Kimi Raikkonen announced his retirement from Formula 1 at the end of the 2021 season this week – but not only his driving will be fondly remembered by the fans.
Raikkonen, 41, enjoyed a career in Formula 1 that spanned more than two decades. The highlight was in 2007 when he won the world championship while driving for Ferrari.
But the Finn was just as colorful off the track as he was on it, and after confirming on Wednesday that this current season with Alfa Romeo would be his last, the footage of one of his funniest moments has re-emerged.
Raikkonen represented McLaren at the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix, his last before joining Ferrari, but was nowhere to be seen before the race as football legend Pele was the subject of a pre-race presentation.
F1 hero Kimi Raikkonen announces plan to retire after 20 years in the driver’s seat – but his interview with “haben wie ***” will go down in folklore
He later showed up, leading ITV commentator Martin Brundle to speak to him live on the air and tell him what he was missing out on.
“Yeah, I didn’t give a shit,” replied Raikkonen, seemingly unimpressed by the camera.
To Brundle’s approval, his reaction was prompt.
“Yes, thanks for that. Then of course you have a nice, light car on the grid … can you win this race now?”
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The rest of the interview took on a more serious tone, but the comment was greeted with glee by F1 fans.
The clip reappeared on YouTube in October 2018, has been viewed over 258,000 times and received over 4,600 likes.
And while Raikkonen pays tribute to one of only five drivers who have clinched more than 100 podiums, the footage has inevitably come back to light this week.
“Here after he announced his retirement. Still one of his greatest moments,” commented one fan.
Kimi Raikkonen is a veteran of more than 300 F1 races, including 21 wins and a world championship in 2007
(Image: Reuters)
Another said: “I love Kimi, a man with a few words, but when he speaks he is so factual and funny.”
One of the most popular comments was about the few people who chose not to like the post: “The dislikes come from people who used the bathroom after Kimi.”
On Wednesday, Raikkonen announced his upcoming resignation on social media.
“That’s it. It will be my last season in Formula 1,” he said. “I would like to thank my family, all my teams, everyone who was involved in my racing career and above all all the great fans who have supported me all along.”
