Kimi Raikkonen

[Dr. Mark]

I don't know how many of you follow any sort of racing, but if you're like me, and most motorheads, you do watch some kind of racing, on occasion.

 

I used to be a bit interested in F-1 back in the day, but as it got more commercialized and controlled, and was packaged and produced, and mostly, micromanaged by the crew chief and engineers, and the drivers because cookie cutter emotionless robots, mostly concerned with keeping their endorsements, and not offending clients or anyone, I lost interest.

 

Then along comes this guy, Kimi Raikonnen. Not only can he drive his ass off, he don't care what he says, and he says it to anybody.

He's Finnish, and he's nicknamed the The Iceman. He does not suffer fools gladly.

 

 

 

 

During the Abu Dhabi Gran Prix, his engineers kept buzzing in his ear constantly, until he finally told them to shut up:

 

"Leave me alone. I know what to do." although some claim he actually said "Leave me alone, I know what I'm doing."

 

(There are t shirts with both on them.)

 

After they had told him four times that at the next pit, they were changing all four tires, he snapped:

 

"Yes, yes, yes, yes," he responded. "I'm doing all the tires. You don't have to remind me every second."

 

But that's just the tip of the iceberg...every time he opens his mouth, his sponsors cringe.

Here are some classic Raikkonen quotes.

 

Martin Brundle: “Kimi Raikkonen doesn’t seem interested in the proceedings going on up there. Kimi, you missed the presentation by Pele.”

- Kimi (nonchalantly): “Yeah.”

Martin: ”Will you get over it?”

- Kimi: “Yeah. I was having a shit.”

Journalist: "The most exciting moment during the race weekend?"

- Kimi: "I think so it's the race start, always."

Journalist: "The most boring?"

- Kimi: "Now."

 

 

Journalist: "What are your aims for your first rallye in the WRC?"

- Kimi: "To stay on the roads."

 

 

While the driver's parade. Journalist: "What kind of shoes are these?"

- Kimi: "These are my dancing shoes, you know? I put them on, so that my racing shoes won't get wet."

 

 

(Journalist asks what his favorite things to do when he isn't racing are.)

"Well, in summer there's fishing and fucking. And in winter... the fishing is bad."

 

Journalist: "Are you ill? Your voice sounds a bit cracked."

- Kimi: "Yes, it does. But not because of vodka."

 

"If there’s a red light when you leave the pitlane you have to stop. Then some wooden eye [Hamilton] crashes into you and breakes the car."

 

 

Journalist: "The helmet has a special meaning for many drivers. How important is it to you?"

- Kimi: "It protects my head."

 

 

(Italian) Journalist: "How was it, the first time you drove a real Ferrari? Was it the sort of you couldn't sleep after? Did your hand palms sweat?"

- Kimi: "I got to drive so many different cars in my life. It wasn't that impressive." (ouch.)

Journalist: "Do you have any special rituals when the helmet is concerned like many have?"

- Kimi: "I wipe it so that I can see better."

"I'm not interested in what happens behind me."

I love this guy! The Tony Stewart of F-1!

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2012/nov/05/kimi-raikkonen-f1-robots

 

http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/04/raikkonen-a-real-human-among-the-f1-automatons/?_r=0

 

 

 

 

[Scalper38]

 

 

 

Journalist: "What are your aims for your first rallye in the WRC?"

- Kimi: "To stay on the roads."

 

 

 

 

 

THAT's got to be a classic!!

[Dr. Mark]

THAT's got to be a classic!!

 

 

Yeah, although they are all pretty good. There are entire websites dedicated to this guy's verbal faux pas.

 

My favorites:

 

(Journalist asks what his favorite things to do when he isn't racing are.)

"Well, in summer there's fishing and fucking. And in winter... the fishing is bad."

 

or

 

"I'm not interested in what happens behind me."