Driver

Despite spending two years away from Formula 1, Kimi Raikkonen's return to the sport showed just why he has won a world championship. The Finn finished all his 20 races in 2012, 19 of which were in points and, credited to his consistency, finished third in the drivers' standings. World champion with Ferrari in 2007 and runner-up twice before with McLaren, the Iceman - nicknamed for his cool demeanour - has versatile skills in motorsport, having participated in not only NASCAR but also the World Rally Championship during his F1 sabbatical. His talents were such that he was roped in by leading F1 team McLaren in 2002 to replace the departing double world champion and compatriot Mika Hakkinen. Raikkonen's flair however was evident from the moment his F1 career began, when he scored a point in sixth place in his debut race in 2001 with Sauber. And it wasn't long before he started driving for Ferrari. He won the title in his debut season with the Italian team although the succeeding years proved to be lacklustre. At the end of 2009, he revealed that he was quitting F1 to pursue his interests in other forms of motorsport but eventually returned to his calling in 2012 with Lotus.