Salo backs Raikkonen’s Red Bull move

Mika Salo says Robin Raikkonen’s now-confirmed move into Red Bull’s junior program is a "really great" development and believes the 11-year-old has joined at a better time than he might have under Dr Helmut Marko.

Red Bull has now officially confirmed that Kimi Raikkonen’s son will enter its junior program from 2027, after days of speculation surrounding the deal.

Laurent Mekies said Robin has already shown "exceptional ability in karting" and promised Red Bull would develop him without unnecessary pressure.

Kimi Raikkonen also welcomed the agreement.

"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," said the 2007 world champion.

But fellow former F1 driver Salo told Iltalehti that one of the most interesting aspects is the timing.

Salo believes the famously ruthless Red Bull system may be entering a different phase following Marko’s retirement.

"It has been a pretty windy place in the past," said the Finn.

"Helmut Marko was really volatile in that position, but I think things have changed since he left."

He stressed, however, that pressure on young drivers is hardly unique to Red Bull.

"The same situation is in all other academies," said Salo, 59.

"There has to be a result, only the winners stay there."

Salo also highlighted Robin’s connection to the organisation through godfather Gino Rosato, who recently joined Red Bull as a consultant.

"Robin is so young that I think Red Bull is a really good place for him," he continued.

"It’s a good place to grow. Gino already works there, so the relationship is very good there."

However, Salo expects the real impact of Red Bull’s backing to become more obvious once Raikkonen approaches the move from karting into single-seaters.

"We’ll see more when Robin turns 15," he said.

"After the F4 class, maybe a year in F3 and a year in F2. From that, you can calculate that you should be close by the age of 17-18 if you are really talented."