We wonder who named the famous Austrian three times F1 world champion Niki Lauda as ‘The Rat’

Some names were given out of affection whereas some names were designated out of hatred; over the years, several Formula One drivers have received nicknames and honestly, most of them are genuinely hilarious. For the F1 fans, we have compiled a list of some of the funny nicknames received by some Formula One racers. Shunt- The name Shunt was received by Formula One world champion James Hunt. In 1976, he became the world champion but in his early racing days; he was involved in many accidents because of which, he was addressed as Hunt the Shunt.

The Mouse- As we all know, late legendary Austrian F1 racer Niki Lauda was a bucktoothed guy. Therefore, when he ventured into the world of Formula One; he received the moniker of ‘The Mouse’. That’s not all as Lauda was also called ‘The Computer’ because once behind the wheels, he was more like a robot than a human. During his racing days, he was also addressed as ‘The Rat’, ‘King Rat’ and ‘Super Rat’.

The Professor- Four-times Formula One world champion Alain Prost was given this moniker because he was not merely a brilliant driver but also a tactician. During the race, he used to draw up different strategies to defeat his opponents and therefore, he was called ‘The Professor.’

The Honey Badger- Australian F1 racer Daniel Ricciardo nicknamed himself as the ‘The Honey Badger’. Talking about nicknaming himself, Ricciardo said, “He looks cute, but as soon as someone enters his territory he attacks mercilessly.”

The Iceman- Known for staying extremely cool and calm inside the cockpit, Kimi Räikkönen is a man who is like the Terminator. Therefore, he is called ‘The Iceman’. This name was given to Räikkönen by Ron Dennis when Kimi was flying for McLaren.

The Pampas Bull- The first Formula One driver to win for Scuderia Ferrari, Argentine racer Jose Froilan Gonzalez was called ‘The Pampas Bull’ by the British press because of his bulky physique. However, affectionately, the racer was called ‘El Cabezon’ by his fans and teammates.

Mike the Bike- Famous F1 racer Mike Hailwood was not merely famous for his F1 races. Before venturing into F1, he was an Isle of Man TT winner because of which, he was called ‘Mike the Bike.’ He left motorcycling racing and joined F1, but the name stayed with him.