From Teflonso to Britney: Top ten F1 driver nicknames
Top Tens
Britney, The Professor, Teflonso: What’s in a nickname?
Rather a lot, actually. F1 driver’s nicknames tend to tell us something about their skills, their physical appearance – or how often they get into trouble.
Here are ten memorable and revealing F1 driver nicknames.
Maestro
The significant thing about this nickname for Juan Manuel Fangio is not just that it’s a mark of extremely high praise for the man who ruled F1 in the fifties.
This wasn’t just a term used by fans and pundits – this was how fellow drivers referred to their greatest rival. It shows the high regard the five-times champion was held in by his peers.
Can you imagine any of today’s drivers referring to the opposition in such terms?
The Professor
In an era of unpredictable fuel and tyre consumption, one man stood out as the best at playing the long game. Alain Prost was an expert at restraining the urge to drive at ten-tenths, preserving his car until the end of the race, and above all, making sure he did not run out of fuel.
This was easier said than done in the turbo era, when the maximum fuel limit was cut several times, forcing drivers to be ever more canny with their boost levels.
It made for a fascinating rivalry between himself and Ayrton Senna, master of the flying lap in qualifying.
Prost’s calculating style served him equally well outside of the cockpit. His astute political manoeuvrings landed him a seat in the best car in F1 in 1993 – with a veto preventing Senna joining him at the team.
Schummel-Schumi
Michael Schumacher, Benetton, 1994
Nicknames can be compliments or criticisms. This early appellation belonging to Michael Schumacher is clearly the latter.
But what’s particularly telling about the phrase is that it was applied by his own countrymen in his native tongue.
The word ‘schummel’ carries connotations of cheating and deviousness. It first appeared in German tabloid newspapers during the 1994 season, when Schumacher was repeatedly accused of bending or breaking the rules.
The charge sheet included the hidden ‘option 13′ menu on his Benetton, alleged to activate a banned launch control system; his disqualification at Silverstone and two-race ban; his team mate’s pit fire following the removal of a filter from Benetton’s refuelling rig; his disqualification at Spa on a technicality; and driving into Damon Hill to clinch the world championship at Adelaide.
It was with this cloud hanging over him that Schumacher eventually decided to leave Benetton and join Ferrari. But despite seven world championship titles and 91 wins, to some he is still Schummel-Schumi.
Teflonso
On similar lines to ‘Schummel-Schumi’, Fernando Alonso’s proximity to the two biggest F1 scandals of recent years has earned him the nickname ‘Teflonso’.
Polytetrafluoroethylene – better known as Teflon – is commonly used as a non-stick coating on kitchenware. It also has a rich tradition of being used to describe people tainted by allegations but never directly implicated in them.
One of its earliest uses was in reference to gangster John Gotti – the ‘Teflon Don’ – who escaped punishment in a series of trials in New York in the eighties.
In Alonso’s case it refers to his involvement in ‘Spygate’ in 2007, where emails revealed he discussed McLaren’s use of confidential Ferrari information, and ‘Crashgate’ in 2008, where his Renault team mate Nelson Piquet Jnr was ordered by his team to crash to help Alonso win.
It was after the latter that the name entered widespread use. BBC F1 commentator Martin Brundle used it during the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix after the real story behind the previous year’s race became public knowledge.
The charges may not have stuck, but the nickname has.
Il Leone
We’re back in the realm of more positive nicknames.
The quickest way for a new Ferrari driver to win over Italy’s passionate Tifosi is to win for them first time out.
That’s exactly what Nigel Mansell did for them against the odds at Brazil in 1989. In a year of McLaren domination, he added a second triumph at Hungary, racing through the field from 12th on the grid.
Though he only spent two years with the team his charging, battling style earned him the nickname ‘il leone’ – the lion.
Hunt the Shunt
Janes Hunt, McLaren, 1976
Many are the drivers who’ve earned a nickname for their propensity for crashing.
The shunt-prone Andrea de Cesaris was dubbed, somewhat predictably, ‘de Crasheris’ for his efforts.
A young Jody Scheckter earned the more obscure nickname ‘Fletcher’ following a series of crashes.
This is one for more literate F1 fans – Fletcher is the name of a bird in the book Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, who persistently tries to fly before he’s ready and keeps crashing as a result.
But the best example of its type has to be the short-but-sweet Hunt the Shunt. Like Scheckter, James Hunt overcame his crashing ways to claim a championship win in the seventies.
The Pampas Bull
A sub-species of nicknames are those which are more like titles, or something you might imagine being used to describe a wrestler.
The stocky frame of Jose Froilan Gonzalez, the first driver to win an F1 race for Ferrari, earned him the name ‘The Pampas Bull’. This was at least more complimentary than the name those closest to him used – El Cabezon, ‘Fat Head’.
Other examples of this type include The Monza Gorilla (Vittorio Brambilla) and The Abruzzi Robber (Luigi Fagioli).
The Rat
Niki Lauda
Not the most flattering of nicknames, but Niki Lauda was dubbed The Rat more for his appearance than his personality.
This was less to do with the damage his horrific crash of 1976 did to his face than the profile of his head and bucked teeth.
As he amassed wins and championships, so the name became more adulatory, progressing to ‘Super Rat’ and ‘King Rat’ before he retired at the end of 1985 with three titles and 25 wins under his belt.
Black Jack
Jack Brabham had a reputation for his uncompromising driving on the track.
But the nickname ‘Black Jack’ owed more to his personality – he had a reputation for not being very forthcoming.
Like Lauda, his appearance was also part of it – Brabham’s dark hair matching his quiet personality.
Britney
Nico "Britney" Rosberg's passport
And so it is today for Nico Rosberg.
His golden locks have led to him being dubbed ‘Britney’, in reference to Britney Spears, since his days as Mark Webber’s team mate at Williams.
Following last year’s season finale in Abu Dhabi Rosberg turned up at Dubai airport to discover someone had substituted the photograph in his passport for one of Britney Spears.
Who says modern F1 drivers don’t have a sense of humour?
Over to you
Which are your favourite F1 nicknames? What about the ones not in this list such as ‘Iceman’ Kimi Räikkönen and ‘Mike the Bike’ Hailwood?
Other names have been applied to more than one driver, like ‘The Flying Finn’ and ‘Rain-master’.
Which other drivers on the grid do you think deserve nicknames? Have your say in the comments.
F1 top tens
- Top Ten: Pit lane blunders
- Top ten winning starts with a new team
- Top ten great races you should have seen in 2012
- Top ten: Schumacher comeback moments
- Top ten: Suzuka showdowns
- F1′s brushes with disaster: Top ten lucky escapes
- Top ten greatest Formula 1 designers (Part two)
- Top ten greatest Formula 1 designers (Part one)
- 2002 to 2012: Ten ways F1 has improved in ten years
- Top ten… Curious F1 coincidences
Read more top tens
Image © Daimler, Ford, Ford, Patrick Tercier, via Twitpic
wasiF1 said on 9th August 2011, 12:44
They are cool but nothing come close to attitude & coldness to ICEMAN.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner) said on 9th August 2011, 13:36
Agree! I like how he calls his WRC team ICE 1.
sato113 (@sato113) said on 9th August 2011, 13:44
Iceman FTW!
Proesterchen said on 9th August 2011, 13:56
“Iceman” always seemed contrived to me, given its ‘team boss trying to make the best of a driver that hates PR’-heritage.
joey-poey said on 9th August 2011, 15:49
As someone who grew up in the era of Top Gun, it just brings to mind all the wrong, cheesy images to be intimidating X)
BasCB (@bascb) said on 9th August 2011, 19:18
LOL
lewymp4 (@lewymp4) said on 9th August 2011, 18:39
The Rat and Britney are pretty funny, and I think that you have called it right when you said, ” nothing comes close to attitude & coldness to ICEMAN.”
The man has no hesitation of calling it, as he feels it….below is a prime example!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MlsMVzrp2o
usf1fan said on 9th August 2011, 19:29
I think ICEMAN has more to do with where he’s from than his “perceived” attitude.
rpiian (@rpiian) said on 9th August 2011, 21:05
“Kimi, what’s the 5th grid place like?”
“It’s the 5th grid place.”
The Sri Lankan said on 9th August 2011, 22:01
Christiano DaMatta – Christiano Da-matter?
pretty sure Takuma Sato had something as well
halifaxf1fan said on 10th August 2011, 3:16
‘Iceman’ is easily the most recognizable F1 nickname in the past 10 years and should be on the list. Also I should mention ‘Jack Newtown’ or ‘JV’ for Jacques Villeneuve and ‘Le Petit Prince’ or just ‘Gilles’ for his father. And don’t forget the nickname for the barrier at turn 9 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, ‘The Wall of Champions’!
halifaxf1fan said on 10th August 2011, 3:24
Of course I meant to say the ‘Wall of Champions’ is at the exit of turn 13!
Don said on 11th August 2011, 11:49
You need to update this page with a picture of the banned “Crash Verstappen” lollies and the court-case.
SVettel (@) said on 9th August 2011, 12:47
Kimi: Iceman
Kovalainen: Nice man
:D
Kimilimi (@kimilimi) said on 9th August 2011, 12:48
Iceman all the way
KNF said on 9th August 2011, 13:00
Also known as the Ice Cream Man… :D
Icthyes (@icthyes) said on 9th August 2011, 12:51
Finger Boy!
Todfod (@todfod) said on 9th August 2011, 13:29
Lol. I like finger boy, although people do refer to him as crash kid
infy (@infy) said on 9th August 2011, 13:47
Lewis is mostly refereed to as Crash Kid.
Ral (@ral) said on 9th August 2011, 15:17
Never heard Lewis referred to as the crashkid, other than by Vettel fans trying to offload the name on another driver.
Dizzy-A (@david-a) said on 9th August 2011, 19:46
The problem being, that Vettel doesn’t deserve the name either. Whitmarsh only came up with it when he was butthurt about Button being taken out of one race.
Mika said on 9th August 2011, 22:35
Lewis is known as Pinocchio (The wooden doll, whose nose grew if he told a lie) since the Lygate affair….
vodka an orange said on 10th August 2011, 17:27
in the last 2 years Hammy has crashed far more than Vettel! Hammy has incidents nearly every race, whist Vettel has had an almost perfect season so far! And have you forgotten the gravel trap in the China pitlane and that sublime rear-ender on Raikkonen in Canada? Priceless! #;0
einariliyev (@einariliyev) said on 9th August 2011, 15:44
Also Baby Hammy for haters.
unocv12 said on 9th August 2011, 16:07
Ditto with what Ral said.
Crash kid is Vettels. Hamilton may have gone out twice (monza and singapore) by touching another or hitting respectively but thats nothing compared to Turkey, Great Britain and Belgium plus a few others.
Vettel tends to get
Crash kid
Wunderkid/Ze Wunderkid – more sarcastic than anything when I’ve heard it
Finger boy
and The Gimp – occasionally at other places
Also Keith, your there are a few big ones that could be noted
The flying finns – Hakkinen and Raikkonen
Silver Arrows – admittedly a team but still a nickname
Rain Master – Schumacher
+ several Brundle-isms
Kobaybashi
Kowasabi
etc…. i.e. notable that Kobayashis name tends to be played with a bit to describe him in the same way as a nickname
Jeremy Clarkson on TopGear keeps ponouncing Barricello as Barri-chello (the cello being as you said the word cello as in the stringed instrument rather than the more popular ‘kello’ pronounciation).
And then the Brazilian drivers Rubino Nelsinho are used by same instead of their English counterparts.
Schumi – Schumacher!!! Most obvious but forogtten from your list
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 9th August 2011, 16:12
Didn’t make it past the second one, eh?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 9th August 2011, 16:17
Didn’t Martin Whitmarsh call Vettel ‘crash kid’ after Spa last year?
And Vettel’s been doing alright since then…
mfDB (@mfdb) said on 9th August 2011, 16:55
Vettel – crash kid? that doesn’t really make sense. He doesn’t crash that often….I’m not a big Vettel fan, but making fun of him for crashing is stupid….I would say, if you had to make fun of him, it would be that he’s not very aggressive and isn’t that good at passing. He seems to really only win when he’s out front. But crashing…. really…. that’s reaching.
Mgn said on 9th August 2011, 19:14
have to agree with @unocv12 Hakkinen Raikkonen-Flying Finn, and obvious one Schumacher-Rainmaster
BBT said on 9th August 2011, 20:55
Yeap, Keith is correct, it was given to Vettel for one incident by Whitmarsh and ever since then have come back to bite Whitmarsh, (marshwit)
NW said on 10th August 2011, 1:17
Make that CryBaby
NW said on 10th August 2011, 1:19
or (future) (charred) Hamburger
Antranik (@antranik) said on 9th August 2011, 18:58
I think a better one for Lewis is Ramilton!
streetfightingman said on 9th August 2011, 22:06
Haha that’s a good one!
IceMan said on 10th August 2011, 5:02
I like this.
Leb said on 10th August 2011, 21:58
Nah, Slamilton is where it’s at :P
Zaphod said on 10th August 2011, 13:48
Martin Whitmarsh called Vettel the ‘crash kid’ on the BBC, after taking out Button at last year’s Spa. Vettel laughed ans said’ well that’s one more title for my collection’
PEdro said on 11th August 2011, 10:39
I liked “crane boy”, but it didn’t stick.
Alonso is called by his haters in Spain “Frenando”(“Braking”) Alonso.
NJB said on 9th August 2011, 20:23
I heard Vettel is aptly known amongst fellow drivers as ‘Princess Petal’.
Zaphod said on 10th August 2011, 14:54
…and of course you also have the chassis nicknames, ie kinky kylie, kate’s dirty sister etc
Where do you reckon Princess Petal comes from?
NJB said on 10th August 2011, 23:52
Apparently he is also known as ‘schoolboy’. This is from Joe Saward after Spa last year:
Dizzy-A (@david-a) said on 11th August 2011, 0:02
Indeed it was a schoolboy performance. But Saward has surely been eating his own words since then.
Proesterchen said on 11th August 2011, 0:18
You have to remember Joe’s loyalties, what with the crying about the lack of team orders in Webber’s favor at RBR and everything.
NJB said on 11th August 2011, 13:05
And let’s not forget Ecclestone and Briatore’s as-yet-unexplained moniker for Hamilton; Jumbo.
Pink Peril said on 12th August 2011, 23:54
I have heard Vettel referred to as Justin Beiber on more than one occaison (ok, I might have started that nickname myself) ;P
DavidS (@davids) said on 13th May 2013, 23:06
How about “The proctologist”
Journeyer (@journeyer) said on 9th August 2011, 12:51
Gotta be Giovanni Lavaggi – also known as Johnny Carwash! :D
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 9th August 2011, 12:55
I’ve never heard that one before! Where did that come from?
TimG (@timg) said on 9th August 2011, 12:57
It’s a literal translation of his name.
joey-poey said on 9th August 2011, 15:52
oh my goodness. That is now #1 in my book of best driver nicknames XD
Journeyer (@journeyer) said on 9th August 2011, 13:04
Tommy explained it pretty well, I think. :) Here’s a video of Johnny Carwash in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5OAecJ9iNk
TommyB (@tommyb89) said on 9th August 2011, 13:06
Beat me to it Journeyman!
Yeah I wrote about the reasoning just below this comment. His name translated into English was “John Washing”
ajokay (@ajokay) said on 9th August 2011, 15:38
I think whoever was commentating alongside Murray Walker in 1995 coined the name. I definately remember the British commentators talking about it though, or maybe it was in an Autosport from around then.
SoLiDG said on 9th August 2011, 12:53
Ayrton ‘Magic’ Senna seems missing :)
Todfod (@todfod) said on 9th August 2011, 13:31
Lots of them missing.. Iceman for Kimi, Flying Finn for Hakkinnen.
Rocket Rosset was one of my favourites as well.
TimG (@timg) said on 9th August 2011, 14:22
The “Flying Finn” was also used for Keke Rosberg and JJ Lehto, so not really a Hakkinen-specific nickname.
tom said on 11th August 2011, 9:25
mika was called the flying finn more because of his big accident than anything else
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 11th August 2011, 9:28
Wasn’t it for this famous picture taken at Adelaide the year before his accident?
http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/119/l_cd53fe20af3140149c84f1e75e5eca13.jpg
tom said on 12th August 2011, 14:22
Yep, I think you’re right, Keith.
I guess I was confused because they were both in Australia.
Wesley said on 9th August 2011, 21:41
“Lots of them missing.. Iceman for Kimi, Flying Finn for Hakkinnen.”
Do you people even read the articles before you comment?
Nothing is cooler than “Iceman” or “Maestro”
TheBrav3 said on 9th August 2011, 23:12
No one has mentioned this one yet Pedro de la rossa – The Spanish Sensation.
sato113 (@sato113) said on 9th August 2011, 13:45
or ‘Magic’ Alonso is a popular one.
alexf1man said on 9th August 2011, 14:29
or just Nando, because it sounds like Nando’s and he pronounces Chicane like Chicken (France 2008)!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-57Thiyvy8
Made this one up a while back and I still use it :-)
f1geordie (@f1geordie) said on 9th August 2011, 16:10
love it
JCost (@jcost) said on 9th August 2011, 15:09
In Spain, Alonso “haters” (a.k.a “anti-alonsistas”) usually call him Lloronso mixing his name with “Lrorar” which means crying… it’s like Crying (Baby) Alonso for his multiple excuses after bad racing days.
Aris (@aris) said on 9th August 2011, 16:46
Also Lauda is known as “The Phoenix” since his incident in the Ring in 1976.
shostak said on 10th August 2011, 8:30
Sorry but Lloronso is more appropiate to Massa. xD
JCostras said on 11th August 2011, 18:57
No antialonsos here but you, hill&pollas. Always ‘dando la nota’. Tontoloscojones-amargao-envidioso, as any good antialonso.
IceMan said on 10th August 2011, 5:05
How about
Look-how-bad-you-are ->Luca Badoer.
Rain Master – Schumi
IceMan said on 10th August 2011, 5:05
Sorry Kimster – Kimi
rethymnoracer said on 9th August 2011, 12:54
Christian Danner used to be called Christmas Dinner by his mechanics. Made me laugh when I heard that.
TommyB (@tommyb89) said on 9th August 2011, 12:54
I was watching Spa 1995 on YouTube yesterday and I found it funny that they called a backmarker ‘Johnny Carwash.’
At first I thought it was because the commentators had forgotten his name but in fact it was the nickname of Giovanni Lavaggi.
Apparently his name translated into English from Italian was ‘John Washing’ which led people in the paddock to start calling him ‘Johnny Carwash.’
It really took off after US chat show host David Letterman brought it to the publics attention and from then on the US commentators called him his nickname in almost every race.
Journeyer (@journeyer) said on 9th August 2011, 12:56
Beat ya to it, Tommy (see above). Still, I agree it’s the best nickname EVER, though. :D
charlay (@charlay) said on 9th August 2011, 12:57
“crash-kid” my favourite of the current bunch. even if it’s not that common.
Also, have we dropped “quick-nick” yet? seing as he’s going slowly…
Fixy (@fixy) said on 9th August 2011, 14:34
He was the only one referring to himself as “Quick” ;)
TimG (@timg) said on 9th August 2011, 12:58
Ronnie Peterson – SuperSwede.
Stefanauss (@stefanauss) said on 9th August 2011, 12:58
I just refer to Alonso as “Frenando”, which is italian for “Braking” and/or “Slow down”. I often couple it with his last name, it sounds really good and almost undistinguishable.
Yes, he’s far from my favourite driver.
JCostras said on 11th August 2011, 19:02
You don`t know a word of italian, neither spanish. Fernando Alonso is an Spaniard, he is not an italian. Stop please saying nonsenses.
TimG (@timg) said on 9th August 2011, 13:02
Martin Brundle and Mark Blundell were sometimes known as the Brundell Brothers during their time together at Brabham and Ligier.
antifia said on 9th August 2011, 13:03
I use to refer to Alonso as “Fernando El Sonso” – Sonso being an adjective in Portugues for that kind of person that does nasty/underhanded things knowing all too well how bad they are but that fakes ignorance.
TommyB (@tommyb89) said on 9th August 2011, 13:04
Reading Mansell’s nickname makes me want to see Hamilton in a Ferrari one day (it won’t ever happen though.)
I was curious at the results from 1989 and noticed Ferrari were on the podium every time they finished a race that year! Like a candle in the wind… unreliable.
TommyB (@tommyb89) said on 9th August 2011, 13:19
Also Mansell having a nickname about him being fearless shows how he was a very similar driver to Hamilton. Bin or win attitude.
This is what annoys me so much when I hear Mansell criticising Hamilton’s driving style, as from what I see they were very similar drivers.
JCost (@jcost) said on 9th August 2011, 15:49
+1.
Actually Mansel was my first F1 hero (I was born in 1984) for the reasons you mention, It’s really annoying to hear him saying rubbish on Lewis driving style.
Eric said on 9th August 2011, 23:54
I agree too. Hamilton is without doubt an imperfect driver but I wouldn’t want that to change. Although not my favorite driver on the grid he is easily one of the most exciting drivers that I have ever had the pleasure of watching.
JohanKasper said on 9th August 2011, 13:05
From the Dutch perspective: Jos “the Boss”.
TommyB (@tommyb89) said on 9th August 2011, 13:07
Like a boss. Loved that nickname.
Wallbreaker said on 9th August 2011, 15:42
Seconded
Ned Flanders (@ned-flanders) said on 9th August 2011, 14:45
Ahh that was a good one
Ral (@ral) said on 9th August 2011, 15:31
Thank you. Was racking my brain trying to remember Jos’s nickname. As a Dutchmen, I think it’s a shame that after Benetton he never really had the machinery to do anything meaningful. Certainly Schumacher always spoke highly of him.
But then I remember this is Jos “short-fuse” Verstappen we’re talking about and I don’t mind it quite so much.
bosyber (@bosyber) said on 9th August 2011, 18:02
Well said. Still, I am looking forward to seeing that Red Bull demo he seems to be going to do. He is a bit of a tragic figure for me, but that’s also due to him sliding off and away after the Benetton gig. Better than Aalbers, for sure, but who remembers him?
damonsmedley (@damonsmedley) said on 10th August 2011, 17:36
I didn’t think there were too many, but going through the comments, I’m being reminded of so many!