F1 'Has Never Been My Life,' Says Superstar Who Is Set To Retire

Former World Champion Kimi Raikkonen recently said F1 "has never been my life" in his first interview since announcing 2021 would be his last season in the sport.

Raikkonen, who currently drives for Alfa Romeo Racing, announced retirement from F1 earlier this week and admitted that he has no plans for his future saying, "right now I am not interested to think about it."

"F1 takes a lot of time from our lives but it has never been the main thing in my life. I live my life outside and do normal things and from that side it's fine," Raikkonen was quoted by BBC Sport, as saying in the interview ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.

The 41-year-old Finish driver, who has won 21 Grand Prix races and a world title, will retire as the most experienced ever driver in F1.

"I always said it as it is. The purpose to come here is driving. There are a lot of other things but they have never been for me the reasons to be here. I had a good run. I'm happy with what I achieved. It is not easy to win. I wanted to win a championship. I got close one or two times and it happened with Ferrari. Happy it happened, especially with them. I had fun and I did it my way. I wouldn't change a single thing. No complaints," added Raikkonen.

On being asked about his plans post his F1 career, Raikkonen, who won the world championship in 2007 with Ferrari, said he had not decided on what he was going to do after retiring later this year.

"No plans. I don't want to have some schedule put on, because obviously the last 18, 19 years in F1, since I started, and I did rallying in those two [sabbatical] years, there was always a schedule, what is coming next on this date or that date. I don't want that. That's for sure one of the big reasons I wanted to do something else, that life doesn't go because of the race or whatever it is, the work that is involved in F1. So I'm not in a rush. I've not even thought about it at all yet," Raikkonen further added.

Raikkonen, who first entered F1 during the 2001 season, so far has claimed 103 podium finishes, 18 pole positions and has set 46 fastest laps in F1. Over the years, he has partnered with several other superstars of the sport such as Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso -- both at Ferrari.

In the ongoing season, Alfa Romeo Racing's Raikkonen has managed to earn just two points while Lewis Hamilton is at the top, three points ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen.