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?

 

[Titch]

I don't think that Raikkonen showed himself to his best advantage today.

 

[Il_leone]

RasputinLives What about his response to " Get the out of your teammate's way "

KR " Don't shout!"

Don't think Lotus are too bothered whether he finishes 2nd or 3rd in the drivers championship now

 

[downforce]

makes for an interesting 2014...

 

[ExtremeNinja]

 

[Incubus]

I think there has been some bad blood between Kimi and Lotus for several months actually.

Kimi at the time of his Ferrari contract announcement went public about having gone months "of not being paid his wages".
Now, according to Autosport's "insider sources" at the time the alleged shortfall referred to performance-related bonuses as opposed to basic salary, which isn't quite the same thing. Yet it was the latter which went on record in the media.

Whatever the truth of either, Lotus's top brass would have been singularly unimpressed with Kimi publicly disclosing details of his contractual situation, and if indeed the payment shortfalls regarded bonus awards then they would have been furious at seeing them incorrectly labelled in the press. Disastrous PR that is, the image of a team that can't even afford to pay drivers' regular salary. Definitely not the best way to attract sponsors and/or investors.

It's not good for Lotus and it's not good for Raikkonen either, who had been hired by Ferrari on he hope he would bring more points home than Massa and push Alonso a bit more than the Brazilian did. Now they are faced with the perspective of having their new driver having to undertake back surgery this winter.

Things are looking a bit messy for Kimi at the moment...

 

[ExtremeNinja]

You could say he is making a rod for his own back...

 

[The Pits]

You could also say he probably doesn't give a shit.

 

[Road of Bones]

...he only takes them!

 

[Blog Zbod]

Kimi was AWOL from the Thursday presser at Abu Dhabi. Oops.

He's also going back to the short wheelbase chassis.

 

[teabagyokel]

And no shits were given that day.

 

[Titch]

I did wonder if he would turn up at any point of the weekend !

 

[RasputinLives]

David Valsecchi has his fingers crossed for a no show.

 

[Quintessentially]

Alan Permane was very unprofessional with the way he relayed that radio message to Kimi. Totally unnecessary and it looked like Kimi wanted to punch him in the face in that video. Lotus are going to need him if they want to challenge for 2nd in the WDC and reap the financial rewards which they badly need.

 

[teabagyokel]

I can't believe that someone else is being described as unprofessional on this thread...

 

[Quintessentially]

Kimi at the time of his Ferrari contract announcement went public about having gone months "of not being paid his wages".
Now, according to Autosport's "insider sources" at the time the alleged shortfall referred to performance-related bonuses as opposed to basic salary, which isn't quite the same thing. Yet it was the latter which went on record in the media.

From the horses mouth. He says he hasn't been paid a single euro all year.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24776816

 

[Bill Boddy]

He wants to get paid as well as being given an F1 car to drive?

 

[Blog Zbod]

He wants to get paid as well as being given an F1 car to drive?

Cheeky monkey.

 

[teabagyokel]

He says he hasn't been paid a single euro all year.

So what currency has he been paid in?

 

[Quintessentially]

^Mostly colourful language I think. I'd imagine everytime he asked for his dosh, Lotus told him to piss off and drive.

 

[Blog Zbod]

Kimi made some comments to Marca.com which appear to be threats not to drive in the final two races if he hasn't been paid.

If it were any other driver, I'd consider the threats idle. But Kimi spoke two complete sentences. In succession. Whenever anything motivates him to move his lips that much, you can bet he is vexed.