Your View: Can Kimi come back and win in F1?
November 18, 2009 by SJ Skid
Filed under Prime & Option
Seemingly a pretty straight-forward question: Can Kimi Raikkonen return at the top of his game?
But before quickly saying “yes” or “no,” consider these factors:
- A key issue: Will there be a drive available to him that will provide the car he needs? Will teams be too wary of bringing back a driver who has been out of the sport?
- Would rallying — which he seems intent on pursuing — offer the physical rigor and effective “testing” to keep his skills sharp?
- Do you think he has the motivation to do so? Might he taste enough success in WRC that he thinks, “Hey, being an F1 and WRC champion sounds good.”
- Will the economy have rebounded enough that he gets a contract that satisfies him?
Kimi certainly seems to be one of those drivers with the sheer natural ability that would enable him to pull off this feat. But is ability enough?
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I’m a big Kimi fan since he first broke through into F1 and the guy has an amazing talent. What he seems to lack is motivation in F1. He has long said he’s happy to walk away anytime (yeah, I know he’s also said he’ll race on). I think this is it for Kimi. If he was still deadset serious about F1, as serious as a world champion needs to be, he would have done a Senna and offerred to drive for the top team for $0; especially considering he has the Ferrari millions to keep him boozed up. I’d love for him to stay around so we can see that talent at work but I think his motivation is gone and he should be gone from F1 with it.
Nope too many distractions outside F1 for him. I have already predicted his comeback will be more like JV rather than that like Alain Prost.
And he will be out of radar the moment public gets a new hot shoe to talk about.
His die hard fans will keep talking about ‘What-If’ and ‘If-Only’ ( like I do about a favorite driver in recent times) :D
The only team suggested he was interested in driving for was McLaren this year. He will only want to drive for somebody who can compete for wins week in and week out. Red Bull has been named as a possibility with Mark Webbers contract up at the end of 2010. I don’t see that happening simply because Kimi doesn’t want to do anything related to sponsors as far as obligations. Since in that situation, the sponsor is also the owner, he would have to change hit attitude on that. Maybe a year off he can work on that…but if not…he won’t be back in F1 unless some new superteam emerges this year like Brawn did in 2009.
I think he could make a successful comeback and maybe get a few wins if his team was up to speed. But winning a championship is difficult for him now (he isn’t a complete driver) let alone after a years break.
I don’t think Kimi has the motivation to keep “F1 fit” enough.
Even though he is one of my favorite drivers, I almost don’t want to see him in F1 again. I would rather watch him win in some other series.
I think that Kimi has the ability to get back to the top in F1… he has the ability, and maybe a year out will reignite the passion (though i’ve never been completely sold on it having gone out… i think he’s there just hidden away)! I feel as though money wasn’t the only issue to him – there was talk that McLaren wouldn’t let him rally, wanted him to match Lewis in sponsorship events, etc for peanuts from McLaren… maybe that could be an indicator of how the team would value him as a driver in the team (i.e. you’re number 2 and don’t forget it)!
As far as Red Bull are concerned… lets face it I think having his name attached would still bring in the buzz. And comparing him to JV is a bit imbalanced in my opinion – when Kimi had the car he brought the results… Kimi’s leaving having delivered consistent podiums and wins over many years! Even when people have said he wasn’t “on” he has delivered great results!!
If he doesnt drive next year, I personally dont see him coming back to have another go at the title which he has already won. Motivation always was his problem and an year away from F1 wont help.
Yes – is the simple answer…if he comes back in the right team.
I suspect that part of the so-called motivation problem is to do with poor management rather than poor motivation. From what little we can tell of him Kimi, he is a simple guy who likes to snooze, eat ice cream and drive the hell out of a very fast car. Give him an opportunity to do that, and only that and he’ll be motivated enough to come back at the top of his game. If you expect him to do loads of corporate events, shake hands with sponsors etc, he’ll get fed up, depressed and trundle round in midfield.
His problem is that he expects others to do their work before they expect him to do his. He does his job exceptionally well and if he doesnt get the same level of commitment and performance from his team, he looks demotivated.
He is very different from all other drivers who show their emotions. Compare his reaction of when Lewis banged him from rear at red light to that of Trulli when he thought Sutil was wrong. That too when he was leading the race and should have got 10 points for the race. That accident messed up his championship hopes but he was damn cool and that is what differentiates him from the rest of the pack.
He´s got the potential, for sure but he just seems uninterested. The one championship he did grab, he did by the McLaren Alonso Hamilton meltdown. I think he would do well to find new challenges like Montoya did. Besides, if he does come back, where would he go: certainly not Ferrari, and very unlikely McLaren (only if Button fails spectacularly would Macca´s board consider it, and look at all the patience they´ve shown with Kovalainen). Very unlikely Mercedes GP, since they seem set to sign Vettel in the future. The one place is Red Bull, and I think the Finn might have misgivings on the Bull´s performance in a couple of years… but as well if they put a big check he might just grab it regardless of the car´s performance. I don´t know: he´s very fast and extremely talented, but he seems to lack the hunger to really be consistently in the top. Take for example last year: Massa blew him away and it was a good car!! I just think that all he´s really interested in is in big buck and having fun.
Yes he can come back and win – just like any sports figure who is very good at what they do. The average man thinks of himself and his own ability in sport and the average man would fail and so they think Kimi would fail – they thought Michael Jordon, Alain Prost and Wayne Gretzky would fail. But they did not fail because it is what they do and they do it well. Same for Kimi. If you are an accountant, you can go away for a year, return, and still be a good accountant – it is the same, you don’t think so, but it is.