r/formula1 • u/Worst_Player_Ever • Dec 11 '21
News [Kimi Raikkonen] "Biggest reason for my quitting is F1 media nonsense and politics" (Original article in Finnish, Google translation in comments)
https://www.is.fi/formula1/art-2000008462271.html1.1k
Dec 11 '21
Like the press conference with Max and Lewis where all they wanted to talk about was whether or not they are planning to crash into each other?
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u/Worst_Player_Ever Dec 11 '21
I've stopped watching press conferences long time ago in pretty much every sport.
They just don't offer any value when questions are so stupid or obvious and everyone knows answers beforehand
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u/MEGAMAN2312 Dec 11 '21
This is exactly why I thought that idea of kids asking the driver's questions was a great idea. Spontaneous, genuine and unique questions and obviously would be a great experience for the kids involved. Not sure why they even stopped that.
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u/AvonBarks Dec 11 '21
That's so true, I was more interested in whether they got given free ice cream than the questions about whether max will take Hamilton out
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u/JJROKCZ Dec 12 '21
Yea those are fun, the recent one of the little girl asking Lewis and Max if they get free ice cream was cute.
Lewis doesn’t but he’s going to look into it, Max does because a relative owns a shop lol
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u/NhylX Dec 11 '21
Except for that time Ricciardo asked Lando if he has pubes yet.
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Dec 11 '21
I think the media sessions will improve a bit when they can do the bulk ones. Most the good moments come from the drivers interactions
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Dec 11 '21
Do happen to know any content with more technical approach for the sport? Any content would help. I like to watch driver 61, The Race videos about tech and Sam Collins bits from F1.
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u/palomageorge Dec 11 '21
Me too, but i would definitely say that it’s not just because of poor questioning. Most modern athletes have been media coached into interchangeable PR robots repeating the same generic phrases no matter what you ask them.
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u/ycnz Dec 11 '21
Yep. Remember all the hand-wringing when Naomi Osaka didn't want to talk to the press? They're tedious at best. At their worst, they're dressing up as priests to try to sneak into Schumi's hospital room.
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Dec 11 '21
Not even footie press conferences?
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Dec 12 '21
„We have to keep concentrated, don’t think about the title, one step at a time“
„Yeah I’m happy with my performance but it was a team effort“
„We need to analyze what went wrong and start from there”
Every conference.
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u/Dose-0f-Sarcasm Dec 11 '21
The only good part is when kids submit unorthodox questions. Tired of hearing the same questions every race.
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u/ThatUKCook Dec 11 '21
I did enjoy that Max just had to one-up Lewis by saying he got free Ice Cream though! Hah!
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u/GewoonHarry Dec 11 '21
Actually. This question is asked on reddit a lot too. It’s silly. I really really don’t think max would like to end this championship by torpedoing lewis into oblivion.
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u/Plaetean Dec 11 '21
I think its a reasonable question.. given the way he drives and the way he's responded to recent penalties, and the lack of penalty in Brazil. He may not want to win that way ideally, but do you think he'd rather lose the WDC or win it by DNFing with Lewis?
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Dec 11 '21
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u/NavyBabySeal Dec 11 '21
"I've been dying to ask you; How do the knights move?" -?
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Dec 12 '21
The "serious" questions weren't better, shitty journalists are everywhere
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u/NavyBabySeal Dec 12 '21
No, i agree, the example i gave i actually liked. Journalism has really become bad in recent times. Asking controversial questions to get headlines or trying to create a narrative that isnt there.
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u/__Rosso__ Dec 11 '21
suprised Pikachu face
Seriously it's not surprising, this is same guy who once said only good thing about F1 is racing.
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u/Worst_Player_Ever Dec 11 '21 edited Dec 11 '21
True, he has always despised media attention, press conferences and such.
F1 without media would be paradise (quote from Kimi's book)
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u/Zinioss Dec 11 '21
That’s simply not true lol. Everyone eats up all the post race interviews and all that stuff
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u/Worst_Player_Ever Dec 11 '21
What's not true? That Kimi doesn't want to handle media or press conferences?
I suggest to read his book, or look other sources where he talks about his relationship with media
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u/DawgFighterz Dec 12 '21
I really didn’t get it until my wife started watching. I literally just used to watch the race on Sunday and Sprint qualifying, now I’m watching the whole weekend, all the interviews, AND I’m intimately aware of everything Daniel Ricciardo does…
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u/jjjhkvan Dec 11 '21
F1 without media wouldn’t be F1
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u/R7H27 Dec 11 '21
F1 media has been pissing off drivers for 60 years lol.
In 1966 Brabham showed up to the Dutch GP wearing a fake beard because the media wouldn’t shut up about him being past it. He won that race and the championship that year.
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Dec 11 '21
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u/Worst_Player_Ever Dec 11 '21
Yes? I don't quite understand how this relates to Kimi tho.
My understanding what Kimi means with this "nonsense media" is zero-content questions from reporters. Like everyone of us knows what answer is going to be when questions are asked.
They don't need Kimi or Lewis sitting in press room. You and me could give exactly same answers what they give.
This applies to pretty much every sport
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u/dl064 Dec 11 '21
I think it's an essay question, honestly.
Raikkonen said once he thinks it's daft because 99.9% of the Q&A is: did you have a good race? Yes or no. End of story.
But actually I think the reason this forum has 1m+ people, and it's got millions invested and huge interest, is because James Allen described it as 'real life on fast forward' with its pressures, personalities, human stories that keep you invested. If it were truly 'Good race: yes or no?' we wouldn't be here commenting on a Saturday afternoon.
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u/silenced_no_more Dec 11 '21
That’s what the Bulls said in the Last Dance documentary. They’d play basketball for free but get paid to deal with everything that isn’t the basketball
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u/SubcooledBoiling Dec 11 '21
Kimi said similar things during his first retirement. He said he sick of the politics in F1 / Ferrari and just wanted to race.
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u/Worst_Player_Ever Dec 11 '21
And even when he moved from Mac to Ferrari. He said he got more lenient contract deciding what to do
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u/bwoah07_gp2 Dec 11 '21
I can imagine once Kimi gets a good amount of vacationing in and time with the family, he'll try doing a little bit of motorsport, a series with far less media drama and attention.
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u/Worst_Player_Ever Dec 11 '21
Most certainly. Rally(cross) or motocross would be my guess. Maybe not series, but single events now and then
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u/ScousePenguin Dec 12 '21
Kimi could do well in rallycross, but I can see him doing well in rally. It'll be like when he last did it
Kim's lone wolf style of driving and communication doesn't work in rally where you have a teammate you're working with sitting next to you.
I can however see him kicking ass in endurance racing, being able to settle in and nail lap after lap no bother.
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u/knoxxico15 Dec 11 '21
Kimi for F1 President!
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u/Worst_Player_Ever Dec 11 '21
Yea, maybe he'll learn to love those politics lol
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u/Christopher261Ng Dec 11 '21
He doesnt even need to campaign. He just stares the opposition down until they give up and leave him alone.
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u/xkcdthrowaway Dec 11 '21 edited Dec 11 '21
Kimi for Race Director next season.
Toto: Kimi, I've sent you an...
Kimi: Just shut up and leave me alone. I know what I'm doing
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u/I-_-I_-_I-_-I Dec 11 '21
You joke but he would probably be the best race director we would possibility get. I was never a fan of having a dedicated steward either, but on that I would also open an exception for Kimi.
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u/xkcdthrowaway Dec 11 '21
So, for the bloke who says the only thing he likes about F1 is the actual racing, you'd want him in a role which has all the circus and politics of F1 with none of the actual racing? Why you gotta do Kimi dirty, man? Let him have the drink and retire in peace.
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u/I-_-I_-_I-_-I Dec 11 '21
Yes because if there’s anyone that would give zero fucks about the politics and media circus of his decisions is Kimi.
When you’re afraid of what the media and politics will perceive of your actions, is when you get people that are afraid to act and second guess every action they take.
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Dec 11 '21
Why?
These guys get paid millions, it is entertainment - I don’t give 2 shits if he feels let down. Don’t get me wrong, I like Kimi, but complaining like he is whilst living the lifestyle he does makes him sound like a baby.
Quit and put in someone better.
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u/yura910721 Dec 11 '21
So my guy is saying if media and politics weren't getting on his nerves, he would have driven until he is 60? 😁
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u/Valentino_Li Dec 11 '21
Paul Newman last raced at 82.
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u/little_jimmy_jackson Dec 11 '21
Paul Newman makes the best store-bought salad dressing, spaghetti sauce and frozen pizza available
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u/Stigmacher Dec 11 '21
Pretty sure there are 60-year-olds racing Club
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u/MHEmpire Dec 12 '21
Earlier this year, Larry Roeseler won the Baja 500 at the age of 64 with a time of 10 hours and 16 minutes.
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Dec 11 '21
Politics in F1 and its teams also drove out Mark Webber. After Multi 21 I think he called it a day with Red Bull.
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u/Skylair13 Dec 11 '21
Wasn't that the reason for Juan Pablo Montoya too?
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u/listerinefreak Dec 11 '21
Yeah, he also said Nascar was more straight to the point racing with less strategy (that's why he went there)
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u/zetsurin Dec 11 '21
Oh yes, I think Vettel has grown a lot as a person since then but that was a real low point.
I really think the whole driver vs driver rivalry makes everything toxic. It's supposed to be a team sport, how is it a team + 1 of the drivers sport?
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u/Classic_and_Vintage Dec 11 '21
With the WDC, I don't think F1 can be a team sport if both the drivers ultra-competitive. If it was just WCC that teams were competing for, then it would be a team sport ala Le Mans.
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Dec 11 '21
It’s funny when you really listen to most of his interviews. They’re a complete formality to him. He takes zero enjoyment from them. Speaks exclusively in platitudes and doesn’t present a single nuanced or contentious opinion. Say what you have to say and get through it.
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u/K-J-C Dec 11 '21
I guess being professional and 'accomplished' doesn't always work out well like interviews for people like him.
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Dec 11 '21
I've always said Kimi was the least F1 driver. Not in his talent or anything, it's just that he never really played that game. I dunno how much of the grid actually leans into it, but I can imagine some names that enjoy it. Which is fine and all, that's what makes it all so interesting to some people, but hot damn does it make for some garbage fans when they buy into it.
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u/johnknockout Dec 11 '21
Kimi reached the absolute pinnacle of the sport as F1 champion with Ferrari.
That is the most F1 driver thing there is. Maybe he felt like there wasn’t anything else to accomplish after that, which to be honest I doubt. He’s been great for Gio this year who has definitely improved a lot over the course of the season.
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Dec 11 '21
He's one of the greatest drivers of an F1 car. He isn't really a F1 driver as a full package though. And that's honestly fine.
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Dec 11 '21
Not in his talent or anything, it's just that he never really played that game.
Just to clarify this point here, again, I don't mean his driving talent. He won a championship as you say, he obviously is an F1 driver. I mean his personality.
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u/TheOtherWhiteCastle Dec 11 '21
For what it’s worth, one of the reasons I and many others liked Kimi so much was because he didn’t have the typical F1 driver personality. In a sport full of internal politics and behind the scenes mind games, it was always nice to see a driver like Kimi who didn’t give a rip and just called it like he saw it.
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Dec 11 '21
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u/TheManofBD Dec 11 '21
He could've won the WDC multiple more years with a reliable car. Absolute speed demon.
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u/K-J-C Dec 11 '21
His 2012 stint in contrast to his McLaren years was one of his luckiest year. With reliable car he gained many points from other's misfortunes, at least according to this.
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u/raya__85 Dec 11 '21
Kimi wanted to drive in F1 he never wanted to be famous that’s a different thing to him
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u/Pale-Cryptographer59 Dec 11 '21
Only two drivers who really seem to enjoy popularity are Lewis and Ricciardo.
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u/ManSkirtDude101 Dec 11 '21
And Lando he wouldn't have spent so much time on his YouTube and twitch if he didn't.
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Dec 11 '21
This is kind of my own head canon here, but given that he's an Earnhardt fan you can kind of see that. You hear stories about how Earnhardt really got in touch with the fans. I've heard stories about how he was just the kind of person who would try to make people around him comfortable and feel appreciated too. You can simplify that as "He loved the fans." I think he was genuine, but you can be cynical about it too, I'm under no illusion that everyone famous is genuine. But I can't imagine a reason to soak it all up if he didn't enjoy it.
So going with Riccardo here, I can see how he kind of does the same. I remember when he fumbled that question in Saudi Arabia about the human rights thing, saying something like "I don't keep up with the news" and yeah, that was a dumb thing to say, but then he segued to "all I know is the fans really love F1 and I'm happy to bring that" (paraphrasing)
So yeah I definitely buy Riccardo enjoying it.
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u/ZippieL8night Dec 11 '21
Dont know if you ever got to meet Dale Sr. in person. Wasn't that nice of a guy, My family had a pit pass was in the garage area. My mother a huge Earnhardt Sr. fan went to ask him for an autograph. Dale was sitting down facing the back of his garage and others around were facing the front when my mother approached and ask for the autograph. Dale wouldn't even turn around. Asked the other guys if she was "hot" enough to turn around for. One of the guys said something along the lines of "Yea she is a really good looking red-head" Dale refused to turn around and even look at my mother wouldn't give her an autograph just said "I don't like red heads" and told her to get out.
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u/Stenny007 Dec 11 '21
Hmmm im gonna need a picture of your mom so i can visualize this story a bit better.
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Dec 11 '21
Nah, I was too young for that and lived a few too many states away from the nearest track.
Still I can believe that too. Dying changes people perceptions, and the NASCAR fandom did idolize him afterwards. So stories after the fact can be sketchy. Some dudes can assholes out of the public eye too, there is no disputing that.
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u/TurqoiseKingfisher17 Dec 11 '21
I’m interested to know who u think enjoys it haha
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Dec 11 '21
I think most guys are comfortable with it at the least. I guess it also depends on how things are going. Obviously when someone is on top of their game they probably lean into it and enjoy it, but when they're on the wrong end of a drama deluge it's probably not something guys enjoy as much.
I'm sure you can read between the lines there lol
But in all honesty I think most drivers are happy with attention and glamour. F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport, so of course people expect big personalities, and who doesn't like the glitz when it comes their way?
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Dec 11 '21
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u/helderdude Dec 11 '21 edited Dec 11 '21
And it all gets posted here too, we're are part of the problem.
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Dec 11 '21
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u/helderdude Dec 11 '21
I agree. I would prefer if people were more selective in what news articles they post.
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u/Upstairs_Camel_8835 Dec 11 '21
Yep the media and a section of toxic fans feed off each other..motor racing is about racing hard and fair..may the best driver win, without constant shittery by Horner or Toto or Sky!!
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Dec 11 '21
You think they care about how the fans act on social media? They're laughing all the way to the bank mate
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u/raya__85 Dec 11 '21
I have to wonder are we bored? Passionate? Are the media just trying to produce enough material to keep their jobs and we are eating it up?
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u/Napoleon007 Dec 11 '21
Yeah but on the other hand, it hasn't ever been any different. Most toxic I remember were the McLaren and Ferrari days. Also the lead up to Jerez 1997 extends current events by like 10000 miles.
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Dec 11 '21 edited Jan 31 '24
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This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/slicerprime Dec 11 '21
Yeah. It might be Kimi's interest in and patience with media and politics that's lessened as he's gotten older rather than media and politics getting worse. I mean, he's never really seemed much into either :)
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u/eOMG Dec 11 '21
Might be, but he's gotten too old as well. The way he blindly drove into his teammate was most telling for that fact, among other sloppy mistakes. And I won't miss his shouting at his team.
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u/Worst_Player_Ever Dec 11 '21
He leads his teammate, who is much younger, in points tho
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u/986cv Dec 11 '21
Did Alfa even offer him a new contract?
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u/Spider_Riviera Dec 11 '21
IIRC, he'd told them at end of last year he was going to retire. They didn't need to and could focus on looking a new driver, instead of being hamstrung offering (and maybe expecting) him an extension of some sort.
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u/nextdoorrando Dec 12 '21
Alfa had said he can race with them untill he wants.
It was kimi's decisions to retire.
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u/donotpause Dec 11 '21
I think he's not alone in feeling that way.
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u/F2007KR Dec 11 '21
I stopped watching F1 actively because of the BS. I just pop in a couple times a season to see what’s up. All the other dramas separate from racing just absolutely killed my interest in it, and I was a fan since I was a child.
I tune into Indycar and sports car racing these days.
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u/Dave_Unknown Dec 11 '21
Double edged sword though, without media and hype, you don’t have F1 as it is today.
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u/Ok_Picture_8985 Dec 11 '21
Right. End of the day F1 is very fast advertising. It would be awesome to just forget money exists and drive an F1 car for fun, but it’s not realistic.
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u/adloeh Dec 11 '21
Dear Kimi,
without media, your job wouldn't exist
love you
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u/Manberry12 Dec 11 '21
i suspected this, but at the end of the day, it was time kimi, you cant stay here forever
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u/Wandereru Dec 11 '21
F1 got weird the past few years. The journalists, media and all the fluff the production house introduced, not to mention social media becoming such a strong part of the drivers.
Old times were great.
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u/H14C Dec 11 '21
It finally became a sport. Bernie Ecclestone wanted to get everything private and exclusive which always made it look like it was holding on by a thread. I dont really do any form of social media (apart from Reddit) so I can see how some say the pendulum has swung too far, but I think F1 has truly improved from the tyrannical reign of Bernie.
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u/IndycarFan64 Dec 11 '21 edited Dec 11 '21
True. But he’s also washed too
I don’t think he really cares abt competing anymore
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Dec 11 '21
He does it as a hobby so he obviously doesn't need to do it if he doesn't want to.
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Dec 11 '21
Your comment is literally a reason why he’s also leaving
Just pure toxicity
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u/leevei Dec 11 '21
I thought the biggest reason was that he's not good enough anymore, but maybe it's just mean. I say this as a lifelong fan.
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u/Crake241 Dec 11 '21
same, without his media status/ persona Alfa would likely not have signed him.
and him constantly about not giving a shit also becomes less entertaining
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u/homerworkhard Dec 11 '21
Yeah I see the WWEfication of F1 happening with each passing year.
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u/Skylair13 Dec 11 '21
The media and politics has always been here, it's just more amplified now with more access on social media.
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u/dum_dums Dec 11 '21
It's a bit like a doctor saying "I would love this job, if it wasn't for all these sick people visiting me all day"
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u/Mdzll Dec 11 '21
What a strange comment. And here I was thinking it is his age and poor performance.
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u/JimmyReimjob Dec 12 '21
Lmao, I'm sure Kimi. It's not because you're over the hill and no team worth a shit will ever give you a drive again. Definitely it's all the media you've not had to do, and when you did have to do it you just slept your way through.
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Dec 12 '21
If this comment were any true, do you think Sauber would have taken him in the first place?
Or can you simply not grasp that he really just enjoys competition and is finally ready to hang up his F1 hat?
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u/Kassynder Dec 11 '21
Yeah sure it was. I'm sure the offers from each and every other team was coming in hot.
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u/Worst_Player_Ever Dec 11 '21
Why would anyone offer something if he has said he is quitting and will not sign contracts?
I'm pretty sure Kimi knows better his own situation than you.
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u/TheOtherWhiteCastle Dec 11 '21
To be honest, I’ve always found it weird that Kimi, who’s often been critical of politics in racing, spent so long racing in F1, which is arguably one of the most political Motorsports in the world
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u/bender_futurama Dec 11 '21
You dont say.. but you like money from f1 and sponsors.. Ofc you need to do promotional videos, grill the grid etc.. so that F1 can also earn money.. ah, I dont want to do interviews.. than dont race.. or be at back of the grid, and they will not ask you any questions.
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u/WhatEvery1sThinking Dec 11 '21
Without the media nonsense F1 would be pretty boring given the level of competition
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Dec 11 '21
I see his point, but i also see the ads he is making for samsung galaxy every time i want to watch something on youtube. Dont like media attention? Dont monetize your media attention.
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u/Worst_Player_Ever Dec 11 '21
Or it's something he was obligated to do with Alfa contract?
Or it was something he himself chose to do and not something he was "forced"?
You know people aren't on/off about something. When you can choose when and how much you do something it doesn't feel chore so much.
That's something he has said before too when he has changed teams. Ferrari had lot of work outside of track, doing ads etc. Alfa made him do much less that sortnof stuff and he appreciated it a lot.
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u/SenorProudy Dec 11 '21
Yeah that's what happen when you entered F1 when it was a sport and you see how it's being butchered to glorified WWE
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u/Mront Dec 11 '21
Buahahaha, if you think that F1 didn't have politicking and shenaniganery in early 2000s, then you don't have nostalgia goggles - you have a goddamn nostalgia blindfold
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u/Robinsonirish Dec 11 '21
F1 without the media nonsense and politics is just F2... incredibly boring and nobody would watch it.
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u/h-manfrenjensenden Dec 11 '21
The same argument that he used the first time he had to leave Ferrari. Politics only bother him when he looses his seat on F1.
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u/T4lw4ra Dec 11 '21
When Kimi says politics, does he mean all the “we race as one” stuff? I’ve been conscious he doesn’t say anything in the video they play every Sunday.
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u/Worst_Player_Ever Dec 11 '21
He means by politics what happens in behind the scenes in F1. Not worldwide politics.
He has talked about this before. He wants to talk and handle things straigthforward and not play any games
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u/Drugtrain Dec 11 '21
No. He means all the shit the teams do. For example when Ferrari smoked him out to replace him with Alonso.
He’s uncomfortable doing filming and reading lines to camera. It’s likely that he just didn’t want to do the insert.
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u/AK-3030 Dec 11 '21
Couldnt he just do the races and skip all the interviews and take the fines? Or would the team just cut him?
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u/Worst_Player_Ever Dec 11 '21
Sponsors want to use drivers to market stuff and be mannequin for their products
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u/Christopher261Ng Dec 11 '21
All drivers are contractually obligated for media and press duty by the teams and the sponsors.
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u/mercedeskyron Dec 11 '21
Biggest reason why you have money to support your family and have a yacht is media nonsense and politics as well.
That makes money
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u/hotbrownbitxh Dec 11 '21
It’s so sad that he’s using the word quit as if the media made him so sad and miserable that he has to leave it rather than a nice voluntary send off
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u/quickeggquickchicken Dec 11 '21
So his biggest reason for quitting F1 is F1.
Cause... that's how it's always been.
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Dec 11 '21
C'mon Kimi, just keep adding people to your ignore list.
He will be missed, one of the few that didn't do drama.
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Dec 11 '21
This honestly feels like a problem that was long coming.
As F1 gets bigger and more popular, there will be more political issues and power struggles than ever before
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Dec 11 '21
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u/Worst_Player_Ever Dec 11 '21
I'm sure we're of the hook..maybe few reporters feel sting in their hearts lol
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Dec 11 '21
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u/sanderson141 Dec 11 '21
>Beating Gio 10-3 in the points
>getting smashed by a journeyman Giovinazzi
?
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Dec 11 '21
Why do internet people get so angry at people who don’t even know they exist. He doesn’t care about you and you should stop caring yourself.
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u/HAMlLT0N Dec 11 '21
Just. Relax. Yes he is old. Yes his time has come. You need to calm down though.
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u/Worst_Player_Ever Dec 11 '21 edited Dec 11 '21
Kimi Räikkönen, 42, his nearly 20-year career at the sharpest peak in motorsport will end on December 12 in the final race of the F1 season in Abu Dhabi.The 2007 world champion, who achieved the most F1 starts, is still one of the most popular drivers in the royal class, although in recent seasons he was no longer able to drive, mainly due to Alfa Romeo's fleet.Before the end of his career, Räikkönen gave a rare straightforward interview to Heikki Kulla, a journalist who writes for Apu magazine, who is a legend like Räikkönen in his field.
Known for his uncompromising way of working, Räikkönen did not hide the fact that the main reason for his decision to quit was saturation with the “nonsense” and “politics” of the formula circus.Räikkönen has never enjoyed publicity, but has always loved driving. In F1, however, even Räikkönen must not focus only on driving.- This is by no means the most comfortable work environment of all, when there is too much nonsense involved, there is a policy that I don't want to take part in, Räikkönen shakes up in an extensive interview.
Räikkönen emphasizes that by far the best thing about the last race weekend after the actual drive is going home, which he is already waiting for. He unequivocally stresses that he will not be left to speculate on his decision. There will be no pain of giving up.- That's for sure. The decision to terminate was not really about anything but that I could no longer cope with this same day and other travel.
Home conditions clearly overcome this, Räikkönen says.At home in Switzerland, wife Minttu and small children Robin and Rianna are waiting for Räikkönen