"Not the Iceman": Fernando Alonso says Kimi Raikkonen is very different from his public persona

Kimi Raikkonen is not really the "Iceman" that he is perceived to be, according to Alpine F1 driver Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard shed light on the Finn's personality and how he will be missed as a character in the sport.

Speaking with Tom Clarkson on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, Alonso said:

“Not the Iceman. I think he is quiet warm inside. Even if you need to meet him and maybe see him outside racing as well is where you will see the real Kimi.”

The double world champion reminisced about how the two debuted together in 2001 and shared decades of racing together since then. The two were teammates at Ferrari during the 2014 campaign.

The 42-year-old Finn will retire at the end of the ongoing season and has always been described as a different personality behind the scenes.

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Fernando Alonso will miss Kimi Raikkonen's straightforwardness

Fernando Alonso has said he will miss the honest and straightforward demeanor of the retiring 2007 world champion. Describing Kimi Raikkonen’s persona behind the scenes and what he will miss about the driver, Alonso said:

"He is very honest. He is not playing any games, he is what you see. And a part of this maybe, mask off what we see from him, of being very cold and not talking too much and things like that. There is a different person inside, that we see from time to time.”

The Spaniard's description of Kimi Raikkonen is what many drivers would collectively agree to. The Finn has always carried the label of being one of the cleanest and fairest drivers on track and also one of the most straight talkers in the sport.

The two drivers are the oldest on the grid and have had many on-track battles that will no doubt be looked back on fondly by fans for many years after they retire.