Red Bull has announced the signing of Kimi Räikkönen’s son, Robin Räikkönen, to its driver development programme. An official F1 report confirms that the 11-year-old Finn will officially begin participating in the programme in 2027; his father is the 2007 F1 world champion.
From karting to the junior programme
According to Motorsport.com, Robin was born on 27 January 2015 and has been racing karts since 2022. He gradually moved from racing in Switzerland to European events, competing in the appropriate age categories in the Rotax MAX Challenge and the WSK Super Master Series.
Kimi Räikkönen said in the announcement that the whole family was pleased Robin had been given this opportunity, and that Mekies and Red Bull had been supportive during discussions. He said he valued the programme’s development plans for the coming years and the experience Robin would gain, adding that Robin would approach it with humility and work hard to repay the team’s trust.
Mekies stresses a step-by-step approach
Red Bull team principal Mekies praised the speed, racecraft and talent Robin has shown in karting, as well as his maturity, composure and focus. He said the team would help Robin develop step by step, avoid putting him under unnecessary pressure and provide the time, support and resources he needs to grow.
Red Bull’s junior programme has developed F1 drivers such as Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. Motorsport.com reported that Robin’s signing brought the programme’s total to 10 drivers, including Nikola Tsolov, who was leading the F2 standings at the time.
