Raikkonen the Rake?
As you make space in your refrigerators for the requisite beers for the Turkish Grand Prix, spare a thought for our old friend, Kimi Raikkonen. Two stories have been doing the rounds in the European newspapers this week. Depending on how you choose to look at these things, they are either highly flattering to the Finn's rakish reputation or truly damaging to a man who wishes to be taken seriously as a committed ambassador of a thinking man's sport. I reserve judgment. Both revolve round one indisputable fact: Kimi Raikkonen lost his passport and driving license in Budapest after the Hungarian Grand Prix three weeks ago.
The first story suggests that Raikkonen suffered an ordinary, understandable misfortune after the race which could, realistically, have been suffered by anybody. He, apparently, misplaced his wallet at a party thrown by the Red Bull team on the evening of the race. The wallet contained a little over $7000, his driving license, ID and passport. $7,000 seems to me to be a very large sum to be carting about in one's wallet - but then again I am neither a millionaire nor a Formula One driver!
The version of events reported by several newspapers in Italy is markedly different. According to the Italians, the Finn was found drunk by the Hungarian police at the wheel of a car. His driving license and passport were confiscated and he received a $7500 fine.
Now which version are we to believe? I will leave it up to you to draw your own conclusions but you may want to take into account Raikkonen's responses to questions asked during the drivers' press conference on Thursday.
Q: (Andrea Cremonesi - La Gazzetta dello Sport) Kimi, just to clarify gossip that we heard a few days ago: Sunday night in Budapest, did you lose your wallet or did the police take your driving licence? Which is the truth?
KR: Yes, I read that I have lost my driving licence by driving and drinking. I don’t know who wrote this story but for sure, he will get an interesting outcome from this and we will see what happens.
Q: Was that inaccurate?
KR: For sure we will see in the courts. I don’t want to say any more.
Consider a question as you make your minds up. Why would a court need to concern itself with a misplaced wallet?
Gitau
25 August 2006
The first story suggests that Raikkonen suffered an ordinary, understandable misfortune after the race which could, realistically, have been suffered by anybody. He, apparently, misplaced his wallet at a party thrown by the Red Bull team on the evening of the race. The wallet contained a little over $7000, his driving license, ID and passport. $7,000 seems to me to be a very large sum to be carting about in one's wallet - but then again I am neither a millionaire nor a Formula One driver!
The version of events reported by several newspapers in Italy is markedly different. According to the Italians, the Finn was found drunk by the Hungarian police at the wheel of a car. His driving license and passport were confiscated and he received a $7500 fine.
Now which version are we to believe? I will leave it up to you to draw your own conclusions but you may want to take into account Raikkonen's responses to questions asked during the drivers' press conference on Thursday.
Q: (Andrea Cremonesi - La Gazzetta dello Sport) Kimi, just to clarify gossip that we heard a few days ago: Sunday night in Budapest, did you lose your wallet or did the police take your driving licence? Which is the truth?
KR: Yes, I read that I have lost my driving licence by driving and drinking. I don’t know who wrote this story but for sure, he will get an interesting outcome from this and we will see what happens.
Q: Was that inaccurate?
KR: For sure we will see in the courts. I don’t want to say any more.
Consider a question as you make your minds up. Why would a court need to concern itself with a misplaced wallet?
Gitau
25 August 2006
posted by Gitau at 4:25 pm
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