Kimi Raikkonen is often perceived as an unhinged and straightforward personality. People from the paddock know the Finnish driver was quite a party animal, contrasting to his quiet nature. There are several drunk stories of Raikkonen which showcase his party-loving side. However, one question people often ask about him is whether the 2007 champion used to drink before F1 races.
The answer to that is undoubtedly – No. His former mechanic at McLaren, Marc Priestly, once elaborated on the reason why Raikkonen avoided alcohol before races. In a YouTube video in 2020, Priestly said, “Of course, he never turned up drunk on race days.”
“When it came to racing he took it and takes it still very, very seriously. In fact over a race week, you rarely saw Kimi even leave his hotel room.”, said Priestly.
However, Priestly did admit that Raikkonen liked to enjoy himself a lot by drinking and partying when he was not racing. But the Ferrari champion never compromised his Grand Prix weekends for the same. Priestly added how after the race weekend was over, on Sunday nights, the #7 driver used to let his hair loose by having a drink.
Still, Raikkonen was a driver who was an enigmatic talent who perhaps deserved more success than he got. The 2007 champion’s no-nonsense and carefree attitude made him a fan-favorite driver.
The enigma of Kimi Raikkonen in F1
Kimi Raikkonen was a raw talent who stormed the F1 scene out of nowhere. He moved to the UK from Finland in his late teens to race in the junior formulas amid his military service back home. When Raikkonen had only competed in 23 car races, he got to test for Sauber in secret.
Peter Sauber was quite impressed by the young Finn and went against sponsors to sign Raikkonen for his F1 seat in 2001. It certainly raised eyebrows in the paddock, given Raikkonen’s raw talent was unknown and he had little experience. Still, the gamble by Sauber paid off as Raikkonen impressed everyone that season.
His former Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel also praised Raikkonen’s talent once on the Beyond the Grid podcast. Vettel labeled Raikkonen as the “biggest natural talent” he ever came across. The four-time champion cited how “raw speed” would make Raikkonen fast in any form of car, not just F1.
It all came together for the Finn in 2007 when he finally got his moment in the sun, by winning his only world championship. It was a highly competitive season with the McLaren duo of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton hot on his tail. Still, Raikkonen prevailed by a single point against both of them.
Though, besides his driving talents, Raikkonen is famous for his no-nonsense attitude and the numerous instances of his effortless humor.
When Raikkonen stole the headlines with his hilarious reactions
Kimi Raikkonen is one of those people who can make anyone laugh despite making the least effort. Add to it his drunk avatar, and the #7 driver takes center stage with his actions and reactions.
One such instance was during the 2018 FIA prize-giving gala when Vettel and Raikkonen were being awarded for their P2 and P3 finishes in the standings respectively. When Raikkonen came on stage to join Vettel, he was enjoying himself a lot.
Even the announcer chuckled and referred to how Raikkonen had enjoyed himself (being drunk) a lot that night. Despite having lost the championship, both Vettel and Raikkonen enjoyed that moment.
Meanwhile, another no-nonsense response the #7 driver gave was at the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix. Pele presented Michael Schumacher with an award for his final F1 race back then.
Apparently, Raikkonen missed this presentation. When commentator and former driver Martin Brundle asked him about the same, the Finn nonchalantly replied, “I was having a s**t”. These kinds of responses certainly showcase Raikkonen’s carefree persona.
