Women now have a reason to be into Formula One racing, and it goes by the name of Kimi Raikkonen. This hot F1 racer joined the Scuderia Ferrari F1 team in 2007 and has since achieved outstanding feats, including six victories, three pole positions, six fastest laps, and the World Champion title within just his first year with Ferrari. Whew. This guy certainly loves speed.
He also happens to endorse TAG Heuer timepieces, and recently, eyewear, along with his wife Jenni, a top fashion model and former Miss Scandinavia (too bad he’s already hitched). One of the most glamorous couples in professional motor sports, Kimi and Jenni did a very rare shoot for their first joint advertising campaign: a candid TAG Heuer photo session for the TAG Heuer Avant-Garde Eyewear series and sports watches with famous photographer Claudio Carpi (best known for his celebrity portraits for Vanity Fair) right in the couple’s very own home in Zurich, Switzerland. Intimate, casual, and glamorous, they are among the most candid shots of the longtime TAG Heuer Ambassador ever seen.
Get to know more about this usually very private racing hottie in the following Q&A where he talks about his lifestyle, TAG Heuer’s new lineup, and his being a member of the TAG Heuer Dream Team of Ambassadors.
Q: Other than the driving, what¹s the most fun thing about being part of F1?
I’m afraid I’m one of those annoying people who enjoy all parts of my job, some more than others, though! Winning Grand Prix is obviously the most fun part of Formula One, but I also enjoying my training schedule, since my trainer and I are both very competitive so there is never a dull moment! Testing and developing the cars, meeting fans, filming ads with partners are also fun. The traveling is not so great, but I just sleep my way through that, I like sleeping!
Q: Is there anything that angers you in the world?
When I make a mistake on track.
Q: What makes a woman attractive to you?
If she is Finnish, tall, has long hair, and is called Jenni, my wife!
Q: If you were not an F1 driver, what will you do now? Studying or being a sportsman?
Definitely being a sportsman. I have always practiced a lot of different sports, but I can’t imagine doing anything else than what I am doing now.
Q: What made you want to be in F1?
When I was much younger, I was more focused on ice hockey, but I didn’t like the early starts every morning! I have always enjoyed watching motor sports, and from the first time I drove a kart in 1987, I was hooked. I soon began to realize I could do it, and then became determined to get to the top. I just knew that this was what I wanted to do.
Q: How do you spend your free-time?
Because F1 is such a busy sport, when I have free time I tend to try to do as little as possible and just relax a lot. I spend time with my wife, family, and friends at home in Switzerland, pop back to Finland to catch up with people there, and we go for a meal, see a movie, that kind of thing. I also like to keep up with my training during my free time, although I prefer to do the more interesting things such as cross-country skiing and bike rides.
Q: You have been a member of the “TAG Heuer Dream Team of Brand Ambassadors” since 2002, along with Tiger Woods, Maria Sharapova, Brad Pitt, and Uma Thurman, to mention a few. It must be something special. How do you feel about this role?
It is a great honor for me and I am really excited to be one of their brand ambassadors in the global WAYMO campaign alongside other sports greats such as Maria Sharapova or Tiger Woods. I am very proud to be associated with TAG Heuer because this brand has such an unrivalled motor racing heriTAGe and legitimacy.
Q: You have recently extended your long term contract with TAG Heuer, can you tell us more about it?
Indeed, we are very happy with the experience we have shared over the last 6 years that we decided to extend our mutual collaboration. I really enjoy the new projects TAG Heuer presented to me. In the Spring of 2008, TAG Heuer will launch new Kimi Räikkönen sunglasses, followed by a “Limited Edition Kimi Räikkönen sports watch” in the Fall of 2008.
Q: You have just participated in a very private shooting with your wife Jenni for TAG Heuer, why did you decide to pose together?
To celebrate the extension of my contract with TAG Heuer, we wanted to do something different from the shoots we had done before. It’s a fantastic experience, and we both felt very comfortable doing it in our home. I am very happy with the result. Jenni looks beautiful!
Q: This new visuals will be used to illustrate both the Timepieces and Avant Garde Eyewear collections, can you tell us how you started collaborating with TAG Heuer Avant Garde Eyewear?
I love sunglasses. Therefore when TAG Heuer suggested I could also get involved in their Avant Garde Eyewear Collection, I showed immediate interest and immediately started to collaborate with TAG Heuer Eyewear in 2007 to develop a specific eyewear series inspired by motor racing and my passion for speed as well as sharp design tastes. Design is very important and I’m always looking for something different. I’m really happy to collaborate with TAG Heuer Eyewear and develop products I’d like to wear.
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