Kimi Raikkonen is one of the most popular names in F1 despite his retirement from the sport at the end of 2021. In addition to driving, he is known for his unique personality, short remarks and straightforward answers to reporters’ questions.
It was often noticed that Raikkonen spoke very little, both in interviews and in general. Most importantly, he’s not a rowdy guy. In fact, he speaks in a very soft voice most of the time. When the Finn’s F1 career began in 2001, many were puzzled as to why he had been so silent.
In an interview with German magazine Der Spiegel, Raikkonen revealed he had an accident as a child that permanently damaged his voice. The future world champion started riding a bicycle at the age of 5. His foot slipped off the pedal and his neck hit the frame. This accident is the reason why he speaks so quietly.
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Kimi Raikkonen embraces Iceman’s personality by gifting Sebastian Vettel with ice sculpture
One of Raikkonen’s closest friends during his time in F1 was four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. They were teammates at Ferrari between 2014 and 2018 and shared some very memorable moments on and off the track.
Back in the days of Ferrari, UPS was a sponsor of the Maranello-based team. In a promotional video for the shipping company, Raikkonen presented Vettel with an ice sculpture of himself.
The advert shows Raikkonen casually checking the calendar when he realizes it’s Vettel’s birthday. He forgot to bring anything for his Ferrari teammate, so ran to the shed to get busy doing something. He then had the package delivered via UPS to Vettel, who was on the phone to tell someone Raikkonen had forgotten his birthday.
Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen swapped helmets today in Maranello 😄 pic.twitter.com/A9btuXRb5z
— #DankeSeb ♡ (@sebvettelnews) December 20, 2018
When Vettel opened the box, he saw Raikkonen’s ice sculpture. Below the sculpture is a message carved into the ice that reads “Happy Birthday Iceman”.
Raikkonen left F1 at the end of the 2021 season, as did Vettel last season.
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