Guess who's just moved into my neighbourhood... none other than Formula One racing ace Kimi Raikkonen. Yes, the reigning World Champ has bought a home down the road from me in Phuket - and who could blame him?So, soon I will be throwing back a few beers with Kimi and the other guys, chatting away like old mates. Maybe he will let me have a spin in his Ferrari or ask me to drive him over to Krabi for the weekend. As a long-term expat, I can show him the ropes around here. I'm sure he will soon regard me as a fountain of knowledge and a good pal.
Well, maybe not. The 27 year-old Finn won't actually be living right next door to me. His home is certainly on the same road as mine, but about four kilometres down the drag. The area is known as Chalong, and it's on the southern tip of the island. However, unlike my one-bedroom townhouse facing the back of a bank, his stunning villa is right on the beachfront, with amazing views stretching as far as the Phi Phi Islands.
He made the purchase while he was in the region for the recent Malaysian Grand Prix. His new home is part of a high-end development known as Serenity Terraces, which features villas on the seafront with private swimming pools. Owners have the use of an 89ft 5-star luxury yacht, a speedboat, catamarans and kayaks, so the nearby islands are just a hop away. No-one is saying how much it cost, but the man from Finland probably paid around one million US dollars.
This is what he had to say: "I am really looking forward to enjoying the rare vacations away from the track in this hideaway beachfront community."As he will be a valued member of the local community, I've done a bit of research about him. For one thing, he's loaded. When he switched from McLaren to Ferrari in 2007, he became the highest paid driver in the sport - and that means big, big, big bucks! So, he can pick up the tab when we have a few drinks at the Chalong Lighthouse or pop into the Amanpuri for dinner.
Apparently my new mate is very calm, cool, and calculating. That won't be a problem. Living in Thailand for a few years we have all had to pick up those traits - anyone who is not cool, calm and calculating will soon end up in the poorhouse or on a flight home. So, no personality clash there.
And I know that his nickname is "Iceman", which is subtly written on the side of his current helmet design. His other nicknames include Kimppa, Raikka and Kimster (used by his mechanics). I think I'll stick with Raikka.I've also learnt that he loves to sleep - so much so that he needs to be woken up before qualifying and races. That's going to have to change -not even a racing driver would be able to sleep through the racket made when the longtailed boats roar into action outside his front door at 6am.
For the next few months, I am going to have to brush up on my Formula One knowledge and take off the earmuffs when a Grand Prix is on the TV. I will be able to chat away like a lifelong F1 fan. One thing I sure as hell won't tell him is that I was ardently supporting Lewis Hamilton for the Drivers Championship last year. Oh, no, from now on Kimi is my man.
