Not Lewis Hamilton, Nor Max Verstappen – This F1 Champ Receives the Greatest Praise From Sebastian Vettel

There is often a debate about who is the greatest driver of the sport. While everyone has their preferences, it is a very subjective topic that depends on several factors. It may be unfair to compare drivers from two different eras, given how much F1 has evolved in 70+ years. Yet, debates will still happen on picking up the best-talented drivers from one particular era. And the pick of Sebastian Vettel for the biggest natural talent he ever raced with will also cause a lot of back and forth.

Talking to F1’s Beyond the Grid Podcast, Vettel revealed that his former Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen is one of the most natural talents he ever came across. He said, “I think Kimi [Raikkonen] is actually the biggest natural talent I’ve come across, ever.”

Seb reasoned how Kimi was the best. “Just in terms of raw speed, I think. It shows in the car, obviously, but it shows also in any other form of car.” The 4-time champion was in high praise for Raikkonen’s adaptability to any car or track conditions. He mentioned how the Finn would lap every driver in 10 days’ time if every driver switched cars daily.

Vettel concluded, “It doesn’t take time [for Kimi] to adapt to the car, to what the car requires. You give him a steering wheel, and he knows what to do.”

Given Sebastian has raced with several talented drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Max Verstappen; for him to still pick Raikkonen as one of the best natural drivers is bold yet understandable.

Read More: A Decade Later, F1 World Remembers Kimi Raikkonen’s Iconic “Iceman” Moment

While Seb has been the 2007 champion’s teammate and a close friend, Raikkonen’s early days in F1 substantiate his claim of how naturally Kimi took F1 by storm. It was not a likely bond, many expected to blossom, yet Vettel and Kimi became great friends.

How Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen’s paths converged in F1

For Kimi Raikkonen, F1 was more like a hobby. He couldn’t care less if he lost the race and would not even return to the paddock at times (say: Monaco 2006). Sebastian Vettel was the polar opposite of the Finn and would sit with his engineers for hours after the race for debriefs on what went wrong.

So, on these polarizing characteristics, would anyone have expected these two world champions to be friends? Yet, they got along well with each other when Vettel was starting off in the sport in 2007. Despite Raikkonen going on a sabbatical, the Finn came back to F1 and stormed the grid with his exceptional performances.

2012 was perhaps the first year when Vettel shared racing battles and podiums with Raikkonen. This may have been the foundation of their friendship. And despite contrasting characteristics, what united the two was their straightforward attitude. When the duo became teammates at Ferrari, it was probably the most functional and healthy team dynamic anyone saw in years.

Vettel said how they had discussions when they crashed and resolved the issue then and there. It is rare to have such a team dynamic between drivers. In a sport where drivers play mind games and have #1 and #2 driver systems, Kimi and Seb were the aberrations.

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Many would say Raikkonen’s 2nd stint with Ferrari was not his peak-level best. While it may not have been, that does not take away the natural raw speed he showed in his first stint with McLaren and Ferrari to become champion. What do you think? Do you agree with Vettel on Kimi Raikkonen being the biggest natural talent?