Recently, F1 hosted an Ask Me Anything session on the F1 SubReddit, and the subject was Kimi Raikkonen. A Reddit user asked, “Has avoiding Martin Brundle on the circuit, minutes before a race helped develop your awareness skills while actually driving?”
In response, the veteran Finn answered that he was probably avoiding him ever since the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix. This was a reference to one of Kimi’s finest off-track moments, and the former F1 driver Martin Brundle was in the thick of it.
What transpired between Kimi Raikkonen and Martin Brundle on that day?
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The famous incident is Raikkonen’s “I was having a s**t” response to Brundle. On that day, Michael Schumacher was competing in his final race at the Brazilian Grand Prix before retiring from Formula One.
To celebrate the legendary German, Pele handed him a special trophy.
Nearly everyone turned up to witness the iconic event, but Kimi Raikkonen was missing. Later on, Martin Brundle caught up to the then McLaren driver and told him that he missed the presentation.
He bluntly told the Briton that he had gone to the restroom, which was why he was not present.
Suffice to say, that answer elevated Raikkonen to a cult status, and he was well on his way to being the most popular driver. Since then, the Finn went on to replace Schumacher at Ferrari in the following season.
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To make matters even better, he went on to win the world championship with the Maranello-based outfit.
Beyond that, he stuck around until the end of 2009 before taking a sabbatical. However, he came back in 2013 with the Lotus F1 Team, and has since driven for Ferrari and finally with Alfa Romeo.
At 40-years old, many are acutely aware that this could be his last season in Formula One.
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However, Raikkonen’s fans can be sure that he will go out on a high note. In fact, when he retires for good, he will surely have left a big chunk of memories in his wake.
