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?

 

[Boyle]

He's the Balotelli of F1!

No no no, you have got that all wrong.

Balotelli is the Raikkonen of football

 

[Brogan]

 

[F1ang-o]

Love ...it!..

 

[The Pits]

I will have to ask my friend to see his!

 

[Jos the Boss]

Was there anything else on the Pit Lane channel?

 

[Jos the Boss]

Here's this from Spa from Kimi, 1:25

 

[Brogan]

I want one of those T-shirts!!!

It looks, unsurprisingly, as if Lotus will be cashing in on this and making them available through their store.

 

[Josh]

Merry Christmas, Kimi Räikkönen style:

 

[Fuzzy]

I recon it's a good time to bump up this topic. Kimi's race pace was amazing today. I wonder what's to come if Lotus can keep this up

 

[RasputinLives]

He did look pretty comfy today didn't he? great drive. Long way to go but I think you have to consider him an even bigger factor in the championship race this season.

 

[Soumya Banerjee]

I just hope Lotus are able to stay in touch with RBR and Ferrari over the course of the entire season...we all know that they are financially much weaker than those 2 teams.....

 

[siffert_fan]

Given Grosjean's relative lack of performance, I can't decide whether Kimi managed to massively flatter the Lotus, or Romain still has a LONG way to go to be really competitive in F1. Most likely, a bit of both. In any event, today proved that Kimi still has the raw pace that he had at McLaren, but effectively hid at Red Menace.

 

[EvilWhippet]

Love seeing Kimi win....HATE seeing Boulier happy...

so conflicted....

 

[aaron8831]

I was very happy with the outcome of the race today. Kimi seemed to have a relatively easy drive, hope that pace continues going forward. If his consistency from last year carries over to this year and there are some more early results like today I think you would have to put him right in the mix at the top.

 

[Soumya Banerjee]

In any event, today proved that Kimi still has the raw pace that he had at McLaren, but effectively hid at Red Menace.

I wouldnt say that he hid his true pace at Ferrari...yes,2008 was a pretty poor season for him,though he was quite unlucky as well on numerous occasions that year(car failures,Hamilton taking him out in Canada,race strategy-related blunders on the team's part,such as choosing to stay on the dries in Silverstone)...and he did win the WDC there,a fact most people put down to his "luck" or the "infighting between Hamilton and Alonso",conveniently ignoring the fact that he won 2 more race than either of his chief rivals,inspite of suffering more car failures than them. In 2009,he managed to drag the dog of a car to places where it should not have been able to reach...i have always rated him very highly. If anything,he isnt the world's best qualifier,but of what use is qualifying when you can win races from the 3rd row of the grid

 

[cider_and_toast]

IF (note the size of the letters) Kimi was to win another world title would it be the most remarkable title victory? For me the currant record holder is Niki Lauda for taking the 1984 world title against Prost. I see no reason at all, at this very early stage of the season, why Kimi can't remain in the hunt for the big prize so anything is possible.

 

[cider_and_toast]

For interests sake, Kimi is now on 20 wins in his F1 career which puts him level with his fellow Finn, Mika Hakkinen. If Kimi wins next time out in Malaysia that will put him equal with Lewis Hamilton and if he wins another race there after he will be on the same number of GP wins as Damon Hill.

 

[RasputinLives]

Kimi or Mika. Who's the greatest finn? Soubds like a thread that needs writing.

hmmm might throw in Keke too.

 

[Il_leone]

what impressed me about Kimi was the way he managed the race in Prost fashion just make sure he is in touch and then wait for the right moment to hit the front

The old Kimi would have probably destroyed the tyres .. it seems that he's adapted his style which meant he has lost a bit of speed but improved his race craft certainly

Now if he can keep this up along with Lotus maintaining their development running on a smaller budget than the others than he might prove to be a thorn in the side of Red Bull and Ferrari

he looks a bit fitter this year in terms of fitness level which has been questioned in the past

The Lotus Renault will be a car to watch for the others

 

[EvilWhippet]

IF (note the size of the letters) Kimi was to win another world title would it be the most remarkable title victory? For me the currant record holder is Niki Lauda for taking the 1984 world title against Prost. I see no reason at all, at this very early stage of the season, why Kimi can't remain in the hunt for the big prize so anything is possible.

I'd still have Lauda's '84 title ahead because he beat one of the greatest drivers of all time in the same machinery to do it, even if it was by the skin of his teeth. Maybe Grosjean will go on to be as good as Prost but...somehow I kind of doubt it.