5 replies to this topic

[D.M.N.]

I personally think it's best to look at things in hindsight. So, when I got all of my F1 Racing books out of the loft, from November 1999 to November 2004, I had a brief look over some of the issues, until I got to the August 2001 edition entitled "Kimi Raikkonen: Ferrari's Next World Champion". Looking back, wow, how true were they! Seven years later, we call him 2007 Formula One World Champion. See, it's good to predict into the future. Anyway, I thought I'd post the article (pages 34 to 42 for anyone that has it) into here to discuss.

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

KIMI: Ferrari's next world champion
Kimi Raikkonen is as good as it gets. No question. No argument. That's great for Sauber, right? Well, maybe not. He might just be too fast. Too fast for a midfield team to hold onto that is. Time - and Ferrari - wait no man

Interview by Matt Bishop; Portraits by Rip

Yes, he's skinny. Yes, he's soft-spoken. Yes, he bites his nails to the quick. No, he isn't the swarthy race ace from central casting. But then you could have said all that about Jim Clark. And Clark won 25 grands prix and two world championships. Irrelevant? Maybe... but don't be surprised if Kimi Raikkonen does the same.

You've heard it all before, I know. We were saying much the same about Jenson Button a year ago, about Jan Magnussen three years before that. But Kimi is different. Kimi is special.

...

I don't know about you guys, but I like looking back on things like this in hindsight. The fact that Kimi, despite what everyone thought, never went to Ferrari initally, but to McLaren, before heading to Ferrari. I hate to say this, but Kimi would of been better off heading to Ferrari, McLaren were having a little rough patch at this time - it could be argued that Kimi would be more successful if he headed straight from Sauber to Ferrari. Thoughts on the above?

[Nobody]

He should have won at least 1 title at McLaren. And if it wasn't for a nervous finger from another heralded rookie, he might not have won 1 at Ferrari.

[MikeTekRacing]

should have...might have not...who cares
facts remain, he won a title (first one, until now) with ferrari

[Nobody]

Originally posted by MikeTekRacing
should have...might have not...who cares
facts remain, he won a title (first one, until now) with ferrari

The point is a hundred articles are written and forgotten, where's the one about Luizzi being the first Italian WDC in however long etc...

BTW Going to Ferrari in 2002 would have made Kimi sign on as what's-his-name's doormat aka Barichello. At least at McLaren he had a fair shot at the title.

[kar]

One wonders who would have been in the McLaren seat in the early 00s had Raikkonen gone to Ferrari. And how they might have got on too.

[secessionman]

Originally posted by Nobody

....where's the one about Luizzi being the first Italian WDC in however long etc...

Yes, I recall Bishop in 03 (or maybe 04) saying that if he was running a team his ideal driver line-up would be Fisichella and Liuzzi.

Doesn't sound so wise now does it?