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Ex F1 Driver Reveals a Hilarious Story Involving a Drunk Kimi Raikkonen

Published 12/10/2019, 6:17 AM EST

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When he is not known for his racing skills, his 2007 world championship or his dry humour, Kimi Raikkonen is notorious for his fondness for the drink. In fact, in his younger days, he was quite the party animal.

Some former F1 drivers often share stories of partying with Raikkonen, who would often be VERY sloshed. In fact, former HRT and Lotus driver, Karun Chandhok revealed one particular incident with the Finn.

He revealed, “We met Kimi at a bar in Tokyo and, more than apparently, he was already quite drunk. He came to me and said, ‘I want Curry, take me somewhere.’ When I told him I don’t know where to take him, he grabbed me by the head and threw me to the ground with wrestling grip.“

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In 2019, the veteran Finn had an up and down season, as the Alfa Romeo was strong in the first half. However, once the second half got underway, their form tapered, and they were languishing only ahead of Williams F1.

Speaking after the race in Abu Dhabi, Kimi Raikkonen was very critical of the car and said, “We seemed to struggle with the tyres, to make them work as they should, because in just two weeks our car [became] two seconds slower than the cars we were racing against, but that’s how it is.”

“[In the race] it was a little bit better, but we weren’t still fast enough. I could see the other cars, but we weren’t close enough to fight for the points.”

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“Over just one lap, even the first couple of corners, we couldn’t get the temperature, but it was actually more difficult in the last sector because that’s where you need more grip. The first two sectors are mainly straight lines, so less problems.”

“It was slightly better [than qualifying] but it wasn’t an easy car to drive.”

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Written by:

Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.
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