Red Bull has locked in a driver a full decade before he can legally sit in a Formula 1 car. The team confirmed on Wednesday that Robin Räikkönen, the 11-year-old son of Kimi Räikkönen, will join its junior programme from 2027, ending competition from rival outfits for the boy’s signature.

The Finnish family spent the past year in northern Italy so Robin, nicknamed “Ace”, could chase serious karting. That move paid off in October 2024 at the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Sarno, where he finished fifth in the Micro Max final after starting 22nd. It was his first international karting championship, and he raced under the Swiss flag after winning the country’s national title in the class.

Mekies hails Robin’s speed and racecraft

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies framed the signing as a talent grab, not a favour.

“Robin has already demonstrated exceptional ability in karting. His speed, racecraft and natural talent have established him as one of the most promising young drivers in his age group,” Mekies said.

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Kimi Räikkönen, whose 19-season F1 career produced 21 grand prix wins and 103 podium finishes between 2001 and 2021, backed the choice.

“We are all thrilled and excited that Robin has been chosen to further his racing path as a member of the Red Bull Junior Team,” he said.

“They offer a compelling and comprehensive programme to develop and nurture Robin’s progress over the coming years.”

Younger than Verstappen or Antonelli were

Signing pre-teens is no longer unusual in F1’s development pipeline, but Red Bull’s move shifts the floor lower again. Max Verstappen was 16 when Red Bull put him under contract in August 2014, seven months before his F1 debut. Mercedes signed Andrea Kimi Antonelli, now the team’s race driver, at 12 in April 2019, and Antonelli was named after Kimi Räikkönen.

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Robin is younger than either. What Red Bull’s support looks like at his age is essentially coaching, equipment and logistics, not seat time in a single-seater, which sits years away.

Kimi Räikkönen’s own line, once Robin had chosen karting, was less corporate than Red Bull’s. “As long as Robin is happy, then I’m happy too, so as long as he wants to drive, we’ll keep going,” he told VroomKart last year.

The formal work with the Red Bull Junior Team begins in 2027.

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