116 replies to this topic

[Ricardo F1]

This has had me pondering for a while now since Kimi going back to Ferrari sounded possible.  Kimi Raikonnen was regarded as by far the fastest and best driver in the sport when he went to Ferrari after a number of years at McLaren where his machinery simply wouldn't take him to a WDC.  He went on to win the Championship in 2007 at Ferrari, drove well, but basically he was given it by McLaren because of SpyGate - whether that be by "fate", "technical issues" or "politics".  He went into 2008 as World Champion, only to be beaten by Felipe Massa.  In 2009 he looked nothing like the driver who had wowed the World at Sauber and McLaren.  Basically Ferrari and Kimi, the first time around, never really worked. 

 

Now in 2014 he's back.  He's up against an incredible driver in Alonso, it's not Massa this time.  We KNOW he has the talent.  We KNOW he has the pace.  But the first time around he was pretty much at odds from day one.  I'm really curious why it will be different this time around.  Thoughts?

[Radion]

The two years at lotus showed ferrari, how they should have treated kimi in the first place. They now know how to get everything out of him.

[Cyanide]

I think he returned as a different driver last year. He's not as fast in qualifying, but he's smarter in the race - collecting as many points and sneaking up the order with some amazingly consistent drives. He has pace on Sundays, but Saturdays are still a problem. The environment he raced in was also much better. 

 

But with Alonso, I think he needs to up his game from day one. If he doesn't beat him or consistently match him, he'll quickly be labeled as a Number 2 driver. I don't think he'd join Ferrari for that status and I believe he joined because he's certain he can match or beat him. 

[Gorma]

It will be different this time. Kimi is older and knows he needs to demand what he wants. Ferrari is wiser and knows what they need to give Kimi.

[wj_gibson]

He was always consistent in races. What's changed in that in contemporary F1 qualifying doesn't matter to anything like the extent that it did with regard to determining the finishing order. Much of his 2008 season was wrecked by inconsistent qualifying, but (as Alonso has demonstrated repeatedly in recent years) it is perfectly possible to qualify 9th and finish 2nd with the KERS and DRS aids.

 

What hasn't changed, of course, is the amount of PR that the drivers have to do and this is where Kimi's desire to return to Ferrari puzzles me. I really can't imagine they'll allow him to have the kind of free rein to ignore this as he has at Lotus. I don't think Ferrari were best pleased, for example, when in 2009 he described the Abu Dhabi circuit (which Ferrari has a stake in as well as the theme park next door) as "****". 

[DaddyCool]

Matching / beating Alonso won't be an easy task, that's sure. That being said, I wish people forgot the "OMG he was beaten by Massa in 2008 argument". Alonso was beaten by Trulli in 2004 and Hamilton was beaten by Button in 2011. You can see where Fernando, Kimi and Lewis are now, and where Trulli, Button and Massa are.

[Lights]

If it worked with Massa these years, why wouldn't it work with Kimi? The only way I can see this ending badly is if Alonso somehow gets annoyed, but I doubt we will see that again.

[Gilles4Ever]

The topic is why will it work for Kimi at Ferrari this time, please keep to the topic.

It is not Kimi vs Alonso!

[xman]

I can think many reasons it will go well for Kimi this time.

 

If he signs at Ferrari;

 

- He will probably bring his race engineer Mark Slade with him back to Ferrari.

- Allison is there already and should know what it is to work with Kimi.

- 2014 regulations should favor smooth driving style (like Kimi and Jenson), instead of aggressive (Fernando, Lewis), according to Mika Häkkinen.

- Kimi won't be affected by mind games, if he gets a head start next year we might see fireworks..

- He already knows what is it to drive with Ferrari and will use his experience now to not do the same mistakes twice.

[JRodrigues]

If winning a WDC, 2 WCC in 3 years is not going right... Then what is 4 years and 0 championships?

Edited by JRodrigues, 11 September 2013 - 08:28.

[Shiroo]

If winning a WDC, 2 WCC in 3 years is not going right... Then what is 4 years and 0 championships?

 

You can't compare it like that.

Yet calling first stint with Ferrari "not going right" is a bit odd. He had really good Ferrari 1st stint. So basically I can't see him perform worse than he used to.

[Hacklerf]

Alonso will be the toughest thing Kimi has come up against, and like wise for Alonso, it will be similar to when vs Hamilton, very strong driver in the second car. I think Ferrari this time will know what they are getting involved with. Do not forget he done something with Ferrari that no one in recent memory apart from Schumi has done, win the championship. If they just let him drive the car they will be fine.

Edited by Hacklerf, 11 September 2013 - 08:36.

[Seanspeed]

Good luck getting some Kimi fans to admit that he was disappointing the last time with the Scuderia!

 

 

Anyways, I think any deficiencies he has in qualifying can be made up for better now with these Pirelli's and DRS.  I always considered his race pace to be a tad better than Felipe, but pre-2011, qualifying was massively more important, so this hurt him a bit.

 

That said, as good of a racer as I think Kimi is, I think Alonso is better.  A good deal better.  And Alonso is generally a great qualifier to boot, which is isn't unimportant. 

 

I don't see this being any sort of titanic battle in the end, though I'd like to be proven wrong about that. 

[Pitlane]

I cant help but thinking about that thing Kimi said earlier regarding his decision, that it may not make sense to everyone.

 

I mean, if things go well he will have a pretty good shot at another WDC obviously, as its likely that Ferrari will have atleast a car thats capable of fighting for wins, while Lotus is a bit uncertain with its limited budget and the loss of Allison etc.

 

However, if things doesnt work out as well as he had hoped, say that Alonso turns out to be a too hard oponent next year, he will still most likely have a better car then the lotus, and not having drive around in the midfield. He will be earning alot more money then he gets payed now, wich also will be payed in time, and he gets to spend more time in a sunny Italy rather then rainy England. So its not really a that bad way to end his career but rather a win win situation for him, even if his fans might be sad to see if he eventually has to play a 2nd driver role again.

 

Dont know what to expect, hopefully a close intense battle between to two right until the end.

[danmills]

This is the best chance to end countless debates on the whole Alonso/Kimi and who is better arguments.

 

- They're the same age pretty much.

- Both in the peak of their careers.

- Both driven for almost the same teams.

- Both clean and mature drivers with respect for eachother.

- It's arguably Alonso's team, but Kimi is their last golden boy, returning. Who's the favourite then? Both, and neither!

 

This is going to be spectacular and I cannot wait.

 

I think it's going to go right for Kimi AND Alonso.

 

Alonso will get a wake up call, and you will see that extra touch of magic that makes him world class re-emerge. It won't just be standard always there Nando.

Kimi and Ferrari know how to get what they want. This will work for Kimi the same way Lotus has met his comeback needs. How to work Kimi code is unlocked.

The only worry is they will rob points off eachother for a shot at the WDC, but the WCC will be snatched flawlessly.

[eronrules]

while i don't claim to be an expert in F1, i'll list my reasons why 'THIS TIME' kimi to ferrari will work

 

1. as Cyanide mentioned, kimi is not the driver that left 2009 for rallying, he was exhausted mentally by the politics and i assume by F1 in general. also, even though many will not agree on this, but he did hit the bottom point of his form at that time. since his comeback, he is more relaxed and focused. i'd also say (IMO) his reflexes and concentration improved after his venture in WDC, that is one of the reasons why he fared better than schumi. he demanded more from the team (unlike first ferrari stint) and made the team listen to his requirements. Also, this is just my opinion by i believe Ferrari took a notice of how LotusF1 let kimi be his own, saw how to manage him and how to extract the absolute best out of him.

 

2. Admit it or not, Ferrari does need a good (and equal) no#2 driver. Yes, as long as we can remember ferrari has always employed a clear no#1 and no#2 driver , but most of the times those no#2s had been talented and able to finish close and often ahead of their main man (take for example RB, Irvine). but it was the management decisions of Jean Todt and Ross brawn that assured that the no#2 driver be kept under control when things went out of hand (i.e same as malaysia 2013 NR vs LH  in MGP   ).

 

However, the current administration of Ferrari under SD seems to think that with the current competitiveness of F1 grid and the points system, not to mention the economic situation (yes even for ferrari), it is better to have 2 no#1 drivers and let the natural order set in by 3/4th of the season. by then, one contender will emerge and the team can then persuade the other to co-operate. but in the mean time, due to each driver pushing the other to become WDC, they'll propel team in a good position in WCC (where the money comes from). MClaren has always worked in that principle and RBR has shown how it can be managed (even with skirmishes like isanbul/ multi 21 etc/FW saga). kimi will be the perfect addition to the 'new ferrari' in that he's the most non-political driver in the grid, give him a car and he'll drive. he wont come 3 hrs before the race and stay 3hrs after to make fuss. even alonso has to admit that off all the tier 1 drivers, kimi will make life least miserable. 

 

3. since his carting day, kimi's ability has always been to judge the grip of the track, minimize wheel spin and scrub the least amount possible.  that is one of the reasons he need a very sensitive steering, he doesn't like to fight with it (like Alonso who prefers understeer). this is one of the major reason that he has shined in the 'Pirelli era' (also why he suffered in 'bridgestone' era). Now, with the introduction of turbo and corresponding increased torque, driver abilities like kimi's will be even more valuable come 2014.

 

4. again, despite what the critics and haters say, kimi is one of the most talented 'car developer' and technical persons in modern F1. yes, he speaks very little, but what he speaks is the exact reaction of the car. if he says the suspension is bad, it is bad. (for his liking at least). There has been countless quotes as to how how he can do wonders with setup and doesn't rely heavily on race engineers to set up his car (as long as the team listens to his changes) to make it fast. (see my sig   ). there also has been quotes from personnel within ferrari, robertson and slade that why he suffered in 2008 as the team didn't listen to his demands earlier in the season and made the car to Massa's liking. 

 

5. Ferrari has always opted for slightly aged drivers, who are at their best, sometimes at there twilight. they know the value of a battle hardened fighter (or aged cheese/wine  ) and how sometimes the best years are the years towards the last 3/4 years of there career. (JB/MS/FA) kimi makes sense cause he's battle hardened, seen it all, been there done that and he knows he has to do it within the last best 3/4 years of his career.

 

6. obviously, kimi and ferrari knows each other, while it's always a risk to take a young guy at the beginning of a major rule change era, appointing kimi will remove that factor from the equation, he'll fit in just fine (like he did with LotusF1). ferrari will know his preferences, like steering setup, suspension setups etc 

 

7. this point seems to have 'swept under the floor' due to the excitement, but we also need to remember that the last driver that James Allison has worked closely is not Fernando Alonso, but kimi raikkonen. he knows how kimi likes his cars, he knows kimi's strengths and how to extract them, his steering preferences and specially how to set the front end of the car to make him competitive in Qualifying (which had been his achilies heal during his last stint with SF and after his return). it'll be easier for James to work with kimi from the get go, specially seeing how he's to take more control of the development direction of SF from 2014. it'd be naive to discard the notion that james allison did have some influence in SF choosing kimi or vice versa,  kimi to choose SF.

 

8. kimi will have his freedom within the team, he'll be able to go rallying (which both RBR and Lotusf1 denied), he'll be payed a fortune for his services and he'll have to control to choose his contracts. as we all know from LotusF1 stint that A Happy Kimi is a Fast kimi 

 

9. kimi's consistency in grabbing points will increase Ferrari's ability to win the WCC and more often than not rattle RBR's nerves. with FA and KR on board, ferrari will have the 'Senna and prost' of modern F1, one with aggression, other with the long term consistency. once Ferrari finds the sweet spot of working with there drivers and win championships (even only the WCC), they'll have the continuity to push for consistency and improvements in the coming consecutive years and perhaps break the stranglehold of RBR on the championships. 

 

10. finally, kimi will give the team much publicity boost  (if they need any  ) within the Formula 1 fan demographic and in italy, for quite a while now ferrari and it's relationship with it's drivers, it's performance on track and it's management has been under scrutiny, by appointing kimi, they are poised to become the most talked about team within the paddock, tifosis love kimi, italians love kimi, his unique personality was used by LotusF1 in a clever, humorous and effective way and certainly Ferrari will be exploit that too. kimi now is way way more popular than kimi 2007-09, it'll be a positive boost for the morale of the team.

[Dzeidzei]

Im waiting for siht like this to appear shortly:

 

"Thee must ask for thyself another team, for that which I have, is too small for us both."

 

"When the samurai feels threatened, he shaves his head and flees to the sanctuary of a monastery."

 

Im sure there is a samuraishitegenerator somewhere....

Edited by Dzeidzei, 11 September 2013 - 10:51.

[Shiroo]

 

bold, non-bold, bold, non-bold...

 While I agree with most of it (though I highly doubt that Ferrari will go with attitude of Lotus towards Raikkonen cause ther are too different, and they will act towards him more like they were in 2007/8) I simply can't stand that bold/non-bold. Please mate, next time when you write don't make your post look like chess board.

[Shiroo]

Im waiting for siht like this to appear shortly:

 

"Thee must ask for thyself another team, for that which I have, is too small for us both."

 

"When the samurai feels threatened, he shaves his head and flees to the sanctuary of a monastery."

 

Im sure there is a samuraishitegenerator somewhere....

 

 

http://www.wordgener...e-generator.php

[nomi]

Kimi will have some catching up to do as Alonso seems to have the team wrapped around his finger however Kimi is quite liked in Ferrari garage.

 

If Kimi can keep his cool and not get drawn into Alonso's garage politicking than he could well possibly beat Alonso on a consistent basis.

Which will definately rock Alonso's fragile egocentric-ness.

[Vesuvius]

Good luck getting some Kimi fans to admit that he was disappointing the last time with the Scuderia!

 

 

Anyways, I think any deficiencies he has in qualifying can be made up for better now with these Pirelli's and DRS.  I always considered his race pace to be a tad better than Felipe, but pre-2011, qualifying was massively more important, so this hurt him a bit.

 

That said, as good of a racer as I think Kimi is, I think Alonso is better.  A good deal better.  And Alonso is generally a great qualifier to boot, which is isn't unimportant. 

 

I don't see this being any sort of titanic battle in the end, though I'd like to be proven wrong about that. 

I admit he was a dissapointment for me during his Ferrari years...I was only happy for his perfomance 2007, early part 2008 and some early races/latter half 2009 but people live too much in the past, it's now were we should focus on, not what happend years ago.

 

Let's hope you got proven wrong and we will have great battle of two fantastic drivers.

[eronrules]

 While I agree with most of it (though I highly doubt that Ferrari will go with attitude of Lotus towards Raikkonen cause ther are too different, and they will act towards him more like they were in 2007/8) I simply can't stand that bold/non-bold. Please mate, next time when you write don't make your post look like chess board.

it's my way of showing 'Emphasis' (since i can't punch the table on internet), i feel like there is no better way to simultaneously catch attention  and to be annoying   (to some, not all, i.e you  )

Edited by eronrules, 11 September 2013 - 11:07.

[Owen]

I just hope Kimi at Ferrari has the same hunger for success as Kimi at Lotus. Next year may be his last realistic crack at the WDC, he needs to bring his A game. And not cruise and collect the pay cheque.

[eronrules]

it seems someone agrees with my views 

 

 

Adam Cooper ‏@adamcooperf1

27m

Worth remembering that Kimi has good relationships with both Pat Fry and James Allison (as does ALO). That will certainly help.

 

Adam Cooper ‏@adamcooperf1

27m

Am sure both Pat and James were part of the discussion about how the ALO/RAI combo could work... and be managed

3:54 AM - 11 Sep 13 · Details

[PaulTodd]

Kimi will have some catching up to do as Alonso seems to have the team wrapped around his finger however Kimi is quite liked in Ferrari garage.

 

If Kimi can keep his cool and not get drawn into Alonso's garage politicking than he could well possibly beat Alonso on a consistent basis.

Which will definately rock Alonso's fragile egocentric-ness.

Hahaha I love this so much    

 

So You already have a reason if Kimi Gets beat. And then you have the victory quote going on as well

[Desdirodeabike]

Kimi and Alonso will actually be teamMATES and will work together with the Ferrari team to bring home the points, the trophys and hopefully a championship or two. They also seem to have a pretty good relationship with each other.
 

The sad thing is that it is in here where we will make it out to be some kind of war, thrashing the other driver even if he finished just a couple of places lower. When in fact it is Kimi-Alonso against the rest of the field. That is the reason Ferrari is rehiring Kimi anyway. I personally dont like Alonso one bit for his personality, attitude and shady history but he is one of the best drivers in F1 history.

 

My biggest worry is if Ferrari can give Kimi a car he can qualify well with. He is more picky than Alonso on his setups and preferences. Pro, he is close to unbeatable when its just right. Cons, it seems tricky finding that sweet spot. They were able to give him this in the second part of 2009, though. Pity the car lacked downforce.

[OccasionalCommenter]

Even if no one doubted it before, this move proves that Kimi has balls. We've heard from every top 4 driver how they are willing to go up against anyone, but Kimi is the first one to willfully do it. Big chance for Alonso to redeem himself too, after the 2007 implosion. I don't mean as a driver, obviously he's one of the best, but his ability to handle equal teammate is questionable. 

[Oho]

Even if no one doubted it before, this move proves that Kimi has balls. We've heard from every top 4 driver how they are willing to go up against anyone, but Kimi is the first one to willfully do it. Big chance for Alonso to redeem himself too, after the 2007 implosion. I don't mean as a driver, obviously he's one of the best, but his ability to handle equal teammate is questionable. 

Well first Räikkönen has to step up to the plate for that, though if the last two seasons are anything to go by I think the odds are he will. I gather Räikkönen has benefited immensely from the regulation changes since 2009; now unlike before moving up the grid during the race is almost the norm rather than exception if you have the speed.

Edited by Oho, 11 September 2013 - 11:48.

[fabr68]

I think this will go much better than people imagine.  I bet Alonso is sick and tired of hearing he cannot deal with a competitive teammate and Raikkonen is sick and tired to hear he is a lazy drunk who does not like to show up on time at the office.   Both drivers are going into a situation they already been before and with a list of lessons learned of how to do it better this time around.

 

Now the forums will be a shitstorm.  For the last four years we have heard nothing but conspiracy theories, imagined vetoes, drivers and sponsors calling the shots at Ferrari, etc.   Hopefully
Alonso and Kimi will bring harmony to their fans by example and uniting Ferrari and their fans by crushing the field together.

 

The other teams and drivers should get ready to taste the fury of Samurai and Zui Quan power

Edited by fabr68, 11 September 2013 - 11:57.

[jedioriginal]

If winning a WDC, 2 WCC in 3 years is not going right... Then what is 4 years and 0 championships?

Heh,well said.

[Tron]

We can all type out pages of why it will or won't, however it will always come down to the preformance of the car and development team.

[unitedevents]

Kimi's character doesn't suit Italians, they like interacting and being social. Simple as that, he is not inspiring them. Alonso does inspire them, but he can also make them hate him and I think he has every chance to do this by criticizing or insulting the team. Lotus is perfect for Kimi, they just need this god damn budget!

[siggers]

... I regularly travel to Italy and watch Sky F1 Italia - Alonso is a God in that country, Kimi will have his work cut out.

 

 

I live in Italy and watch Sky F1 Italia. Ferrari is God in that country and whoever wins for them will be God for a while. Of course Kimi will have his work cut out, as will Alonso. But not being involved too much in politics as well as being rather unflappable at the moment is probably a huge advantage both for the driver himself and in the eyes of the management. And there are a lot of people who do not like the 'The Ferrari is a dog and only Alonso can make it look half way decent' perception at all. I should think Montezemolo is for very good business reasons among them. He used to be very touchy about any suggestion that Schumacher was more than 'the best driver in the best car'. Anyway - yesterday and today Italy's sports interest was and is mainly about qualifying for the world cup, as incredible this may seem for everybody following this thread. 

Actually I have lived in Italy for a long time and as far as I can see Ferrari and F1 are still huge, but it just is not the same level of public involvement anymore as there was in the (later) 90es and early 2000s. You could go shopping after qualifying and everybody knew and talked about how it had gone. I have not seen that in a long time.

 

Rest of your post consciously ignored.

Edited by siggers, 11 September 2013 - 12:03.

[Suntrek]

He was always consistent in races. What's changed in that in contemporary F1 qualifying doesn't matter to anything like the extent that it did with regard to determining the finishing order. Much of his 2008 season was wrecked by inconsistent qualifying, but (as Alonso has demonstrated repeatedly in recent years) it is perfectly possible to qualify 9th and finish 2nd with the KERS and DRS aids.

 

What hasn't changed, of course, is the amount of PR that the drivers have to do and this is where Kimi's desire to return to Ferrari puzzles me. I really can't imagine they'll allow him to have the kind of free rein to ignore this as he has at Lotus. I don't think Ferrari were best pleased, for example, when in 2009 he described the Abu Dhabi circuit (which Ferrari has a stake in as well as the theme park next door) as "****". 

I think he chose Ferrari because Ferrari might (not written in stone - might) have a better package for next year. They have more rescouces and they build engines.It's what any intelligent driver  would take into consideration if offered.

 

 

For that - "Kimi will thow fits if he's asked to do PR-work" bla bla  - It's a forum legend. He'll do it if asked as will any other driver. Who can forget Kimi doing PR work together with Loeb posing as legionnaires in his rallying days for example? (It was pathetic, btw.) The "Kimi will thow fits if asked to do PR-work" has a much credibility as "Alonso will thow fits when paired with a competetitive teammate" (oh i remember all those knowledgeable F1-jounos back in 2005 claiming Fisichella would wipe the floor with Alonso...)

 

For Abu Dhabi - I think Kimi is perfectly right. It's ****.

Edited by Suntrek, 11 September 2013 - 12:17.

[pizzalover]

"will it all go right?"

 

we can only hope not, but I think the signs are good. Alonso's already been Mr Bolshy this year. It's only going to get worse.

[fed up]

I think he chose Ferrari because Ferrari might (not written in stone - might) have a better package for next year. They have more rescouces and they build engines.It's what any intelligent driver  would take into consideration if offered.

I've already given my opinion as to why I think he has returned to Ferrari - all about the green

 

Is there any upside for Kimi apart from the green? I'm not sure - he has already done it and has the t-shirt. He is the last Ferrari WDC and was part of the team that last won the WCC. It can only go downhill from there so his motives have to be questioned.

 

That said, it will be interesting to see how it unfolds. If he loses to Nando it won't make any difference because that it was is expected - if he beats Alonso it won't make much difference because again that is expected. The drama will only come if/when there is a major falling out or if one or the other throws their proverbial toys out of the pram.

 

I'm not sure Ferrari will benefit - they should have gone for a Hulkenberg IMO as Kimi is perhaps a spent force.

 

[Reinmuster]

...

 

For Abu Dhabi - I think Kimi is perfectly right. It's ****.

 

Yet he won it last year.. 

[Wander]

 

 

That said, it will be interesting to see how it unfolds. If he loses to Nando it won't make any difference because that it was is expected - if he beats Alonso it won't make much difference because again that is expected. 

 

Please explain how this is not a total contradiction.

 

It will make all the difference which driver wins. Of course there will be people who expect Alonso to win and other people who have faith in Räikkönen, but they are different people. One group will be proven wrong. Questions will be answered regarding a lot of things. Also, we will no doubt in due time have a poll inquiring people's expectations regarding who will finish ahead in the championship. I am fairly sure the majority of votes will go to Alonso's side. Even on my part, my proverbial heart says Kimi, but my brain says Fernando.

[Menace]

I think this will go much better than people imagine.  I bet Alonso is sick and tired of hearing he cannot deal with a competitive teammate and Raikkonen is sick and tired to hear he is a lazy drunk who does not like to show up on time at the office.   Both drivers are going into a situation they already been before and with a list of lessons learned of how to do it better this time around.

 

Now the forums will be a shitstorm.  For the last four years we have heard nothing but conspiracy theories, imagined vetoes, drivers and sponsors calling the shots at Ferrari, etc.   Hopefully
Alonso and Kimi will bring harmony to their fans by example and uniting Ferrari and their fans by crushing the field together.

 

The other teams and drivers should get ready to taste the fury of Samurai and Zui Quan power

 

Wow, a respectful and sensible post.  Way too mature for majority of the "fans" here.   Kudos! 

Edited by Menace, 11 September 2013 - 17:02.

[Avastrol]

Assuming that both parties have learned from their mistakes during Kimi's first stint, then it will be alright. Perhaps Monty will cut it out with his "oh come here my son while I pinch your nose and hug you" antics and learn that he's Kimi's boss, not his father. And there's no more Schumacher to order wet tyres on a dry track, and less likelihood of a front suspensiongate. The defacto demotion of Alonso from sole no. 1 to joint no. 1, as well as him being shown who's boss by Monty is also a boon for Kimi, making it such that it's an equal playing field.

 

Also, the Robertsons, with their ridiculous savvy that you might be missing fingers after shaking hands with them, probably put lots of safeguards in the contract regarding being an equal number 1, (not that it will be completely enforceable, we all know how easy it is to break up contracts). Certainly helps since Kimi has the schmoozing skills of a wet trout.

[kismet]

In two words: lowered expectations. This time Ferrari know not to expect Schumacher 2.0 (doG knows they were insane to do that before) but a competent race driver who'll do the red car justice more often than not.

[SpaMaster]

I think Raikkonen knows fully well Ferrari is an emotional and political environment. But I think the later part of 2009 season may have made Ferrrari people like Domenicalli and Kimi himself realize they could technically work together. I think they got a good working relationship that year after the suspension saga the previous year and Raikkonen was seen to take the car to places they did not think it was possible. All these after it became clear to both parties that they would split.

[SCUDmissile]

exactly right guys. Schumacher isn't there to be snooping around the team, and Kimi is not being brought in there to replace Schumi. Now that they already have Alonso, they can give Kimi the freedom that he wants.

 

God, my mouth is watering.

[eronrules]

SD puts all doubts about kimi's ability to rest ... 

 

http://formula1.ferr...h.TkOZBwJC.dpuf

 

 

Q. Other commonly held concerns about Kimi revolve around his ability to work with people in a Formula 1 world where communications are ever more important and also his talents when it comes to moving forward the technical development of the car.

 

SD. “Some cliches refuse to die! We worked with Kimi for three years from 2007 to 2009 and we never had a problem.

Sure, everyone has their own ways and you can’t expect a Finn to start telling jokes in Italian or playing the clown!

Honestly, I think the combination of Fernando’s expressive and passionate latin character and the cool style, to call it that, of someone like Kimi, seems to appeal to many, including the youngsters and our partners are also in agreement with this.

As for the technical side of things, not only do we know full well how much Kimi can contribute at an important time like this, when the technical framework is changing so significantly,

but we also have first hand information from James Allison, as to how much the Finn has also progressed in this area over the past two years.”

- See more at: http://formula1.ferr...h.TkOZBwJC.dpuf

 

couple of things .... 

 

1. it seems SD has always valued kimi's ability in his previous stint with the team. now it seems that the 2 persons kimi didn't like were 'LDM' and 'MS'

 

2. the popularity of kimi and his personality with the young people and his global appeal due to his unique personality has played a vital role in convincing sponsors to sign him.

 

3. James allison did play a greater role in signing kimi than previously thought. His technical feed back regarding kimi's progression during his 2 years with LotusF1 gave ferrari vital data about his ability and competitiveness. 

[HoldenRT]

They just need to build a good car.  It's as simple as that.  Whether it's Kimi beating Alonso, or Alonso beating Kimi is fine either way (even though Alonso would be frustrated with one of those outcomes).  But it all can't happen unless there is a good car to work with.  Otherwise it will be a Button Perez situation.

[garoidb]

Why it will work:

 

Both are world champions and long established as top drivers. Neither one is universally considered better than the other. Neither one will lose his reputation for being shaded by the other for a while (even to a WDC). There will likely be times when one has the upper hand, before the situation switches around but this won't matter as their reputations are not seriously at stake (as long it is close). They are both experienced and more mature than previously. There is a common enemy. 

[wrcva]

Luca di Montezemolo:  'Alonso and Raikkonen will be equal at Ferrari'

"I don't like No. 1, No. 2," Di Montezemolo told CNN ahead of this weekend's season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix.

"No. 1 is the timing, No.1 and No.2 depends on the timing."

Di Montezemolo praised Alonso's skill by giving the 32-year-old a "good eight out of 10" mark for a 2013 season

"I need a driver able to win races or at least to take off points from our main competitors," said Di Montezemolo of the 34-year-old. "I think he will be in condition to do it.

"For a car with completely new rules, in which you have to develop without the previous year's car, you need a driver with experience.

"Don't forget that Kimi was the driver that won our last world championship."

"I don't want to say that they are old..." Di Montezemolo joked when asked if the two drivers will get along. "But I'm sure, yes."

 

link

[redreni]

Matching / beating Alonso won't be an easy task, that's sure. That being said, I wish people forgot the "OMG he was beaten by Massa in 2008 argument". Alonso was beaten by Trulli in 2004 and Hamilton was beaten by Button in 2011. You can see where Fernando, Kimi and Lewis are now, and where Trulli, Button and Massa are.

 

But Alonso wasn't beaten by Trulli in 2004 because he managed to see out the season without being sacked or being given money to go away. Kimi was, however, in the process of being beaten by Massa for a second year in a row in 2009 before the Brazilian's accident which caused him to miss 8 races, so it's not just 2008 that makes people question his record. In fact, Massa was trouncing Kimi 22-10 at the time of the accident. The reason for Massa being where he is now is, of course, largley due to the reputational damage he has suffered since being repeatedly pulversised by Alonso at Ferrari.

 

Not sure what the Button/Hamilton comparator is meant to demonstrate other than that there's little to choose between the two, and the difference in their current fortunes is largely down to Mercedes exceeding everybody's expectations and Mclaren's spectacular underperformance this year.

 

I think things won't be the same for Kimi at Ferrari this year because he will be up against a much stronger teammate, and he will have to show that he himself has become stronger since he was there last otherwise he will be defeated.

[redreni]

Luca di Montezemolo:  'Alonso and Raikkonen will be equal at Ferrari'

"I don't like No. 1, No. 2," Di Montezemolo told CNN ahead of this weekend's season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix.

"No. 1 is the timing, No.1 and No.2 depends on the timing."

Di Montezemolo praised Alonso's skill by giving the 32-year-old a "good eight out of 10" mark for a 2013 season

"I need a driver able to win races or at least to take off points from our main competitors," said Di Montezemolo of the 34-year-old. "I think he will be in condition to do it.

"For a car with completely new rules, in which you have to develop without the previous year's car, you need a driver with experience.

"Don't forget that Kimi was the driver that won our last world championship."

"I don't want to say that they are old..." Di Montezemolo joked when asked if the two drivers will get along. "But I'm sure, yes."

 

link

 

The more you think about this mode of reasoning, the less sense it makes. The number 1, number 2 system is one of the few things at Ferrari that they weren't getting wrong. If the car is up to the job next season, both drivers will have to fight Vettel for the WDC with one hand tied behind their back. Adrian Newey will be rubbing his hands with glee at this strateigic decision by Montezemolo.

[swerved]

Luca di Montezemolo:  'Alonso and Raikkonen will be equal at Ferrari'

"I don't like No. 1, No. 2," Di Montezemolo told CNN ahead of this weekend's season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix.

"No. 1 is the timing, No.1 and No.2 depends on the timing."

Di Montezemolo praised Alonso's skill by giving the 32-year-old a "good eight out of 10" mark for a 2013 season

"I need a driver able to win races or at least to take off points from our main competitors," said Di Montezemolo of the 34-year-old. "I think he will be in condition to do it.

"For a car with completely new rules, in which you have to develop without the previous year's car, you need a driver with experience.

"Don't forget that Kimi was the driver that won our last world championship."

"I don't want to say that they are old..." Di Montezemolo joked when asked if the two drivers will get along. "But I'm sure, yes."

 

link

 

They did it once, hopefully they can do it again, and in hiring Kimi it looks like they're prepared to throw everything at it, that wont guarantee success of course but it wont be for lack of trying.