Staying with Manor,2000 saw the young Finn competing in the British Renault Championship,taking the title with relative ease after securing seven wins out of the ten races contested,however he stood on the podium for ecery race and took seven pole positions and six fastest laps.During the same year,he also competed in the Formula Renault series where he took two wins,two poles and two fastest laps.Out of the 23 races contested,Kimi has a success rate of more that 50%,winning a grand total of 13,making team boss,Peter Sauber sit up and take notice.

He then made his Formula One debut for the Swiss based Formula One team in 2001,after only competing in 23 car races,none of which involved F3 or F3000.However the FIA granted him the necessary Super Licence because of the promising performances the young Finn has promising in earlier testing.The first time Kimi got behind the wheel of Formula One car was September 2000,before further sessions in Jerez and Barcelona three months later.

His debut season produced some superb performances and he helpes the team to their highest ever finish,fouth place overall in the constructors battle.Despite the negatiuity surrounding his entrance and he was chosen by McLaren to take the place ot double world champion,Mika Hakkinen,who opted to retire.

The young Finn put in some superb performances throughout 2002,out qualifying his more experienced team-mate David Coulthard on several occasions.He also came extremely close to winning his first ever race,but unfortunately the 22-year-old driver ran wide at the Adelaide hairpin due to oil on the circuit,handing victory to Michael Schumacher.

Kimi Raikkonen confirmed his potential in 2003.The Finn won his first Grand Prix in Malaysia and fought for the championship title until the very last race against Michael Schumacher.

2004 promised a great deal for the Finn,but sadly it was a season of mixed fortunes.McLaren Mercedes startes the season with the new MP4-19 chassis and before long it clear that the car was not as competitiue as it had been hoped.Armed with a much more competitue "b" specification chassis from mid-season onwards,Kimi raised his game and become a rugular points scorcer,even securing a brilliant victory at Spa-Francorchamps.Kimi finish seventh in the overall standings with one victory.