FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[madbrad]

Jan.25 (GMM) 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen suspects that he will never again be a feature of the formula one driver market.

The 28-year-old Finn has told a Spanish newspaper that he will more than likely end his career with Ferrari, either at the close of the 2009 season, or beyond.

"I see no reason to leave this team," Raikkonen told Marca at the Valencia tests this week.

He said: "I have two years remaining on my contract, but in any case I believe that, whatever happens, this will be my last team."

Raikkonen suggested that he does not fear life after formula one.

"The one certainty is that one day I will feel the need to do something else. I would do a few rallies maybe, or something else -- I don't know. I will do what I want, basically," he explained.

He refused to speculate as to when his retirement might beckon.

"I have no idea," said Raikkonen. "For the moment I am here and I have no intention to change that.

"When I end my contract with Ferrari I will be 30 years old, and it will be the time to decide whether to keep going or not."

[McLaren Fan]

The Kimi era? I'd hardly say he's dominated the sport worthy of naming the epoch after him. The only drivers worthy of that or Senna, Prost and Schumacher.

Raikkonen has always disappointed me in that he has so much talent but doesn't use it. Think how good he could be if put 100% into his Formula One rather than 80% or 90%.

At the end of the day, psychology etc. is a big part of any modern sport. Raw ability and potential are not enough and worth nothing if you don't make the most of it. For that reason, Raikkonen will only rate as a champion, but not a legend or god in the history of the sport.

[texasmr2]

First off you are the one to blame for calling it 'the Kimi era" not Kimi! so do not blantantly put word's into one's mouth.

As far as Kimi's talent yah I can agree with you that he does not give it 110% but that extra 10% is irrelevant to him I think. The 100% while in a race is what's most important and he has achieved his F1 goal, what every driver want's, the WDC.

I may be wrong but I only see the meaning of your pst as a blatant bitch that Kimi did not reach the goal of WDC with McLaren? Kimi, if you could not tell already, could give a rat's arse about being percieved as a

legend or god in the history of the sport.

What's the pupose of your reply other than, oh well you know!

[McLaren Fan]

First off you are the one to blame for calling it 'the Kimi era" not Kimi! so do not blantantly put word's into one's mouth.

I'm not quite sure what you're getting at: the title of the thread is 'The KIMI Era'.

I may be wrong but I only see the meaning of your pst as a blatant bitch that Kimi did not reach the goal of WDC with McLaren? Kimi, if you could not tell already, could give a rat's arse about being percieved as a

legend or god in the history of the sport.

What's the pupose of your reply other than, oh well you know!

You're wrong. I just think it's sad, tragic almost, to see somebody as gifted as he clearly is not give a toss, particularly when there is a lot of other talented people out there who do care and will not get as good opportunities as Raikkonen has received. You could expand that to other sports and jobs as well.

Raikkonen not winning a title at McLaren was mainly the team's fault. You could make an argument for saying Raikkonen was lazy at times, which I think he was and perhaps that affected the team, but there was at least one or two decent changes that went a begging down to Mercedes' unreliable engines and quality control at McLaren.

[madbrad]

Holy crap MF! Would you launch a nuke if I posted that I saw a paperclip on the floor?

All I meant is he is going to be spending many years at Ferrari if he renews. That's the KIMI era at Ferrari. He'll likely win more titles there too. After he's gone, it'll have been as much a Kiimi era as the other guy's, er, what's his name, was his era. If Alonso had never left Renault, just had a bad year, and stayed for this year and further, and happened to win another title or two, then that's an Alonso era.

[8-ball]

The Kimi era? I'd hardly say he's dominated the sport worthy of naming the epoch after him. The only drivers worthy of that or Senna, Prost and Schumacher.

Raikkonen has always disappointed me in that he has so much talent but doesn't use it. Think how good he could be if put 100% into his Formula One rather than 80% or 90%.

At the end of the day, psychology etc. is a big part of any modern sport. Raw ability and potential are not enough and worth nothing if you don't make the most of it. For that reason, Raikkonen will only rate as a champion, but not a legend or god in the history of the sport.

what are you talking about kimi does not give 100%. He crashed in monaco in 2007 during quali and had to start 16th but he gave it his all and battled back to get 8th position and the single point that would eventually give him WDC

[darwin dali]

Good one 8-ball, never looked at it that way.

[McLaren Fan]

The Kimi era? I'd hardly say he's dominated the sport worthy of naming the epoch after him. The only drivers worthy of that or Senna, Prost and Schumacher.

Raikkonen has always disappointed me in that he has so much talent but doesn't use it. Think how good he could be if put 100% into his Formula One rather than 80% or 90%.

At the end of the day, psychology etc. is a big part of any modern sport. Raw ability and potential are not enough and worth nothing if you don't make the most of it. For that reason, Raikkonen will only rate as a champion, but not a legend or god in the history of the sport.

what are you talking about kimi does not give 100%. He crashed in monaco in 2007 during quali and had to start 16th but he gave it his all and battled back to get 8th position and the single point that would eventually give him WDC

True, but doing well in races is not enough in the modern age. You have to be physically fit and committed to the team outside of Grand Prix weekends. I don't think Raikkonen does that. At the end of races, you can see he's more worn out than the others, making Montoya look fit.

[darwin dali]

True, but doing well in races is not enough in the modern age. You have to be physically fit and committed to the team outside of Grand Prix weekends. I don't think Raikkonen does that. At the end of races, you can see he's more worn out than the others, making Montoya look fit.

Kinda like AS, not the fittest of the lot.
Another reason why MS is the greatest - he was unbelievably fit. Before him, many F1 drivers were weekend drivers á la James Hunt.

[McLaren Fan]

Kinda like AS, not the fittest of the lot.

I cannot entirely agree. When Senna started his Formula One career, he was not very fit at all. However, he soon sorted that out and became incredibly fit. In fact, he was the one who pioneered the concept of drivers having to be physically fit, which no doubt influnened a lot of future drivers. What Hendrix was to the guitar, Senna was to Formula One. Now, I know you will say Senna in his later career could barely stand after some races, like Imola 1992 and Monaco 1992, so back-to-back Grands Prix, but there were rumours, not unjustified either, that some medical condition could explain this. When you read anything about Senna, you will see how strong his approach to the physical side of the sport really was, and how super fit he was as well; his heart rate was 44 BPM according to his ex-trainer.

[7UpJordan]

Kinda like AS, not the fittest of the lot./quote]
I cannot entirely agree. When Senna started his Formula One career, he was not very fit at all. However, he soon sorted that out and became incredibly fit. In fact, he was the one who pioneered the concept of drivers having to be physically fit, which no doubt influnened a lot of future drivers. What Hendrix was to the guitar, Senna was to Formula One. Now, I know you will say Senna in his later career could barely stand after some races, like Imola 1992 and Monaco 1992, so back-to-back Grands Prix, but there were rumours, not unjustified either, that some medical condition could explain this. When you read anything about Senna, you will see how strong his approach to the physical side of the sport really was, and how super fit he was as well; his heart rate was 44 BPM according to his ex-trainer.

Ayrton wasn't the only one after Monaco 1992, Mansell was in an even worse state - and he had been working on his fitness more than ever between 1991 and 1992 - and sat down as soon as the Champagne fight started and due to the weather being so hot as well.

[8-ball]

The Kimi era? I'd hardly say he's dominated the sport worthy of naming the epoch after him. The only drivers worthy of that or Senna, Prost and Schumacher.

Raikkonen has always disappointed me in that he has so much talent but doesn't use it. Think how good he could be if put 100% into his Formula One rather than 80% or 90%.

At the end of the day, psychology etc. is a big part of any modern sport. Raw ability and potential are not enough and worth nothing if you don't make the most of it. For that reason, Raikkonen will only rate as a champion, but not a legend or god in the history of the sport.

what are you talking about kimi does not give 100%. He crashed in monaco in 2007 during quali and had to start 16th but he gave it his all and battled back to get 8th position and the single point that would eventually give him WDC

True, but doing well in races is not enough in the modern age. You have to be physically fit and committed to the team outside of Grand Prix weekends. I don't think Raikkonen does that. At the end of races, you can see he's more worn out than the others, making Montoya look fit.

kimi's job is to drive fast and win races. which he does. so he is not as fit as the others and doesn't give 100% to the team outside of races. He is a winner and any team principle will look at that first and anything else secondary

[AKR]

[quote=McLaren Fan] McLaren Fan wrote : The Kimi era? I'd hardly say he's dominated the sport worthy of naming the epoch after him. The only drivers worthy of that or Senna, Prost and Schumacher.

Raikkonen has always disappointed me in that he has so much talent but doesn't use it. Think how good he could be if put 100% into his Formula One rather than 80% or 90%.

At the end of the day, psychology etc. is a big part of any modern sport. Raw ability and potential are not enough and worth nothing if you don't make the most of it. For that reason, Raikkonen will only rate as a champion, but not a legend or god in the history of the sport.[/quote]



Kiki says "Agreed"

Kimi only won because he very much had the best car, just like Nigel Mansell and Jacques Villenouve did when they had the best car. Michael Schumacher (THE GREATEST), Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost (Even though Prost was crap in the wet ie 1993 Donnington GP) were capable of winning in the second best teams as well.

[8-ball]

kimi would have won the title in 03 and 05 if Mclaren had got thier act together and Mclaren were 2nd best team in those years as well

[McLaren Fan]

kimi would have won the title in 03 and 05 if Mclaren had got thier act together and Mclaren were 2nd best team in those years as well

Second best in 2003, but not in 2005. In the latter case the McLaren was easily the fastest car, but was too unreliable. In 2006, McLaren designed a car to be kind on its tyres, but the rules were changed after the car was designed, so 2006 was never going to be brilliant. Overall, I agree with you, however. McLaren were under performing insofar as Newey seemed to have lost his spark, so the cars' chassis were appalling really from 2001 to 2004, and Mercedes' engines were terribly unreliable. I still maintain as well, however, that Raikkonen was lazy behind the scenes, expecting the car to magically improve. As much as I was disappointed to see him leave McLaren, I wasn't so worried, for Alonso, who I don't think is quite as fast as Raikkonen, was good at developing the car, something McLaren seemed to lack. Of course, Alonso made a tit of himself, so no matter how good he is, I'm glad to see the back of him!