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Raikkonen: My party lifestyle makes me a better driver

Published on 14 Mar 2019 10:19
3
By: Richard Fletcher

Kimi Raikkonen says that he is a better driver because he parties and enjoys himself between races. He added that because he is able to let off steam he is then able to focus when he really needs to concentrate.

The enigmatic Finn is one of the more popular drivers on the grid, particularly for his blunt responses and no-nonsense approach to interviews. His love of partying is a running joke within the sport but Raikkonen believes his work-life balance has helped his driving.

He explained that he seems to drive better after he has been enjoying himself in the breaks between races. However, his thinking does go against the view of most of the other drivers on the grid who avoid the excesses associated with Raikkonen's lifestyle.

"Obviously it's been a joke often, But I actually think it's more true than a joke that I've often been driving better (after) doing whatever I want between the races than if I'm just not having fun and drinks and stuff."

"I always thought that (when you were) more relaxed then you need to put more effort and concentration in because you're a bit unsure. And the end result comes out better."

Raikkonen then added: "I always joked in the past that as long as you have more drinking days than hangover days you are all fine. For sure on that point the numbers were right."

Having returned to the team where he launched his F1 career Raikkonen is hoping that Alfa Romeo will be able to capitalise on the progress they made in 2018 and be competitive within the midfield.

His new team boss, Fred Vasseur said: "We are eager to have a positive start to the 2019 season. We have a great driver lineup and a strong backing from our team across all departments.

"I look forward to seeing where we stand in these early stages and we will push hard to continue working our way up the ranks in the coming months."

F1 News Kimi Räikkönen Frédéric Vasseur Alfa Romeo

Replies (3)

calle.itw

Posts: 8,527
Relieving stress is great, helps one to focus on the tasks at hand. Although partying should probably be done with moderation if you are an athlete, since alcohol puts extra stress on their already stressed bodies. Mind, I'd love it if the drivers kinda had more of the lifestyle of the early drivers. Y'know, those drivers trained together and partied together and just seemed to have so much fun. That kinda kinship seem to be missing in this era.
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- Mar 14 2019 - 17:10
- ajpennypacker
  
  Posts: 2,475
  When Lewis says that, I have to accept it because he is killing it. When someone who has been mediocre for such a long time says it... I have to be a bitore skeptical
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  Mar 16 2019 - 21:19
Ram Samartha

Posts: 1,172
It's hard to blame or fault anyone for whatever lifestyle they choose. Kimi's party lifestyle is probably what endears him to many fans and makes him seem relatable. That said, it's hard to say if it makes you a better driver if you haven't tried a few seasons sober. In Kimi's case I guess we'll never know if maybe he wouldn't have a few more championships under his belt if he would have spent less time partying and more time focusing on his racing and training. We'll never know but it seems for him the measurement is not in how many championships he has, but the amount of fun he has had along the way. From the snippets of his book that I have seen in English it sounds like he has partied more than we even knew about. I heard that his book was going to be translated into English but haven't heard anything about it for awhile.
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- Mar 14 2019 - 18:01