Kimi Räikkönen

Probably one of the coolest drivers ever to grace F1 alongside James Hunt.

His part life-style may not have been to some teams liking in F1 but you can't deny that Kimi was probably one of the best drivers on the grid from 2003-09. He should have won more championships than he did!

Kimi won his one and only F1 Championship in 2007. Kimi won 18 races, 16 pole positions, scored 62 podiums and claimed 35 fastest laps in his time in F1.

Kimi is probably the must unluckiest driver to ever grace F1 and the amount of retirements he had no fault of his own were lots.

Kimi won his first GP in 2003 winning the Malaysian GP and he claimed his last victory in F1 at the 2009 Belguim GP.

Kimi started his F1 career in 2001 driving for Sauber, he then went on to drive for Mclaren and Ferrari before quitting the sport in 2009.

Kimi produced probably the 2 most funniest moments to happen in F1 over the last 10 years, when he said :censored: at the Brazilian GP in 2006 when Schumi first retired from F1 and the other one at the Malaysian GP where the race was red flagged and he went to the garage and got into shorts, t-shirt and flip-flops and started eating ice-cream.

Whether you liked him or not you can't deny his talent, he produced one of the comebacks of the past 10 season by starting near the back of the Japan GP in 2005 and went on to win it! Probably one of his best race wins in F1.

Did you like Kimi or Not?
 
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Some quotes from the man himself LOL

Lewis Hamilton said that winning his first race felt better than having sex?
- Maybe he has never had sex.
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What kind of an atmosphere do you think there is in McLaren with the spy saga?
– I bet it’s ****ing great.
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TAG-boss in a promo-event asks Kimi what makes TAG Heuer so special?
– It’s ok.
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Ferrari event 2007:
– I’m not going to any language school to learn Italian, that’s not what Ferrari hired me for.
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About Alonso's teasing.
– I couldn’t care less about what the man is thinking.
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Would you go to any other team than Ferrari?
- Probably not.

Definitely not?
- I said probably not.
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Where did you use KERS?
- On the track.
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About Coulthard's criticism over Kimi's car development skills:
- I still don't know even one driver who would design the car. The guy is eager to comment although he has never really won anything in F1. It's his own business... a bit of a strange guy.
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Räikkönen when he heard from the team that his WDC was certain:
- Thanks.. ****ing hell. I told you that it's never over before it's over.
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What do you think is the best about being a F1-driver?
- Not talking to the media, that's for sure. I don't like shit questions much.
Click to expand
 
Well Jordan certainly called it right with Hamilton to Mercedes last year so I wouldn't be quick to doubt this story. However, whether it is a move that will happen is a different matter. And if Kimi were to go there what would it mean for Alonso?
 
It would mean Alonso had a battle on his hands. I reckon it was be a pretty even match actually.

Either that or we'll have two drivers moaning about crap Ferrari's whilst Vettel runs away with the title.

I wonder why(money) Kimi would(money) rather (money) go to Ferrari(money) than Red Bull? (money).
 
I am so desperately disappointed by this decision, that's the penalty I pay for dreaming I guess. My heart was hoping for Raikkonen, and I think I convinced my head into thinking it made logical sense. History suggests otherwise. Here is a list of drivers from the past 25 years who have been drafted into a car expected to dominate in their début season with that team:

1990 Gerhard Berger replaces Alain Prost at McLaren.
1993 Damon Hill and Alain Prost replace Riccardo Patrese and Nigel Mansell at Williams.
1994 Ayrton Senna replaces Alain Prost at Williams.
1996 Jacques Villeneuve replaces David Coulthard at Williams.
1997 Heinz Harold Frentzen replaces Damon Hill at Williams.
2000 Rubens Barrichello replaces Eddie Irvine at Ferrari.
2013 Daniel Ricciardo replaces Mark Webber at Red Bull.

Only twice has a non-'like-for-like' swop taken place; in 1990 when Gerhard Berger replaced Alain Prost, and 1997 when HH replaced Damon Hill. Both changes resulted in a less experienced driver replacing a senior driver, not the other way around.

All other swops involved a team leader being replaced with a team leader, or a number 2 replacing a number 2. So, the odds of Raikkonen being hired to replace Webber were not good.

What does that say about Ricciardo? Sorry mate, I think you're going to have to be "Not bad for a No. 2 driver". Unless he pulls a Hamilton circa 2007... Somehow I don't see that happening.
 
I always thought that Raikkonen would be unable to turn down the Red Bull drive. I guess the PR commitments were just too much to handle. But then that makes the notion of him heading back to Ferrari seem absurd. Maybe Kimi is actually concerned about the pay packet. Who knows...
 
There are rumours that there may actually be a straight swap between Alonso and Raikkonen.

Raikkonen to Ferrari, and Alonso to Lotus.

Don't see it happening though, if it did, I think Alonso and Lotus will benefit from the move, while Raikkonen doesn't, as Alonso brings sponsors and we know the team is struggling plus they'll have the Renault engine which isn't the worst as been reported unlike the Ferrari.

Then there's Ferrari's windtunnel problem which has been going on for three years now.
 
I really don't see Alonso going to Lotus, that's just never going to happen (again). I'm also doubtful that Raikkonen is pushing for a move to Ferrari given what happened last time, if anything it's just posturing and making Lotus sweat a bit.
 
Alonso to Enstone? not a chance in hell.

As for Kimi to Ferrari, maybe but also doubtful. The problem for Raikkonen is that he's not getting any younger and his chances of remaining in the frame for a good seat get smaller with each passing year.

The one thing he knows for sure is that the Lotus(Renault) financial situation is tenuous at best. I'm sure he wants to stay in F1 and he has the ability to do well but like all drivers he needs the best car underneath him. What he has at Lotus(Renault) for the time being, is number one status, the kind of sponsor free environment he enjoys and a pretty good car. As the money situation changes he may need to do more of that pesky sponsorship hand kissing or watch the car suffer in performance.

Wherever he moves though, he's likely to be the number 2 driver (that would certainly have been the case at Red Bull and I would guess also at Ferrari). He knows the score at Ferrari but would he want to return to a team that were quite happy to pay him off for what would now be his team mate?

I think, when you weigh up all the pro's and cons, staying put seems the most credible option.
 
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