former Formula 1 driver who has a lot of experience working with young people, talks about this.

“If we talk about the new generation of karting talent and the prospects for their promotion in view of the royal category of motorsport, Robin’s case is exceptional,” the Ilta-Sanomat newspaper quotes Mika Salo. “It seems like he’s a really gifted kid.” But of course you still have to remember that he is still a child. Therefore, it is completely premature to talk about its future now.

According to my calculations, the path from karting to Formula 1 costs an average of around 10 million euros, and that applies to every driver. The money is enormous, and very few families have such financial resources. Moreover, few succeed in obtaining external financial support.

But as we know, Kimi has money. In any case, Robin’s hypothetical career in Formula 1 will not depend on whether the necessary financing is found, and these are completely special starting conditions. In addition, Kimi has extensive connections and an excellent reputation. If he wants, Robin will receive early support from a network of professionals who will help him develop both as a racer and as a person.

To reach the top, you have to practice for a long time. Kimi can afford to build his own karting track for Robin, where he can train as much as he wants.”

The family of the 2007 World Champion recently moved from Switzerland to Northern Italy and now lives in the Lake Como area. The move was also due to the fact that Robin was in more favorable conditions for training and participation in competitions. He is already working with the factory team of the Italian company CRG, a famous kart manufacturer whose cars were once driven by Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

“In this phase it is extremely important that Robin enjoys karting,” concludes Salo. – He must really enjoy this activity, this is the only way the racer’s personality will develop. But it will only become clear in his teenage years whether his interest in racing will continue. Before that, there is a possibility that he may be attracted to completely different hobbies.”