Kimi Raikkonen disappointed that he’s still Ferrari’s most recent champion after 19 years

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Kimi Raikkonen is ‘encouraged’ by what he’s seen from Ferrari recently despite their ongoing championship drought.

Raikkonen remains the last driver to win the championship for Ferrari, having done so back in 2007. He retired from F1 two years later and then returned in 2012 for another 10 seasons in the sport, including a second stint at Maranello.

Fernando Alonso has come closest to ending the drought, having lost out to Sebastian Vettel at the final race in 2010 and 2012. Sebastian Vettel (2017, 2018) and Charles Leclerc (2022) have finished as distant runners-up to Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen respectively.

What’s the BIGGEST reason for Ferrari’s F1 title drought?

It's now approaching 20 years

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Kimi Raikkonen: I hoped Ferrari would find another champion ‘quickly’

Raikkonen was let go by Ferrari at the end of the 2018 season to make room for Leclerc. He hoped that the team would have had a new champion by now, be it the Monegasque or someone else.

But after Mercedes’ dominance came to an end, Verstappen and Red Bull took over. McLaren were experiencing a similar drought to Ferrari, but Lando Norris recently became their first champion since Lewis Hamilton in 2008.

The title will more than likely go to George Russell or Kimi Antonelli this year, but there are some reasons for Ferrari to be positive. They have scored four podiums in the first five races and sit second in the constructors’ behind Mercedes, an improvement of two places on last year.

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“When I left the team at the end of 2018, I hoped they would quickly find a successor to me in the championship’s hall of fame,” Raikkonen told Leo Turrini’s ‘Profondo Rosso‘ column. “That hasn’t happened yet, but from a distance I see encouraging signs.”

Ferrari are seen as the favourites for the Monaco Grand Prix next time out due to the strengths of their chassis. The layout should also hide the limitations of their power unit.

• READ MORE: Kimi Raikkonen shares what he thinks of ‘special’ Kimi Antonelli after four straight wins

Should they win, they will end a barren run that stretches back to the 2024 Mexico City GP, when Carlos Sainz stood on the top step.

Of course, the goal is to be contenders at virtually every circuit, not just unique venues. Ferrari believe they can get there in 2027 with ADUO-fuelled improvements to their power unit, though there has often been a sense over the past two decades that ‘next year will be their year’.