Throughout Formula 1’s history, we’ve heard a plethora of iconic nicknames given to drivers by fans and the media. F1’s very first championship winner Giuseppe Farina is still widely known by his nickname Nino, so it’s no surprise that this somewhat pointless tradition still exists now. Let’s take a look at some of the great, and some of the slightly unfortunate, nicknames some F1 drivers have acquired.
Billion Dollar Man – Lewis Hamilton
Starting off with a self-explanatory nickname given to Lewis Hamilton over the last few years, the 38-year-old has long been the highest paid driver on the grid, in fact in 2022 it was revealed that Lewis is earning a staggering 40 million pounds a year from F1 alone. Driving for 8-time Constructor Championship winning team Mercedes – whose success has been achieved with Lewis, it’s no wonder they pay him the big bucks.
Mr. Saturday – George Russell
Hamilton’s teammate George Russell was given this nickname last season after an incredible drive in the rain during Quali at Spa, earning him P2 much to Williams’s delight. The driver continued to impress year-round in Saturday Quali, often beating much faster cars. We can only assume that his consistent results on Saturdays are another reason Toto Wolff brought George to Mercedes this year.
Mad Max/Super Max – Max Verstappen
The two-time Championship Winner dons two nicknames, Mad Max was given to the driver because of his aggressive driving and controversial reactions, including pushing Esteban Ocon and kicking his car. However, his more recent and much kinder nickname is now Super Max. Fans started calling him the name throughout his championship battle and someone even made a song called ‘Super Max’ that the driver danced to on his winning night.
Checo/Mexican Minister Of Defence – Sergio Pérez
Red Bull driver Sergio Pérez is known as Checo, as it is a Mexican tradition to call Sergio’s Checo. Another name for Checo is the Mexican Minister of Defence; fans honoured the driver with the nickname after his unbelievable defending skills last year, especially against Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi. Ironically Checo has said previously that if he wasn’t a racing driver, he would have liked to have been a defence lawyer.
Honey Badger – Daniel Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo is the resident Honey Badger on the grid and has sported the name since his Torro Rosso days. The Honey Badger is an animal known for looking cute and cuddly, but when attacked it can turn vicious and fearless, often fighting and defeating much bigger animals. Some people are surprised to learn that the animal originates from South Africa and Asia, in places such as Saudi Arabia, and not the drivers’ home country Australia. Daniel has said in many interviews that he has not seen a Honey Badger in person yet but would love the opportunity to.
Chilli/Smooth Operator – Carlos Sainz
In an interview back in 2016, when Carlos Sainz drove for Torro Rosso, he explained that his drunk friends called him ‘Chilli’ and ever since then the driver has carried the nickname throughout his career. As it turns out, Carlos actually doesn’t like chilli or spicy food in general; perhaps a more suitable name for him is ‘Smooth Operator,’ another nickname he has gained more recently. After hearing the song around the paddock, Carlos started singing the 1984 hit on his radio at Silverstone. The driver cemented the nickname by singing the chorus on his radio again in Hungary. Carlos has since admitted that he didn’t know the song before hearing it in the paddock and was completely unaware how famous it is.
Hulkenback – Nico Hülkenberg
Nico Hülkenberg’s last season as a full-time F1 driver was back in 2019, but the German keeps reappearing on the grid, hence the nickname. It seems the nickname has stuck though, as Nico will be back full-time in 2023! Nico raced for Renault in 2019 but had no contract for 2020, despite this, he still drove for Racing Point at both the British GP and the 70th Anniversary GP when Sergio Pérez had covid. The driver reappeared in the paddock in 2021 as Aston Martin’s reserve driver and we saw him race once again in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia this year, replacing Sebastian Vettel.
Honourable Mentions-
The Finger – Sebastian Vettel’s nickname comes from his one finger salute on the podium.
Last Lap Lando – A nickname given to Lando Norris after his brilliant final lap in Austria last year.
Teflonso – Coined by Martin Brundle in 2009, when Fernando Alonso was affected but not directly involved in a number of crashes, comparing the Spaniard to Teflon non-stick tape.