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Ecclestone: 'Drivers have become robots who do what they're told'

Ecclestone: 'Drivers have become robots who do what they're told'

11-01-2022 14:52 Last update: 15:17
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GPblog.com

Kimi Raikkonen has finished his last season in Formula 1. Bernie Ecclestone believes that he was the last driver on the grid who did not behave like a robot.

The Finnish driver was known as 'The Iceman' throughout his career. He did not mince his words when speaking to the press and could often be heard cursing over the onboard radio. Many drivers receive media training, but Raikkonen always remained himself due to his lack of enthusiasm during interviews. As a result, the Finn was a big fan favorite.

'Drivers have become robots'

Former F1 boss Ecclestone likes the honest nature of the single world champion. Raikkonen is exactly what a team needs according to him. He races and doesn't care much about other people. The 91-year-old Briton thinks there are no other drivers like the Finn anymore. According to him, this is a problem for the sport.

"There aren’t any Kimis today really, I don’t think. That’s the problem. They’ve all become very, very much [like] a robot, listening and doing what they’re told, rather than doing what they think is the right thing to do," he says in conversation with Sport1.de.