Nineteen years on, Kimi set to ring in race #323!

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Amid all the brouhaha surrounding Lewis Hamilton equaling Michael Schumacher's outstanding track record of 91 wins in F1, another significant milestone is set to be reached on Sunday in Sochi.

This afternoon, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Kimi Raikkonen will join former F1 driver Rubens Barrichello as the sport's most assiduous racer, the Iceman equaling the Brazilian's extraordinary tally of 323 Grands Prix.

For F1's senior citizen, it all started in Melbourne on March 4, 2001, when the then 21-year-old Finn with just 23 car races under his belt blasted off the grid.

Team boss Peter Sauber took a big risk by entrusting one of his cars to the virtually unknown and inexperienced Raikkonen. But whatever Sauber saw in the young charger, he was proven right.

Only two years later, driving for McLaren, Kimi achieved in Malaysia the first of his 21 Grand Prix wins. But that's a Look Back picture for another day.

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.