Why is Kimi Raikkonen’s voice so hard to understand?

Formula One veteran Kimi Raikkonen’s voice is remarkably different from other non-English speaking F1 drivers. That’s why journalists take time to get used to his voice.

Kimi is not particularly verbose, but when he speaks, he speaks with a deadpan and mumbling voice.

In fact, his voice sounds almost ‘squeaky’. There is indeed a frightening reason behind it.

Why is Kimi Raikkonen’s voice so squeaky and mumbled?

Apparently, when he was five years old, he lost his balance while riding his bicycle. His feet slipped causing his neck to slam against the handlebars. This bruised his vocal cords which have never fully recovered.

As a result, Raikkonen spoke lesser than usual. His parents mistook that symptom as a sign of a biological disorder and took him to see a therapist.

However, when the therapist gave a second surprising reason behind baby Kimi’s lack of speech.

The Doctor asked then six-year-old Kimi Raikkonen to solve a difficult task. Adults usually take about 3 hours to solve this task. Ironically, baby Kimi completed it in just 20 minutes.

When he diagnosed the Finn, the doctor cited baby Kimi’s above-average intelligence as a cause of him speaking lesser than other kids his age.

The story of his bicycle accident was revealed in his book The Unknown Kimi Raikkonen.

What makes Kimi Raikkonen so loved among F1 fans?

Fans know and love Kimi Raikkonen for his brilliant skill on the track and for his no-nonsense behavior off it.

The Finn has earned a massive fan following for himself with the way he carries himself on a Formula 1 weekend. His behavior is different from anyone else in the sport.

But his calm demeanor when talking to journalists is far from his real personality. In fact, he is known to be quite the party animal in his younger days. He is also known for a luxurious collection of supercars.