Kimi Raikkonen has never been shy of sarcasm. The Finnish driver became famed for his nonchalant comments while competing in F1. He enjoyed a two-decade career and was crowned world champion in 2007.

That dramatic success came while he was with the Scuderia, and denied Lewis Hamilton the title in his debut season. He eventually bowed out in 2021, having notched 21 Grand Prix wins and 103 podium finishes. However, despite being cemented as an F1 icon, he was omitted from July’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

F1 chiefs invited former title winners Alain Prost, Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mika Hakkinen, Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, and Jacques Villeneuve to the event. They participated in a filmed discussion to help mark the sport’s 75th anniversary.

The footage was released this week on F1’s YouTube channel. As dry as ever, Raikkonen responded to an F1 Instagram post plugging the video by commenting: “Thanks for the invite.”

Within hours, the comment had racked up more than 28,000 likes. Many fans also lauded the 45-year-old’s humour, which often came to the fore during his driving career.

He famously left Martin Brundle flapping ahead of the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix, after the TV pundit pressed him on missing a pre-race presentation featuring Pele and Michael Schumacher. Live on air, the Finn explained: “I was having a s**t.”

Since retiring from F1, Raikkonen has rarely been seen in the public eye. He has remained in motorsport, though, and in 2022 was named the team principal of the Kawasaki Racing Team for the Motorcross World Championship.

He remains one of just three F1 world champions from his country, following in the footsteps of Keke Rosberg and Hakkinen. Heikki Kovalainen and Valtteri Bottas are the only other Finnish driver with F1 Grand Prix wins.