Only one driver in F1 history has been so fast he almost bankrupted his own team.
His name is Kimi Raikkonen.
2012: Lotus signed him on €8M base salary, plus a "safe" bonus of €50,000 per championship point. They assumed the car wasn't fast enough to worry about.
390 points later, 15 podiums, 2 wins.
That triggered €19.5M in bonuses. Three times his base salary.
By the end of 2013, Kimi told the BBC: "I have not been paid a single euro all year."
€17M owed. He threatened to boycott the final two races and missed them anyway because of back surgery.
According to his biographer, he was still owed €5M years later but he never sued. He said he didn't want anyone at the team to lose their job.
Lotus signed a former World Champion expecting a comeback story. What they got was one of the greatest value for money seasons in F1 history and a bonus bill they couldn't afford to pay.
Best clause in F1 history or worst business decision ever?
If you’ll be supporting Argentina at the World Cup, say hi.
Looking to connect with more Argentina supporters and Messi fans before the tournament starts. 🇦🇷
Buffy knew she was going to lose and still said, “Race me.”
At that point it wasn't confidence anymore. It was love, delusion, and pure chaos working together. 😭❤️