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?

 

[AlexM]

I'm looking forward to Kimi returning, if Kubica returns alongside him then even better - I may have to start supporting Renault Genii Lotus!

 

[Lewywo4]

Eric Boullier seems to be satisfied that Kimi is well motivated and will prove his doubters wrong, and I'm just glad that Raikkonen again will be behind the wheel of a F1 car, instead of rolling over cars in the woods.

 

[Jen]

Perhaps the quiet man knows the true meaning of the word 'passion'.

I don't think he's in it for the money and I'm sure he was put off by all the PR and politics in the past - he has always been a favourite, if a little unpredictable and allegedly a 'car breaker'. He is older and, hopefully, a little wiser and the cars are a lot stronger.

So, a welcome back to the older charger . Note I say 'older'!

 

[Slyboogy]

You don't see these types of laps these days, half a second down in the first sector. Also, love the noise from the car and the livery

 

[Lewywo4]

You don't see these types of laps these days, half a second down in the first sector. Also, love the noise from the car and the livery

Wow.....that was just unreal!

 

[siffert_fan]

In his McLaren days, Kimi was the gold standard for pure speed. I hope he is returning with all of his passion and returns to his place at the front of the grid.

 

[teabagyokel]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula_one/16131089.stm

Don't make the same mistake again M. Boullier!

 

[Jen]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula_one/16131089.stm

Don't make the same mistake again M. Boullier!

Haven't I seen that somewhere else today?

 

[Il_leone]

Kimi you plonker ! and same for Eric .. I bet he was thinking de ja vu ! for a moment

Kimi apparently is fine but I think Eric would have learnt his lesson from last year

 

[laFrau]

Kimi you plonker ! and same for Eric .. I bet he was thinking de ja vu ! for a moment

Kimi apparently is fine but I think Eric would have learnt his lesson from last year

I'm too lazy to write this again , so I'll quote myself (from the other thread about this issue):
"Mistakes" refers to the mistake of Lotus allowing Kimi to do that after what happened to Kubica.

Which mistakes?
Räikkönen was taking part yesterday in a show event for Red Bull, the guys who are still paying him until December 31st.
As a matter of fact, originally, he was supposed to take part yesterday in the Bercy karting event (where Grosjean was, BTW) and cancelled it.

Yesterday's was not a crazy snowmobile race between the trees in the forest, but a show event where they have famous sportmen (Timo Scheider, Heidfeld, Klien, etc were there yesterday) and celebrities (singers, comedians,...) in a snow circuit. It's not such a risky thing, it really isn't. It was not what people first think about when told about a "snowmobile race".
Räikkönen was simply unlucky: the Austrian press says it was a pretty harmless incident but Kimi put the hand on the ground in a slightly wrong position, nothing else, just bad luck. He got a little bandage to his wrist and that's all.

 

[EvilWhippet]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula_one/16131089.stm

Don't make the same mistake again M. Boullier!

It's too late, Nick's gone.

 

[Josephiah]

An interesting opposition of headlines on this story:
BBC F1: "Raikkonen hurt in snowmobile race"
Autosport: "Raikkonen unhurt in snow mobile fall"

 

[Josh]

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/videos/1692/kimi-raikkonen-s-skidoo-crash/

Doesn't look like much...

 

[EvilWhippet]

What a wuss!

 

[RasputinLives]

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/1/12914.html

Have to say when I saw the headline - "Kimi says Lotus is buzzing" I did think bloomin eck is he complaing about the car already! turns out he was using it in the way those kids today speak.

 

[landogeorgelewis1]

You don't see these types of laps these days, half a second down in the first sector. Also, love the noise from the car and the livery

Awesome, frigging fantastic .

 

[Greenlantern101]

From Autosport

Kimi Raikkonen will return to Formula 1 action in a 2010-specification Renault at Valencia on January 23-24.
A Lotus team source has confirmed to AUTOSPORT that Raikkonen will have two days of running in the Renault R30 to re-acclimatise to F1 machinery after not having driven a grand prix car since the 2009 season finale in Abu Dhabi.

 

[Bushi]

I'm even thinking of taking a day of work just to "see" my man returning in a f1 car.

 

[Vortex]

You don't see these types of laps these days, half a second down in the first sector. Also, love the noise from the car and the livery

Ohhhh v10's, I nearly had a trouser accident!

 

[sportsman]

Kimi interview on Sky after first day at Valencia