The win was the first of Räikkönen's comeback season and first since the 2007 world champion won in Belgium as a Ferrari team member in 2009.
The race was enlivened for television viewers by a radio brusque exchange typical of Räikkönen's demeanour as an unflappable, unfussy performer.
When informed of the position of Fernando Alonso in second after the Espoo-born driver took the lead, he responded "Just leave me alone, I know what to do!".
And Räikkönen did. He kept his lead all the way to the end, fighting off Fernando Alonso in second and Sebastian Vettel in third.
Räikkönen: "No need to jump around"
It was his first Grand Prix win since 2007, but he was not about to compromise his image as perhaps Formula One's most enigmatic--if not monosyllabic--character.
"Like I said I am happy but there is nothing to jump around about," he told race presenter David Coulthard. "We still have a few races to go and I hope this can turn around the tables and give us many more good races and wins, if not this year then next year again."
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso finished second, just 0.8 seconds behind in a race marked by accidents and by several drivers not finishing the course.
