F1 champion Kimi Raikkonen in 'hate' claim after drunken scenes

F1 Social

F1 champion in 'hate' claim after drunken scenes

An F1 champion made a drunken 'hate' claim, according to Peter Windsor.

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 14 April 2024 17:12

Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen once made a hilarious drunken claim completely on-character, according to Peter Windsor.

The Finn raced in F1 from 2001-2021, driving for notable teams such as McLaren, Lotus and Ferrari.

Article continues under video

Raikkonen was the last driver to win a drivers' championship with the Scuderia, claiming his one and only world title in 2007.

He has a total of 21 career wins and 103 podiums, but was struggling to compete for points with Alfa Romeo when he decided to retire in 2021.

Despite this long F1 career, there were times at which Raikkonen's distaste for the sport was clear to see, with his iconic yacht moment once retiring from the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix suggesting he preferred a party over watching his rivals battle it out for a race victory.

Kimi Raikkonen with former teammate Sebastian Vettel

Raikkonen's ‘I hate Formula 1’ claim

Alongside racing, Raikkonen was a popular character in F1, known for his hilarious antics inside and outside of the paddock, including stealing the show on stage at the 2018 FIA Prize-Giving ceremony.

Recently, former Ferrari and Williams team manager-turned journalist, Peter Windsor, revealed a bizarre encounter with the champion.

According to Windsor, the Finn told him ‘I hate Formula 1’ at a party after the Brazilian GP one year.

“I remember going to a nightclub – it was DC’s [David Coulthard] party actually – after a Brazilian Grand Prix one year, and it was a late party,” Windsor said on a YouTube livestream.

“There was a balcony overlooking the dancefloor and I went up to the balcony to look down on it, see who was there and what was going on, and Kimi was up there.

“He had his elbows rested on this balcony, staring into space.

"I stood next to him and we both stared in silence at this scene, and then suddenly Kimi turned to me and said, ‘I hate Formula 1’, and then just walked away."

Ferrari McLaren Carlos Sainz Monaco Grand Prix Jenson Button Alfa Romeo