Kimi Raikonnen is still the last person to win the World Championship for Ferrari after the Scarlet team of Monza encountered a string of magical performances from Michael Schumacher. Also known as the “Iceman,” Raikkonen was arguably one of the calmest drivers to have ever graced the racetracks.
Kimi is often praised for his nonchalant demeanor and his ability to almost never take stress in any situation. Given the fact that Kimi almost rarely spoke in press interviews and answered any question with one-liners, he is easily one of the most popular drivers in the history of Formula 1.
Reasoning behind Raikonnen nickname
Almost everybody knows Kimi Raikonnen by his rather stunning nickname, ‘The Iceman’. Iceman, a name that suggests how cool-headed the driver has always been, Iceman is the go-to moniker for Kimi, even in F1 media and social media.
The story behind this moniker is just as it suggests. Ron Dennis, the then-team boss of McLaren, had invented this moniker for one of his most performing drivers. Iceman pertained to his ice-cold demeanor both on and off the track and how he earned it through his ability to work under pressure. Simply put, Kimi Raikonnen almost never faltered, no matter how difficult the task assigned to him was.
In his glory days, he drove for the ambitious McLaren, the famous Italian team Ferrari, winning their last championship for them in 2007, and later on for the Lotus F1 team (almost running them bankrupt because of the way he fought for and earned podiums and point finishes during his tenure). Kimi Raikonnen was later assigned to Alfa Romeo, earning an occasional point finish before retiring from F1 in 2021.
Kimi turns 44
The Finnish driver and our favorite Iceman celebrated his birthday on October 17th, as he turned 44 this year. The driver who said “I only drive because it’s a hobby” when asked about his motivation to drive in F1 has been through an amazing career at the pinnacle of motorsports. Many believed that with his talents, it was hard to understand how Kimi Raikonnen never won more than one championship.
It is highly probable that Kimi’s indifferent nature meant that he was satisfied enough after conquering the peak once and he merely drove in F1 for thrills and to satisfy his love for the sport. Nevertheless, Kimi has always strived for excellence and he is etched in our hearts as our Iceman.
Have you ever known about Kimi’s nickname? What was his best performance in your opinion? Make sure to tell us in the comments section below.
