Formula 1: Kimi Raikkonen shows how much he cares about the record he is about to break

Once again, Kimi Raikkonen showed just how excited he is to break the all-time Formula 1 record that he is slated to break in the middle of the 2020 season.

2007 Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen is slated to enter his 18th season of Formula 1 competition this year in his second season back at Alfa Romeo Racing following his second stint, a five-year stint, at Ferrari.

The 40-year-old Finn is slated to enter a contract year, and there has been speculation about a possible retirement following the 22-race campaign. He is, after all, the oldest driver on the grid by more than five years ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who just turned 35 a few weeks ago.

But whether or not Raikkonen does hang up his helmet after the 2020 season doesn’t change the fact that he is slated to break a very significant all-time Formula 1 record before the season ends.

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The 21-time Grand Prix winner is set to enter the season having competed in 312 races over the course of his career. He passed two-time champion Fernando Alonso for second place on the all-time starts list by competing in the 2019 season finale.

Now he trails only Rubens Barrichello on this list, and by only 10 races, meaning that he is slated to become Formula 1’s most experienced driver of all time by the time the season’s 11th race rolls around in roughly five and a half months.

The 11th race on the schedule is the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, where Raikkonen has twice placed a career-high second in nine attempts. This 71-lap race around the 10-turn, 2.683-mile (4.318-kilometer) road course in Spielberg, Styria, Austria is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 5.

Raikkonen shared with the world just how excited he is to reach that all-important start #323.

Hint: he doesn’t care.

Here is what he had to say about the matter, according to Formula 1.

"“On that, not [excited].”"

He went on to completely diverge from the actual topic of that potential record-breaking start.

"“It gives me nothing, but I’m excited now to have another go and we can improve from this year and learn the lessons from what we’ve done wrong and what we’ve done good and get a bit closer to the front, but time will tell, it’s way too early. Once we start running the cars in the first race…we will get a good idea.”"

Suffice it to say that he doesn’t have Sunday, July 5 marked on his calendar with a “323” in a big circle, and he will more than likely deflect questions about the matter once again when that big day rolls around and he is inevitably asked about it.

And Raikkonen hasn’t been shy about this, either. His recent statement comes only a few months after he stated the following, according to Motorsport Total.

"“I’ve never hunted any numbers. I do not care if it’s 20 or 20,000, it does not matter. And if I no longer feel that, then I stop.”"

…or 323.

When Kimi Raikkonen does eventually retire from Formula 1, in how many races will he have competed, and will what will become a new record, provided he competes throughout at least the entirety of the 2020 season as expected, ever be surpassed?