Description

‘I loved it. I thought it was fascinating – really, really interesting story that he’s got to tell… I’ve known him for years and I learned an awful lot.’ Marc Priestley

Kimi Raikkoenen is the Finnish superstar Formula One driver with a reputation for being fast on the track and silent off it – until now!

In this superb and authorised portrait of Raikkoenen, Kari Hotakainen gets to reveal the side of the man that few beyond his close family and friends have ever seen. Enigmatic and private, Ferrari’s former world champion driver rarely opens up to outsiders, but he granted Hotakainen exclusive access to his world and to his way of thinking. It ensures that this will be a book that will delight all fans of motorsport, who have long revered the Finn.

Including never-previously-seen photographs from his own collection, The Unknown Kimi Raikkoenen takes the reader into the heart of the action at grands prix around the world, behind the scenes as race strategies are planned, and opens up the private side of his life that he normally guards so carefully.

With all the cult appeal of I Am Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the raw excitement of Formula One and the insight of the best biographies, this is a book every sports fan will want to treasure.

Publisher Review

'I loved it. I thought it was fascinating - really, really interesting story that he's got to tell... This book gives us that insight [into the Kimi Raikkoenen world]... If you have even the mildest interest and intrigue about Kimi...then you need to go and get this book and read it. I've known him for years and I learned an awful lot.' -- Marc Priestley 'Raikkoenen's monosyllabic nature during TV interviews has earned him millions of fans and this authorised biography by Kari Hotakainen sees him open up on his personal and professional life, together with never-seen-before pictures. It is a great insight into Raikkoenen with a combination of his home life and Formula One stories from behind the scenes and some of the biggest moments in his career.' * Daily Express * 'Enigmatic and private, Ferrari's former world champion driver rarely opens up to outsiders, but he granted Hotakainen exclusive access to his world and his way of thinking ... With all the raw excitement of Formula One and the insight of the best biographies, this will delight all fans of motorsport and those who have long revered the elusive Finn.' * Blackpool Gazette * 'Conceptually this is perhaps the least likely book ever to have been scripted - and therein lies its appeal ... This is an attempt to portray the real Kimi Raikkoenen, warts and all, and it does so in a balanced manner.' * Motorsport Magazine * 'Childhood poverty, running away from military service to make a race, and going on benders between Formula One races are some of the revelations in this new book that sheds light on the life of usually taciturn Finnish driver Kimi Raikkoenen.' * Reuters *