The Funniest Kimi Raikkonen Moments

Kimi Raikkonen is possibly one of the most popular F1 drivers. Until recently, he did not have much of a social media presence unlike his contemporaries. His don’t-care attitude is one quality that endears him to many fans. When he speaks, he is brutally blunt as he can be and isn’t afraid of political correctness. Some his repartee is humorous and meme-worthy. So here are some of the funniest Kimi Raikkonen moments. Even some of his antics before a race, team radio and other such ‘Raikkonen-isms’ are downright hilarious.

Funniest Kimi Raikkonen Moments

Caught Napping Half an Hour Before the Race

Kimi Raikkonen made his debut with the Sauber team in 2001 at the age of 21. He revealed in an interview that he was asleep half an hour before his debut race in Australia. Fortunately, after starting 13th, he drove a stellar race to finish 6th and secure the final point-scoring position. The very fact that he opted to get some shut-eye in his very first F1 race indicated what a cool customer he is. For most rookies, they would either be raring to go or going over strategy a few times, Raikkonen chose an unconventional route, and it worked. This is one of the funniest Kimi Raikkonen moments, and it would be the first of many to come.

Mid-Race Munchies

During the 2009 Malaysian GP, torrential rain halted the race and most of the drivers were either in their cars or suited up in the pit lane. Not Kimi Raikkonen though, the Finn had actually changed out of his racing overalls and raided the Ferrari refrigerator. Cameras picked up the Finn diving into his bounty, ice cream and a Coke. Till date, it remains as one of the funniest Kimi Raikkonen moments.

When in Monaco

Back in 2006, engine failures were a bit more spectacular than a car simply juddering to a halt. During the Monaco Grand Prix, a heat shield on Raikkonen’s McLaren caught fire. The Finn had to pull over at Portier as the fire affected the engine too. Instead of trudging back to the McLaren garage, Kimi took a detour to his private yacht. Cameras later zoomed in on a shirtless Kimi relaxing on his yacht with a few Finnish friends.

Too Much Information

Remember what i said about political correctness? Turns out, Raikkonen delivers witty one-liners with a straight face. The 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix was supposed to be Michael Schumacher’s final race. Brazilian football legend Pele, presented the German with a lifetime achievement award. Every driver was present at the ceremony, all except one. When Martin Brundle finally caught up to Kimi Raikkonen, he bluntly replied ‘I was having a shit’. Brundle wanted a piece of the action as well and shot back ‘Obviously, you have a nice, light car on the grid then.’ This was another of the classic Kimi Raikkonen moments.

Umm Guys… What’s Wrong with My GPS?

The 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix was a damp one. During the closing stages of the races, Raikkonen, driving for Lotus at the time, ran wide. He rode across the grass and went down an escape road. It was hypothesised that he remembered that the road led back to the track. Unfortunately, he figured out too late that the route was blocked by a bolted gate. So he did a quick about turn and exhibited his rallying skills to skate across the grass and back onto the circuit, the way he came. Seeing Kimi looking a little lost was definitely one of the funniest Kimi Raikkonen moments

Radio Gaga

Of course, when it comes to funny Kimi Raikkonen moments, nothing comes close to his radio conversations. Though to be honest, only Fernando Alonso can really rival him on that count. However, the difference is that Alonso’s humour drips with sarcasm, while Kimi’s humour is dry.

Here are a few examples of Kimi’s best radio moments. At the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, there was a red flag period and Raikkonen’s car, that had been damaged, was being worked on. As he was being wheeled up the pit lane, the Finn realized that he was missing a steering wheel and promptly got on the radio to call for it.

On another occasion, he was racing for Lotus at the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and leading the race. The team had not won any races for a very long time and were understandably biting their fingernails. A nervous Lotus radioed Kimi some instructions but Raikkonen shut them down with a retort. He said, “Leave Me Alone, I Know What I’m Doing”