On the occasion of her baby shower, Minttu Räikkönen speaks to Vogue Scandinavia about welcoming a third child with “hands-on dad" Kimi
For her third baby shower, which took place in Helsinki last week, Minttu Räikkönen wore a gown by Finnish designer Katri Niskanen originally intended for another milestone entirely. “It was actually from her wedding collection,” says Räikkönen. “A very simple, white long dress.” She finished the look with a midsummer-appropriate flower crown – a fitting choice seeing as she met her husband, recently retired Formula 1 driver Kimi Räikkönen, through mutual friends at a midsummer party.
It was Kimi’s 2021 retirement from the sport that gained him worldwide recognition (he claimed the world title in 2007) that ultimately led to baby number three. “We have a boy and a girl, so I thought that’s perfect – this is it,” Räikkönen says (their son Robin is eight while daughter Rianna is five). “But then my husband retired so he’s been more at home.” Taking into consideration her age (“I didn’t want to be too old”), she figured it was now or never. “Luckily, it happened,” she says, adding that joining the Räikkönen clan, who currently call Switzerland home, is another baby girl. “I wouldn’t be here pregnant with the third baby if he was still driving."
Minttu Räikkönen woe a gown by Finnish designer Katri Niskanen at her baby shower. Photo: Eveliina Vuorma
This particular baby shower was a bit different than her two previous. Thrown in partnership with Finnish children’s brand Gugguu, which Räikkönen co-owns, the shower was also a celebration of Räikkönen’s forthcoming capsule collection of children’s clothes. “It will be very white and beige, so you can buy anything for both, no matter if you have a boy or a girl,” she says of the collection. A similar palette was applied to the shower itself: the white-frosted cakes and cookies, the countless white balloons. “There were definitely more balloons and the space was just beautiful,” she says. “Lots of light, lots of windows, everything was just perfect.” Also on deck was a “very touching” performance by Finnish singer Mikko Harju. “I was crying,” Räikkönen says.
Though Räikkönen describes Kimi as a very “hands-on dad”, retirement has shifted the family dynamic. “I love that he loves to do things with the kids – he’s very good that way,” she says. “It’s definitely different now that there are two parents at home.” Given Kimi’s hands-on nature, it’s perhaps unsurprising that both of his children have shown an early interested in getting behind the wheel. “Our son is racing now in a go-kart, so he definitely has an interest,” Räikkönen says. “Our daughter is driving as well, but not racing yet. So the interest is there. I will support them in whatever they want to do.”
Photo: Janita Suomi
Photo: Eveliina Vuorma
Though Räikkönen’s family and closest friends live in Helsinki, she’s found friends in Switzerland to lean on as her brood expands – notably, Swedish entrepreneur Nicole Nordin. The duo have more than being mums in common; Nordin is the wife of retired Swedish hockey legend Peter Forsberg. “They live quite close and she’s a very good friend,” says Räikkönen. “It’s nice to have a good friend in Switzerland as well."
As for whether they’ll stop at baby number three? There’s at least one person who has something to say about that. “Our son said that if you decide to have more babies after this, can you please make sure that the next one is a boy,” she says. “Two sisters are fine, but a third one would be too much.”