Former Top Gear executive producer Andy Wilman has recounted a fiery behind-the-scenes confrontation with Formula 1 icon Kimi Raikkonen, admitting he "lost it" with the famously taciturn driver.
The Stage Was Set for a Frosty Return
The incident occurred in early 2012, as Raikkonen prepared for his highly anticipated return to Formula 1 with the Lotus team. The 2007 world champion had been away from the sport since the end of the 2009 season, spending his time in rallying and NASCAR.
As part of his comeback, the Finnish driver appeared on the BBC's hit motoring show Top Gear. He gave a typically succinct interview to host Jeremy Clarkson, famously describing his F1 return as "very normal".
A Rain-Soaked Lap Sparks Tension
The trouble began when it was time for Raikkonen to set a lap time in the show's 'reasonably priced car'. The session was hit by wet weather, which did little to improve the driver's mood.
Wilman, speaking on the Midweek F1 podcast, explained that after a few laps, Raikkonen retreated to his motorhome, declaring he had "done enough". The producer then consulted timekeeper Nick Dalton, who revealed the lap times were "not great".
"I went into the motorhome after him," Wilman recalled. "He's in the, like, Lazy Boy chair, and it's warm, and he's fully sort of stretched out, like Joey from Friends."
The Showdown That Made a Producer Snap
Wilman attempted to persuade Raikkonen to try again as the track was drying, but met with stubborn resistance. "I said, 'If you look out of the window, you'll see it's definitely getting drier'," Wilman stated.
Raikkonen, with "hugely bad grace", merely got up, glanced outside, and flatly disagreed: "No, it isn't." This proved to be the final straw for the exasperated producer.
"I lost it with him a bit, and bollocked him," Wilman confessed. "'There's so many people here waiting to see you make a comeback, and that'll be on you if you don't do something!'"
The outburst had an immediate effect. Raikkonen, seemingly chastened, went back out onto the track, completed a couple more laps, and improved his time. "That was the day I told Kimi off," Wilman concluded, reflecting on a unique clash between F1's 'Iceman' and a determined television boss.
