Kimi Raikonnen is one of the more accomplished Formula 1 drivers in the world. After around 20 years (with two inactive years) in F1, “The Iceman” retired from the motorsport at the end of the 2021 season. Kimi, however, has not totally left the world of motorsport. He has shifted from four wheels to two, now serving as the team principal of the factory Kawasaki Racing Team (KRT) for the Motocross Grand Prix (MXGP class).

Shifting From Four Wheels To Two Wheels

The motorsport arm of 125-year-old motorcycle maker Kawasaki announced this development on its social media accounts, saying that Kimi and former GP winner Antti Pyrhonen are the taking the mantles of leadership of the KRT MXGP team for the 2022 FIM World Championship. Kimi and Antti are serving as KRT MXGP’s Team Principal and Team Manager, respectively.

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Joining Kimi and Antti in the KRT MXGP team are two of the best MXGP riders in the world, Romain Febvre and Ben Watson. Romain is a Frenchman rider who has been part of the Kawasaki factory team since 2020. He was the 2015 Motocross World Champion. Ben, meanwhile, transferred from Yamaha’s works team (Yamaha Racing Team MXGP). A two-time winner in the MX2 series, the young British is entering his second year in MXGP.

From Just A Hobby: Kimi Brings 10 Years Of MXGP Experience

Interestingly, motocross racing is not an entirely new world for Kimi, who already has fallen in love with this motorsport. In fact, in 2013 Kimi established the IceOne Racing program, which became the official Husqvarna Factory MXGP team in 2014. Led by Antti, IceOne Racing ended its successful partnership Husqvarna Motorcycle at the end of the 2021 MXGP season. For Kimi and Antti, 2022 marks their 10th year in MXGP.

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Back then, motocross was just a hobby for Kimi, as he was still a full-fledged F1 driver. But his retirement from F1 – after 343 starts, a driver’s world championship in 2007, as well as 21 wins – paved the way for Kimi’s shift of mindset. Now that he has more time to spend in the world of motocross, he is now “very serious” and “very focused” with the new Kawasaki Racing Team in MXGP.

Kimi’s First Challenge Is MXGP Of Britain

Kimi hopes to lead the KRT MXGP from a strategic point of view, using his experience of how teams work and “what creates success on the world stage.” Kimi’s first challenge in the premier MXGP class of the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship will be the MXGP of Britain on February 19-20 at Matterley Basin (UK).

Source: Kawasaki Racing, MXGP, Formula 1