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 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?

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

Quite right. And Alonso also pitted for inters on the same lap. Although he stayed out on them till the end because he was until a few laps from the end half-a-minute ahead of Ericsson.

The McLaren isn't any slower on inters in the dry though and is incapable of wearing them out, so it didn't make any difference.

 

[Incubus]

Well Alonso's tyres were certainly shot towards the end. Ericsson went ten seconds faster on the last lap.

 

[Viscount]

Just over a decade ago now, but what a great tense end to a race with McLaren & Kimi risking staying out on a massive flatspot to go for the win rather than settle for a podium.
It's almost like they were going by the Ricky Bobby motto, "If you ain't first, you're last."

 

[Olivier]

Classic Kim, almost collecting a BAR? Arguably 2005 was his best year, who doesnt remember Japan?

 

[RasputinLives]

Kimi seems to have found some of that mid naughties form this year.

 

[KekeTheKing]

Surely FOM was having a laugh when they played the clip of Kimi telling the team to have Seb push after he lets him through so that he wasn't held up as well.

 

[Titch]

Kimi has been told to prove that he wants to race for the team next year.

 

[Il_leone]

Titch How much more evidence do Ferrari need and continue to flush money down the toilet to not see he is way past his best and there are plenty of drivers who can do a better job out there

 

[Titch]

Don't shoot the messenger ! I'm only repeating what I read.

 

[F1Brits_90]

I cant see kimi being here for 2017. (But then I said that for 2015 & 2016) because there are too many good drivers & perez will be approached I thought by Ferrari & no one turns down ferrari. also shockingly his last Ferrari win was

Impromptu Quiz Question

2008 Spanish GP so long ago Davidson was racing for super aguri

Also I was looking on Wikipedia & kimi raikkonens 1st couple of monaco kart races are hilarious & typical kimi
His first race outside Finland was in Monaco when he was 15 years old. During the race, the steering wheel broke, but he continued, informing his mechanic of this by frantically waving the steering wheel in the air on the home straight. Räikkönen's next Monaco race was also memorable; he was thrown on the wrong side of the safety fence in a first lap collision but Undeterred kimi continued driving until he had ran out of road. Not to be defeated he lifted his kart back onto the track and then continued to race. His mechanic thought Räikkönen had retired, but he eventually caught up with the other competitors & finished third.

 

[Il_leone]

F1Brits_90 I thought Kimi won Spa 2009??

 

[Il_leone]

Titch I am questioning the sanity of the Ferrari bosses that they can waste money and accept sub par performances from Kimi for so long

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

F1Brits_90 I thought Kimi won Spa 2009??

And Australia 2013? Oh apologies - he was driving for Lotus Renault.

 

[F1Brits_90]

F1Brits_90 I thought Kimi won Spa 2009??

Yep just seen. I stand corrected I thought that was the 2009 was the 1st season he disappeared off to WRC

 

[siffert_fan]

Let me get this straight:

Kimi has scored 85% of the points of his teammate, so he should go.
Button has scored 28% of the points of HIS teammate, but he should stay.

That sure makes sense.

 

[Il_leone]

siffert_fan Kimi Raikkonen since joining Ferrari has scored

2014 -35% of the points of his teammate
2015 - 54% of the points of his teammate
2016 - 84% of the points of his teammate who did not start 1 race because the engine failed and was taken out of another race by another driver as well as had the worst of the strategies given out by his team

Kimi's current average to his teammate is 54% of their points and has been paid $15m to $20m a year

So either Vettel is not as good as he is suppose to be or Kimi has not been trying previously and now needs to earn his pay

Give me a good reason why Kimi ought to stay because someone like Ricciardo who earns the same salary would probably do a much better job with the same car

Younger drivers available would cost less and produce just as good results if not better

If you want to compare him to Button who actually has managed to beat all his teammates from 2013-2015 until this season in inferior cars than what Kimi has been driving

Button just proved today why he should stay in F1 when Q3 was a lottery ...he's a better driver than Kimi in changeable conditions when the opportunity presented itself

 

[siffert_fan]

Il_leone
True. Among those giants he has outscored are:

Fisichella, Trulli, J. Villeneuve, Sato, Davidson, Barrichello, Perez and Magnussen.

YOU could have probably outscored most of them!

IMO it is time for BOTH of them to go!!!

 

[teabagyokel]

Keep Button, lose Vandoorne forever.
Silly move.

Raikkonen has looked very shoddy at Ferrari (2nd time)

 

[Il_leone]

I don't expect Button to stay at Mclaren given Vandoorne's reputation already and Ron is desperate to keep hold of him so I would hope Button to move to Williams

I have less sympathy for Raikkonen given he's had the 2nd best car for every year except 2009 and 2014 at Ferrari he's performed way below expectation for the money he's been paid by Ferrari

 

[Spinodontosaurus]

Give me a good reason why Kimi ought to stay because someone like Ricciardo who earns the same salary would probably do a much better job with the same car

On a points per race basis Raikkonen scored 57% of Vettel's points in 2015 and 88% of his points so far this season. On aggregate he has 66% of Vettel's points. How many drivers do you honestly think could get significantly closer than that to Vettel? And of those how many of them are actually available for next season?

There are only two drivers that fulfil both requirements in my opinion - Rosberg and Button. I would actually be in favour of one of them moving to Ferrari as it would hopefully be an exciting battle and would allow us place Vettel relative to Hamilton and potentially give us another way to place Vettel relative to Alonso.



If Ferrari are instead looking for a solid Number 2 then they already have one - Raikkonen. Raikkonen also has an enormous global fanbase and the prestige of being a former world champion, which is something that cannot be ignored from a marketing perspective. Even if there are a few midfielders who could do a marginally better job performance wise than Raikkonen, would it be worth sacrificing that fanbase for it? I'm not sure it would be.