Kimi Raikkonen was one of the most popular Formula 1 drivers of the 21st century. His personality was truly unique.
Raikkonen developed a reputation for monosyllabic interview answers and extremely blunt radio messages. Many fans loved his unapologetic authenticity.
According to Peter Windsor, who once spoke to the Finnish legend at a party, Raikkonen ‘hated’ Formula 1. But he evidently loved competing at the highest level, which is why he came back for a second stint in the sport in 2012 after two seasons away.
Raikkonen’s electric stint at Lotus, which included two race victories, suggested he could win another title after his 2007 Ferrari triumph. The Scuderia brought him back in 2014 alongside Fernando Alonso, but they very rarely saw his best form, and he returned to Sauber – the team who gave him his debut – in 2019.
George Russell says F1 fans would be frustrated at Kimi Raikkonen over social media
Speaking to Motorsport DE, Mercedes driver George Russell suggested that Raikkonen may not be quite as popular among the modern F1 audience. The composition of the sport’s fanbase has changed in recent years.
This is primarily down to Netflix’s enormously popular ‘Drive to Survive’ documentary. Younger viewers have been drawn to the 20 personalities on the grid.
Every 2025 driver has an active social media profile, though the volume of independent posts varies from one to another. Raikkonen didn’t join Instagram until late 2017, by which point he was entering the final stretch of his career.
Russell suspects that the ‘incredible’ Raikkonen would face criticism for being so private and withdrawn if he entered F1 in the 2020s.
“The fans who watch Formula 1 and follow me are the ones who make the sport what it is,” he explained. “That’s why sponsors pay money to be part of the team – and that’s how I earn my living. You can’t bite the hand that feeds you. You have to understand that times are changing.
“Kimi Raikkonen was such an incredible personality. But if he were to come into Formula 1 today as an 18-year-old, people would probably be dissatisfied if he didn’t use social media or was so taciturn. That’s the challenge we face today.”
Kimi Raikkonen 2.0 is already racing in Formula 1
Russell’s teammate Kimi Antonelli has been compared to namesake Raikkonen after an exciting start to his rookie year. But the two are very different in personality.
If anything, Max Verstappen is the next Raikkonen. He’s becoming more and more like the driver he battled for his first F1 win in 2016.
Verstappen shares the Iceman’s disdain for the ‘show’ connected to F1. He just wants to focus on driving.
Observers have noticed that the Red Bull star’s interview answers are getting shorter and shorter, and Verstappen also asked to film fewer TikTok videos after deeming them a distraction.
There’s even talk that Verstappen may take a sabbatical, once again following in Raikkonen’s footsteps.
