Red Bull Racing has signed Robin Räikkönen, the son of former Formula 1 world champion Kimi Räikkönen, to its junior team.The 11-year-old will officially join the driver development program from 2027.Robin, who goes by the nickname ‘Ace’, has competed in Rotax and WSK karting competitions, with Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies saying that he “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,” said Mekies. “At the same time, he impresses with his maturity, his calm approach and his clear focus on driving.”Kimi retired from F1 in 2021 after spending the final three seasons of his career with Alfa Romeo. He is the most recent Ferrari driver to win the World Drivers’ Championship, taking the 2007 title by one point ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.He raced for 19 seasons in F1 across stints with Sauber, McLaren, Ferrari (where he had two spells), Lotus and Alfa Romeo, winning 21 grands prix and recording 103 podium finishes.Kimi Räikkönen is Ferrari’s last world champion (Vanderlei Almeida/AFP via Getty Images)“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,” Kimi said in a press release. “Laurent and everyone else at Red Bull have been incredibly supportive throughout all our discussions. They offer a compelling and comprehensive programme to develop and nurture Robin’s progress over the coming years and provide him with all the experience required to develop his natural talent, which has amply been displayed in all his karting endeavours to date.”