via Getty
MONZA, ITALY – AUGUST 30: Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Ferrari and Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and Ferrari walk in the Paddock during previews ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo di Monza on August 30, 2018 in Monza, Italy. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
via Getty
MONZA, ITALY – AUGUST 30: Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Ferrari and Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and Ferrari walk in the Paddock during previews ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo di Monza on August 30, 2018 in Monza, Italy. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Kimi Raikkonen is famous for his reserved and introverted personality; he even earned the nickname Iceman. Because of his personality, only a few F1 drivers wanted to prank Kimi. But the reserved personality of the nickname Iceman didn’t matter to the four-time world champion, Sebastian Vettel.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The German driver always had a friendly relationship with Kimi. When no one dared to crack jokes or have fun with the Iceman, Seb was there to irritate the Finnish veteran. The two even shared time together in Ferrari and fans admired and praised their friendship. But the unique friendship between Kimi and Seb didn’t start after they both joined Ferrari but was already there even when Seb was in Red Bull and Kimi in Lotus.
seb is probably the only one who can get away with pestering kimi like that pic.twitter.com/gutv8vzLV0
— lina (@FormulaLina) March 31, 2022
There have been many hilarious and happy moments between the two drivers. Fans loved to see their bonding and Seb pestering Raikkonen. Once Sebastian Vettel went up to Kimi Raikkonen and sprayed champagne on him after the Finn won a race. But as Raikkonen retired from the sport after the 2021 season, F1 fans are really going to miss this bonding between the two drivers on the grid and in the paddock this season.
Sebastian Vettel returning for the Melbourne race
The 34-year-old tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the season opener in Bahrain. So he had to miss the first two races this season. In his absence, Aston Martin F1 had to call their reserve driver, Nico Hulkenberg to fill in the vacant spot for Vettel. However, Nico wasn’t an immense help as the German driver couldn’t bag any points for the team with his 2 outings.
Read More: Szafnauer Insists Lack of Influence at Aston Martin Post-Whitmarsh Arrival Led to Alpine F1 Move
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The English constructor has a poor start and is currently sitting at the bottom of the 2022 table with zero points. But Aston Martin looked impressive in the pre-season testing at Barcelona and Bahrain. However, back then, they had Seb in the car. Undoubtedly, the team missed his absence while he was away.
via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Pre-Season Testing – Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain – March 11, 2022, Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel with the Ukraine national colours on his helmet during testing REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
The four-time world champion is back at the Silverstone base and will drive in the upcoming Australian Grand Prix. Seb has tested negative for the coronavirus in his latest test. Not only Aston Martin but other teams and drivers are also happy to have the German back on the grid.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
WATCH THIS STORY: Shortest F1 Drivers Ever Featuring Yuki Tsunoda & Lando Norris
However, the Australian GP is going to be an enormous responsibility for the German. He was away from racing for over two weeks and just recovered from the virus. So, it would be interesting to see how well Seb would be at the Melbourne in the second week of April.
