5 most iconic F1 nicknames of all time

Formula 1 drivers may nickname their cars and engines – but the world nicknames them! Sometimes they are about drivers’ skill, the way they look, or they catch on after a scandal. Everyone on this list, however, deserves theirs and more!

#1 The Iceman

There can be only one! Although it is his Finnish heritage that earned Kimi Raikkonen the nickname, he is the definitive Iceman. Known for his unshakeable demeanour, Kimi's deadpan replies are the stuff of legend. His radio communique is often replayed because of how hilarious it is.

Raikkonen is known for his matter-of-fact nature (as evinced by the many, many things he has said to team engineers over the years). Also one of the most talented drivers the sport has seen, his driving is as clinical as the man himself.

#2 Hunt the Shunt

Hunt (R) pictured with close friend and colleague Niki Lauda

While a shunt could be a part of an electrical circuit, 'shunting' literally means pushing or shoving something - and it is this that earned the iconic Briton his racing nickname. He was notorious for crashing before he turned his ways around to become a World Champion who won 10 races and 23 podium spots over his 6-year Formula One career.

#3 Crashtor

Lotus driver Pastor Maldonado

No prizes for guessing who this is! Crashtor is the not-so-flattering nickname given to Venezuelan Lotus driver Pastor Maldonado, for whom it is all but a trademark. The Venezuelan-born driver has been part of 87 races so far in his career...and won one.

He makes a regular habit of crashing – so much so that there are websites dedicated to when he last crashed.

For the record, it was very recently – at last month’s British Grand Prix, where Maldonado collided with his own teammate, Romain Grosjean.

#4 The Professor

Although this is a more popular nickname for MotoGP fans, it was in F1 first. One of the powerhouses of the sport, Alain Prost was known as the Professor for the calculated, measured way he raced. The four-time World Champion is one of the icons of the game, and raced with absolute precision in a time when fuel conservation was not as simplified for drivers as it is today.

Prost’s rivalry with his contemporary Ayrton Senna was the stuff of legend, but the two were also very close friends.

#5 Britney

A nickname for the modern age. Mercedes AMG Petronas driver Nico Rosberg is named after the pop star for their shared platinum blonde locks and model looks.

The blond got the nickname when he was at Williams, partnered by Australian driver Mark Webber.

Following the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, someone pasted a photograph of Spears over Rosberg’s in his passport – leading him to be detained for two hours before he could take his flight.

Rosberg tweeted this image shortly after the incident

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Edited by Staff Editor