Sebastian Vettel has a particular way of working: Kimi Raikkonen

Between 2015 and 2018, Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel were teammates at Ferrari and developed a strong bond.

Sebastian Vettel in a file photo. Image credit: Twitter
By Nilavro Ghosh | Jan 18, 2022 | 2 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen’s former Ferrari teammate, has a very distinctive way of working, according to Raikkonen. Between 2015 and 2018, Raikkonen and Vettel were teammates at Ferrari and developed a strong bond, with both drivers frequently spotted conversing in the paddock after their respective spells with the Scuderia. Vettel is, of course, one of Formula One’s most successful drivers, having won four World Championships and 13 race victories with Ferrari. Raikkonen also said that Vettel has a very distinctive way of doing business.

“Obviously [he’s] a great guy,” said Raikkonen of Vettel while appearing on the Beyond the Grid podcast. “We had a good relationship always, and [he had] a very particular way of working!”

Vettel’s approach is typically marked by meticulous attention to detail, and he is known to like his notepad and pen. Raikkonen, on the other hand, does not believe Vettel’s meticulous approach immediately translates into a hard-working driver; in fact, he believes it is difficult to determine how hard-working a driver is. He went on to say that some Formula 1 drivers get too caught up in wanting to be the last to leave the paddock just to look good.

‘Everybody has their different way’

“What is hard [work], what is not hard [work]?” said Raikkonen. “But it might take a while [for Vettel]! But then everybody has their different way. It doesn’t always… People say, ‘Oh, he must work hard, because he leaves the last’. Not him [Vettel], but that’s generally. It’s like, if you’ve done your work, if you’re only going to stay at the paddock, or whatever it is, for an extra three hours to make sure that you’re last [to leave], that you look good.”

“People can do what they want. I’ll do my job, and when I’m happy that everything is done as we wish with the engineers, I leave. We all have a different way of working, and different things that we want to look [at] and see,” the Finn added.

After a three-season tenure with Alfa Romeo, Raikkonen retired from Formula One at the conclusion of 2021, while Vettel is gearing up for his second season with Aston Martin.