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?

 

[Il_leone]

Spinodontosaurus Then Ferrari are wasting their money, time and holding the whole team back if Kimi is only in the team for marketing reasons

Kimi \Raikkonen is not the driver you want when a team is in crisis

 

[Spinodontosaurus]

Ferrari's problems have precisely nothing to do with Raikkonen, which is demonstrated by the fact one of Top 5 drivers on the grid is also driving the car but is still miles off the championship lead and is actually tied on points with Raikkonen. Replacing him won't fix their problems, although they might get a few better results on track out of it depending on who they put in the seat.

 

[F1Brits_90]

I think Ferrari are keeping him too long in the last 2 seasons. Kimi has only technically outqualified vettel 3 times (as engine problems & team tyre cock up shouldnt count) & only beaten vettel 3 times in the race when both cars have finished. I don't see how Ferrari can justify keeping a driver that mist weekends gets beaten by his teammate most weeks when you have quality being denied a chance further down the field Sainz Hulkenburg Perez Grosjean & Bottas

 

[RasputinLives]

Their attitude though is wounding they need someone to out qualify Vettel F1Brits_90.

Irvine, Barrichello, Massa, Kimi. Hell even Mansell and Berger. Ferrari love a top notch number 2 in their number 2 car. Someone who is not going to rock the boat of their superstar but will get good team result. That's what they've got and that's what they'll keep. They'll look at the current Merc situation and be even more convinced.

I agree with Spinodontosaurus. Ferrari's issue have nothing to do with Kimi right now. Other things to focus on.

 

[Il_leone]

Spinodontosaurus The other driver results would have been significant superior to Raikkonen given his list of woes include

Not starting 1 race
Punted off in another race
Two strategy mess ups costing certain wins
a tyre blow out

so out of these incidents none of could be directly attributed to Vettel

------------------

Ferrari should look at it this way Raikkonen is likely to get worse not get better . Yes Ferrari have problems elsewhere but they have the weakest driver line up amongst the top 3 teams

 

[Spinodontosaurus]

I agree that none of those problems can be attributed to Vettel, but they also cannot be attributed to Raikkonen either. They are a combination of bad luck, bad strategy and poor reliability.

I do hope Ferrari replace Raikkonen though. If nothing else it will show us how Vettel and whoever the new driver is stack up relative to each other. That is why I am especially hopeful of Button or Rosberg landing the seat, although both seem like very unlikely options to put it mildly.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Button at Ferrari would be brilliant addition because he fits the bill perfectly. He quick to help with constructors title push & wont rock the boat as he got on great with every teammate

 

[TR]

Well not every team mate...

Even nice guy incarnate JB could not get along well with Jacques Villeneuve.

 

[gethinceri]

Well everyone knows JV is a ****ing dick.

 

[Il_leone]

JV thought he was supreme on the same level as Schumacher and really no on at BAR was sorry that he left

Button was phased by his mind games I always remember his words about retiring if Button beat him

For Ferrari I don't think they will learn anything else from Raikkonen that they have not for 6 seasons he's driven for them apart from waste a lot of money

Next year would be a good time to get another young and upcoming driver to keep Vettel on his toes and put some fresh impetus.

Carlos Sainz seems very mature and Prost like in his approach and he's been touted for that Ferrari should go for

 

[vintly]

Agreed Il_leone about Sainz. I think he would be a good fit.

Can't underhand why they'd keep Kimi for another season, it won't help their cause. Maybe he could be the new Ferrari press officer instead? Maybe not.

 

[ATL11]

Just signed for 2017, staying at Ferrari, interesting:

Kimi Raikkonen re-signs for Ferrari for the 2017 season

 

[Il_leone]

Not an inspired signing

 

[F1Brits_90]

This wont come as a surprise to many but as much as I love Kimi Ferrari retaining him for 2017 is dreadful decision as hes sadly past his best Kimi has only outqualified vettel 3 times & only beaten vettel 3 times in the race in the last 2 yrs (when both cars have finished)

shouldve gone for a perez/grosjean/bottas or even JB

 

[cider_and_toast]

Might as well start the 2018 Drivers silly season thread now then.

 

[vintly]

Oh Ferrari Ferrari why why why. Hanging around for another season. Great for Kimi of course and this is the Kimi thread, but if another season trailing Vettel is really what he desires then congratulations I suppose. The most uncharismatic guy who's a curious personality is back, to tread water and float for the team that needs to fly. There's a bit of irony and paradox.

 

[RasputinLives]

Ferrari want a number 2 and they have one. I'm.not sure why people are shocked. They hung on to Massa years after he past his best.

 

[vintly]

I get it, but it's just dull.

 

[RasputinLives]

Oh I totally agree but saw it coming a mile off. I'm still not convinced Williams will drop Massa and Mclaren will drop Button either.

Names that are known bring sponsors and column inches and most teams need them in buckets. Same group of drivers have had a monopoly over the drivers market for getting on a decade now. Danny Ric and Verstappen look like they might have broken in but i wouldn't put money on anyone else in the next 3 years or so.

 

[vintly]

Maybe I was naive in hoping they'd 'take a chance' on someone else.

Sky posited that apart from the things you've mentioned, and Vettel's preference for Kimi as a team-mate; Ferrari want to sign Hamilton in 2018 or 19, and need to have someone they can remove easily when that happens. Interesting.