FORMULA1
From Schumacher, Senna to Hamilton, the most famous nicknames of F1 drivers
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Max Verstappen
Although he was never proud of it, Max Verstappen can now put his nickname aside. By winning the World Championship in 2021, the young Dutch driver has shown that he deserves respect and recognition. Since his early years in Formula 1, Verstappen has been nicknamed 'Mad Max' because of his always aggressive driving style. However, in an interview dated 2019 with Reuters, Verstappen said: 'The nickname Mad Max? I never considered myself as such. I was just a driver trying to get the best result for the team. As a driver, I will always be the same."
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Charles Leclerc
From one Ferrari fan to another: let's talk about Charles Leclerc. He is often called 'predestined' to underline his innate talent and the promising career that seems to be written in his destiny. In the past he has also been referred to as 'The Doctor', like Valentino Rossi, in recognition of his extraordinary abilities. 'The Prince' is another nickname given to Leclerc, highlighting not only his precocious talent, but also his origins in the Principality of Monaco.In addition, some fans affectionately call him 'Lord Perceval', as Leclerc's fourth name is Perceval. This nickname reflects the fans' admiration and affection for the young Monegasque driver.
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Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso, the Spanish two-time world champion driver with Renault, is known by several nicknames. He is called 'El nano' because of his relatively small stature, and 'Samurai' because of the huge tattoo that covers his back, recalling the image of a Japanese warrior. Recently, many have been likening it to the nickname 'El Plan' ('The Plan'), a code evoked by the Asturian during last season, so much so that it was featured on the rear wing of his A521 car during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The plan, of course, is to get the Alpine team off the ground, enabling Alonso to fight for the world title.
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Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher, the unforgettable German driver, is known by the name 'Kaiser', meaning 'Emperor'. Schumacher has won practically everything there is to win, taking seven Formula One world titles. Only Lewis Hamilton has managed to break his records, but Schumacher will always remain one of the greatest of all time. His palmares include 91 Grand Prix victories, 155 podiums, 1566 points scored, 68 pole positions and 77 fastest laps, all in a total of 308 Grands Prix contested. The nickname 'Kaiser' pays tribute to his extraordinary royalty and supremacy in the world of motor racing.
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Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton, a driver hungry for success and always striving for perfection, is known as 'Hammertime'. This term was coined by his track engineer, Pete Bonnington, who began using it frequently during in-race radio communications with Hamilton from 2013 onwards. It was "Bono" himself who explained the meaning of this word in the past: "We needed to find a term to get Lewis to push and push the limits. We thought of 'Hammer Down', but in the end we didn't adopt it." Thus 'Hammertime' was born, which we use to mean "push to the max now!"
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Daniel Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo, who took over from Carlos Sainz at McLaren, is also known as 'Honey Badger'. This nickname was stamped on his helmet during both his time at Renault and Red Bull. The reason behind this nickname has been explained by the driver himself in the past. Ricciardo stated: 'It is the fault of my coach at the time, Stuart Smith. He saw a documentary about the honey badger and told me: 'This animal is fabulous'. He then added that the ferocious honey badger and I had a lot in common. And I thought so too...'. Thus the nickname 'Honey Badger' was born, representing Ricciardo's pugnacity and courageous approach on the track.
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Vittorio Brambilla
Vittorio Brambilla, another Italian driver, raced between 1974 and 1980 for the March, Surtees and Alfa Romeo teams, taking a victory in the 1975 Austrian Grand Prix. The Brianza-born driver was nicknamed 'The Monza Gorilla' by all because of his imposing boxer-like physique and bold driving style. Dr Sid Watkins even claimed that Brambilla had a strength comparable to that of a real primate. This power also manifested itself in his handshakes, which were described by the protagonists of the time as 'devastating'. Brambilla, however, always enjoyed observing the reaction of people in front of him.
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Nigel Mansell
During the era of Senna and Prost, there was another talent racing on the track: Nigel Mansell. The 1992 world champion with Williams was known as 'The Lion', a nickname given to him during his time as a Ferrari driver. In particular, in 1989, a year dominated by McLarens, Mansell managed to score two exceptional victories: the first on his debut in Brazil and the second in Hungary, after a thrilling comeback from twelfth place on the grid. These exploits earned him the admiration of the Ferrari fans, who compared him to the 'King of the Forest' for his grit on the track. However, the 1992 champion was also the subject of other nicknames: for British fans he was 'Our Nige', while for American fans he was known as 'Red Five', in reference to his race number.
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Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna, the Brazilian three-time world champion driver with McLaren who tragically died in the fatal accident at the start of the Imola Grand Prix in 1994, had two distinct nicknames. As a child, his father Milton and mother Neyde affectionately called him 'Beco' because of his clumsiness when he was four years old. However, as Senna grew up and established himself as an extraordinary talent on the track, known for his epic manoeuvres and legendary races, he acquired the nickname 'Magic' for his magical abilities behind the wheel.
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Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz, who joined Ferrari in 2021, is known to have two nicknames: 'Chili' and 'Smooth Operator'. The first was given to him by some friends and is an affectionate version of 'Charlie', as he himself stated at a press conference in 2016 when he was a driver for Toro Rosso: 'When I was coming home, my friends had drunk too much and they called me first Carlos, then Charlie, and from there Chili was born'. Curiously, although the nickname refers to spicy food, Sainz does not particularly like chilli. Later, during his time at McLaren, Sainz took on the nickname 'Smooth Operator'. This nickname was given to him after a race in which he made an incredible comeback, moving up from 13th position to fifth. After that race, he started singing Sade's song 'Smooth Operator', thus earning the nickname. This nickname emphasises his ability to handle situations with elegance and precision on the track.
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Alain Prost
If Senna is remembered by all as 'Magic' and 'Beco', the nickname of the four-time French world champion is 'The Professor'. But why? This nickname was given to him because of his intelligence combined with an extremely strong mental approach to racing, which allowed him to develop an 'economical' and fluid driving style, later becoming his winning weapon. His ability to analyse data and apply intelligent strategies allowed him to maximise performance on the track. This combination of intelligence and precision earned him the nickname 'The Professor', which remains inextricably linked to his Formula 1 career.
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Kimi Raikonnen
He said goodbye to the world of Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi and recently described F1 as 'a fake world, ruined by money and politics'. The Finnish driver, 2007 world champion with Ferrari, is universally known as 'Iceman'. This nickname was given to him by former team principal Ron Dennis in his days at McLaren, where Kimi Raikkonen arrived at the age of just 23 in 2002, because of his aloof and impassive attitude. Initially, the nickname was 'Icekid', but once Raikkonen grew up and established himself as a man, he became 'Iceman'. This word became so dear to him that he decided to tattoo it on his left forearm in 2008, and he has also had it printed on his helmet on several occasions.
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Niki Lauda
Another driver who has left an indelible mark on Formula 1 history is Andreas Nikolaus Lauda, universally known as 'Niki'. The Austrian won the Formula 1 world title three times, in 1975, 1977 and 1984. The first two times he triumphed with Ferrari, the last with McLaren, after a temporary retirement from racing at the end of the 1979 season. The son of a wealthy banking family from Vienna, he was known in the motorsport world as 'The Mouse' from his racing debut because of his petite build and his ability to move nimbly around the track. Later, he earned the nickname 'The Computer' because of his cool and calculated driving precision. However, the most famous nickname he was given was 'The Rat', mainly because of his physical characteristics: he had an elongated facial profile and protruding teeth that resembled the image of a rodent.
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Nico Rosberg
Upon entering Formula 1 in 2006, Nico Rosberg attracted attention not only for being the son of 1982 champion Keke Rosberg, but also for his skills on the track, which led to his becoming world champion in 2016. He was a young blond with thick hair, so much so that his teammate at Williams, Mark Webber, secretly gave him the nickname 'Britney' (in reference to Britney Spears) during conversations with his engineers. This came to light in the last race of the season in Brazil, when both drivers touched each other and damaged their cars. As Rosberg headed to the pits to have his single-seater checked by the mechanics, he ended up hitting a wall. Webber, commenting on the incident, used the funny nickname that from that moment on was no longer a secret, bringing to light his irony towards Rosberg.
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Gilles Villeneuve
The tragic loss of Gilles Villeneuve due to the accident in Zolder took him away too early, at only 32 years of age. However, for fans of the Ferrari team, the figure of Villeneuve will remain indelible. Father of Jacques Villeneuve, world champion in 1997 with Williams, Gilles was nicknamed 'The Aviator' during his early years with the Maranello team, due to his passionate dedication to flying.
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