Kimi Raikkonen lashes out at F1 media coverage

Kimi Raikkonen has been a little more vocal about things in Formula 1 over the course of this year. With the Finn entering the twilight phase of his career, he has spoken about ways to improve the sport and has also constantly given updates of his personal life through social media, something that has come as a surprise to a lot of Kimi fans.

Raikkonen recently had an interview with Motorsport.com, wherein he spoke about how media coverage is damaging the reputation of the sport.

The Finn feels that the gossips and the ‘nonsense stories’ that surround F1 are heavily damaging the sport.

“People always complain that, ‘Oh F1 is not exciting’, ‘It’s not this’, or something like ‘Why are people not interested so much?’.

“But to be honest, I think how much bullshit there is in the media, and stories and gossips and stuff – if that wouldn’t be that much, I think F1 would be much better.

“People try to create so much nonsense, that it actually starts harming F1. I think if there would be less nonsense and more actual things that are true, and this and that, it would be better for F1 in many ways.” Kimi said in his interview with Motorsport.com.

Raikkonen then went onto speak about the mind games that surround F1 and how a few drivers/teams like to indulge in it.

#F1 “But to be honest, I think how much bullshit there is in the media, and stories and gossips and stuff – if that wouldn't be that much, I think F1 would be much better. https://t.co/XypGsuUkdi

— Cor 🏁 F1 F@n (@F1FanVerstappen) October 31, 2018

For Kimi, the sport would be a little better if it were free of politics, but he feels that with so much money involved, it is now part and parcel of the game.

“I guess it plays a big part,” the Finn said.

“Without it I think it would be better, but then if you take any sport these days, probably it’s the same story with lot of money involved.

“I think it’s not good for the sport, but it’s just people like to play games.” he added.

Kimi’s Ferrari contract will be coming to an end in 2018 and he will be moving back to his boyhood team Sauber from the 2019 season.

He is pretty happy about the move as Sauber’s factory is pretty close to his house and he won’t have to spend a lot of time away from his family, as his kids get really sad when he is leaving.

“With kids, like our son, [I] went through the time that he is always hanging on your leg,” he said.

“That is pretty nasty, when you have to say, ‘OK, daddy comes home in two weeks‘, and the daughter is getting more into that now.

“Sometimes when you’re tired, then you think, ‘Oh, why the f*** am I here, I could be somewhere else, home’. But that’s normal.” he concluded.

Do you think Kimi is right that media coverage paints a wrong image for F1? What measures should be taken?