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Posted on 09/09/2026 7:20:18 AM PDT by WhiteHatBobby0701
Kimi Räikkönen’s son Robin has taken a significant step in his racing career by joining the Red Bull Junior Team.
The 11-year-old will officially become part of Red Bull’s driver development program from 2027 after establishing himself as a promising talent in karting.
Robin has competed in karting from an early age and already achieved success across national and international Rotax and WSK competition as he begins following his father into motorsport.
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said the focus would be on allowing Räikkönen to develop at his own pace rather than burdening him with expectations created by his famous surname.
“Robin has already demonstrated exceptional ability in karting. His speed, racecraft and natural talent have established him as one of the most promising young drivers in his age group,” Mekies said.
“At the same time, he impresses with his maturity, his calm approach and his clear focus on driving.
“Our goal is to develop him step by step, without placing any unnecessary pressure on his shoulders.
“The path through motorsport is a long one, and we will give him the time, support and resources he needs to maximise his potential.
“We strongly believe that talent can thrive when supported by the right people, the right culture and the right environment.
“That is what we are committed to providing Robin as he continues his development.”
The move creates another link between the Räikkönen name and Formula 1, more than two decades after Kimi made his grand prix debut with Sauber in 2001.
The Finn went on to become one of the defining drivers of his generation, winning 21 grands prix and claiming 103 podium finishes during a career spanning 19 F1 seasons.
After spells with Sauber and McLaren, Räikkönen joined Ferrari in 2007 and won the drivers’ championship in his first season with the Scuderia, beating Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso to the title.
After stepping away from F1 following the 2009 season to compete in other categories including the World Rally Championship and NASCAR, he returned to the sport in 2012 with Lotus before rejoining Ferrari in 2014 and then switching to Alfa Romeo in 2019, eventually retiring at the end of 2021.
Räikkönen welcomed Red Bull’s decision to support his son and said he believed the team would provide the environment required for the next stage of Robin’s career.
“We are all thrilled and excited that Robin has been chosen to further his racing path as a member of the Red Bull Junior Team,” Kimi Räikkönen said.
“Laurent and everyone else at Red Bull have been incredibly supportive throughout all our discussions.
“They offer a compelling and comprehensive program to develop and nurture Robin’s progress over the coming years and provide him with all the experience required to develop his natural talent, which has amply been displayed in all his karting endeavours to date.
“Red Bull’s Junior Team has had years of incredible success . . . it is thus with great humility that Robin joins this illustrious program, and he will dedicate all his efforts to warrant the trust that Red Bull is placing in him.”
Red Bull has a long history of identifying drivers early in their careers and supporting their progression through the junior categories, with Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz among its most successful graduates.
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I hear he’s really good at MarioCart.
Back when I raced formula cars I was in Europe competing against kids 19 years old who had 10 -15 years of open wheel racing experience starting in carts , then Formula Ford and F3 . Many had a resume of multiple championships under their belts before they were even legally eligible to drive a car on city streets
They literally grew up in race cars and their parents were the ultimate little league parents looking to get their kids into F1 and the big time
By the time the kids were 19 the parents were half a million dollars in debt financing their kids racing career and if the kids didn't make it to the pro level their families would go bankrupt
The pressure on them to win was intense and they would do insane things to beat the competition
AJ Foyt was running a lawn mower engined mini midget his father built around a dirt track on his family ranch at 3 years old and Stirling Moss was learning to drive a formula car in a rig his dad built when he was 8 or 9
Leave him alone, he knows what he’s doing. :)
A chip off the old ice cube.
“Robin has competed in karting from an early age…”
LOL…I call 11 an “early age.”
I wish them the best...
Will Buxton noted INDYCAR star Kyle Kirkwood had to win his ladders to get sponsorship to move to USF2000, to Pro 2000, and to NXT before getting the NTT IndyCar Series ride where he’s paid by TWG Global with Sam’s Club sponsorship.
Mario Andretti started by building a dirt Modified with his twin brother. If you make a young driver take shop class and learn to build the car, he will be a better well rounded person than today’s development drivers who have never had to build a chassis or rebuild a suspension.
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