Kimi Räikkönen says feud with Gino Rosato and Sebastian Vettel began after abuse early in his Formula 1 career

Kimi Räikkönen says feud with Gino Rosato and Sebastian Vettel began after abuse early in his Formula 1 career

 

Former Formula 1 world champion Kimi Räikkönen has claimed that a long-running feud involving Gino Rosato and fellow driver Sebastian Vettel can be traced back to what he describes as abuse during the early years of his Formula 1 career.

Speaking candidly in a recent interview, Räikkönen said tensions that later became public had their roots in his formative seasons in the sport, a period he described as both professionally demanding and personally difficult. While he did not go into explicit detail, the Finn suggested that the treatment he received at the time left lasting scars and shaped relationships that never fully recovered.

“People see what happens on track or in the media and assume it starts there,” Räikkönen said. “But for me, some of these issues started much earlier, when I was still trying to establish myself in Formula 1.”

Räikkönen entered Formula 1 in 2001 with Sauber after a rapid rise through the junior categories, facing intense scrutiny due to his limited experience in single-seater racing. He said the pressure of proving himself at the highest level was compounded by off-track dynamics that he found hostile and dismissive.

According to Räikkönen, interactions involving Rosato, a long-time figure in the Formula 1 paddock, contributed to an environment that he felt was undermining rather than supportive. While Räikkönen stopped short of making specific accusations, he described a pattern of behavior that he believes influenced how others, including Vettel, later viewed and treated him.

Räikkönen and Vettel were teammates at Ferrari between 2015 and 2018, a period marked by both collaboration and competition. Although the pair often spoke respectfully of each other in public, rumors of internal tension persisted throughout their time together. Räikkönen suggested that unresolved issues from earlier years made it difficult to fully reset their relationship.

“When you carry things for a long time, they don’t just disappear because you’re wearing the same team shirt,” he said. “It affects trust, communication, everything.”

Neither Rosato nor Vettel has publicly responded to Räikkönen’s latest comments. Vettel, who retired from Formula 1 at the end of the 2022 season, has previously emphasized themes of personal growth and reflection in his post-racing life. Rosato has largely remained out of the public spotlight in recent years.

Räikkönen, known throughout his career for his bluntness and reluctance to engage in media narratives, said he chose to speak now not to reignite conflict, but to explain his perspective. “I’m not interested in blaming people,” he said. “But there’s a story behind everything, and this is my side of it.”

The 2007 world champion retired from Formula 1 in 2021 and has since maintained a relatively private life. His comments offer a rare glimpse into the emotional undercurrents of a career often defined by his cool exterior and minimalist public personal.