Apart from racing, some of the most iconic moments of Kimi Raikkonen’s Formula 1 career perhaps came via his candid and ice-cold radio messages. One of those moments came during the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix when he famously yelled at his team in the pit lane to hand him over his gloves and steering wheel.
Now, another Kimi will appear on the grid next year. Mercedes junior driver Kimi Antonelli was recently announced as the replacement for Sir Lewis Hamilton, starting in 2025.
And to avoid a situation similar to Raikkonen’s, Mercedes posted a cheeky Instagram post, gifting the young Italian exactly those two items — a pair of gloves and a steering wheel. Antonelli didn’t seem very excited at first when he unwrapped the gloves.
“Pair of gloves? Why did I get this?” Kimi asked. But as soon as he unwrapped the bigger box and saw it had a Formula 1 steering inside, he was ecstatic and said, “No way! Gloves and steering wheel, just what I needed.”
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Even the fans found this video hilarious and posted some funny comments. Someone quoted Raikkonen’s famous lines when he said, “AY, SOMEBODY TELL HIM TO GIVE IT TO ME!”
Another mentioned that whoever from Mercedes chose these gifts deserves to get a raise, highlighting the wit of the team member. “Mercedes is giving this Kimi what Ferrari was barely able to give to the other Kimi. Whosoever decided on this gift deserves a raise”, the fan commented.
One fan mentioned how Kimi Antonelli is slowly starting to sound like Kimi Raikkonen with his comments. “Bro, why is he turning into Kimi Raikkonen slowly? Everything he says sounds sarcastic”, the fan wrote.
