:DQuote:
Originally Posted by keysersoze
I was mistaken about the numbers, by a LOT!! Mclaren are not desparate for Raikkonen thats evident and maybe another driver I have [perhaps] underrrated, Nick Heidfeld would be a better fit for Mclaren.
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:DQuote:
Originally Posted by keysersoze
I was mistaken about the numbers, by a LOT!! Mclaren are not desparate for Raikkonen thats evident and maybe another driver I have [perhaps] underrrated, Nick Heidfeld would be a better fit for Mclaren.
From a racing and strategy point of view, Heidfeld is the best choice by far. He is an experienced driver, who will be happy to help Lewis and ger his first victory. He is also consistent and for sure will punish rivals for their mistakes. And he has a McLaren background from F3000.Quote:
Originally Posted by Saint Devote
Kimi is IMO a faster driver, but I do not think that two alpha dogs in one pride is a good idea. On the other hand from a marketing point of view, he is a great choice, the media will go crazy, the two champions, the two stars, the great duel and so on. But Kimi hates PR so this diminishes the media advantage in a way, so Nick remains the best idea.
Button will also be a marketing dream, but as I said, two alpha dogs in one pride is not an ideal situation.
There doesn't seem to be another Michael Schumacher out there. Ferrari thought Kimi was, but it turned out he wasn't. Now they think Fred is. I'm starting to think they aren't so smart after all.
I think that every team hopes for a new MS but IMO MS is unique. We won't see someone like him soon.Quote:
Originally Posted by rabf1
The cars and tyres have changed significantly over the past three years and in 2010 they will be even more so.Quote:
Originally Posted by rabf1
These days ONE tyre company - and maybe in 2011 f1 will race on wooden ones :D - makes control tyres and the driver and team have to adapt.
Some drivers just have such fundamentally opposing styles - such as Sebastien Bourdais - that they cannot.
Others such as Raikkonen eventually adapt to the tyres but if the team has a car suited better to understeer than oversteer - Kimi prefers oversteer like..... LEWIS! there is great difficulty. The two of them at Mclaren would be excellent for the team. The Ferrari F60 was better suited to Massa - who is an understeer driver like Jenson - and when he was out, the car began to be set up towards Raikkonen who still flattered the Ferrari to win at Spa.
A team such as Renault just lost the plot entirely because their basic design was based on the Michelin and they just never caught up.
I do not like the way f1 is that way - it makes finding another Schumacher very unlikely.
I think Schumacher discovered that and is definitely a significant part why he did not return. The GP2 tyres and the car from 2007 - the first year of the 2007 - 2009 period - told him enough.
Interview with Kimi
- What is your ideal hour to wake up in the morning?
(Laughs) Eleven.
- Italians are rather open people. Has it been a problem for you in these three years?
No, I have always had a good relationship. It’s true, they are passionate in many ways but I wouldn’t say it has never been a problem.
- How many words have you learned in Italian, not the dirty words?
Well, I say something, but not much (smiles and makes clear that he doesn’t intend to perform).
- Being a F1 driver is great for what reasons?
Because I’ve always loved sports and driving, but driving is the best thing for sure.
- What is your worst nightmare?
Don’t know, I sometimes have nightmares but when they are very bad I wake up. But it usually happens that shortly after you woke up you forget everything.
- Can you tell us something about you that you think people have totally misunderstood?
No, I don’t tell you.
- Is there a category that you hate, journalists apart?
No, there isn’t. And I don’t even hate the journalists, the fact is that I don’t like being with them, because of this job I love the sport, not talking. But I can say that many of them are also interesting people, but simply answering to the questions it’s not something I enjoy.
- If you had to choose to have only one car in your garage, what would it be?
I have one in my mind, but I think it would be a vintage car, maybe of the '60s.
- What drives you crazy?
Many things, but sometimes it depends on whether you're in a bad mood and someone just says the wrong thing and in the end you get angry.
- You had many teammates. Who was the strongest one in your opinion?
I can say that in the past I’ve had very strong ones, but if I have to do a choice I would say Felipe Massa without doubt.
- Over the last two years you received various criticisms, maybe someone didn’t correspond to reality, so which one gave you most trouble?
In Formula 1, people talk, criticize, but I don’t care. If they want to write bad things they do it, nothing changes for me, I mean ... It’s part of life.
- What you will take away from this experience at Ferrari?
The best memory: I won the World Championship.
- What do you think that you will miss?
I met some beautiful people, basically I will miss them.
- Is there anything that scares you?
Nothing.
- What makes you nervous?
Usually I’m always nervous at the start of races, but then it’s a feeling that goes away. In life there are a lot of things that make me nervous.
- You can’t live without...?
Many things ... even if it’s true that to live you really need very little, I mean once you have water and food you'll be ok.
- What is your favorite food?
Pasta (before arriving in Ferrari he was a fan of chicken).
- Do you think Ferrari fans are different from others?
I don’t think they are different, they only have a lot of passion. To have fans is a beautiful thing and however they are, it’s fine for me.
Kimi's column - Three years with Ferrari came and went. It was a fabulous time.
My dream came true the first time when we won the championship. We started well at the second time and were third in the final points. About this time there is a little in my toothole because we would have wanted to race for the championship but weren't able to do so at any point. At least there were a few races that made me happy.
I will have only good memories of the team and got some friends forever from there. Thank you to all of them. Ciao Ferrari!
The season and my job-time with the team ended in Abu Dhabi. It wasn't much of a race. We didn't get anywhere on the technical track with our car. And as a track it didn't really fire me up at all. These modern tracks don't seem to be my thing. I dig the old lanes. There's a good thing going on on those tracks. These new tracks just don't offer the same feeling to really really race.
We already knew when going there that Yas Marina is going to be as tricky to us as Singapore was. The more curves, the more our car loses time. We were almost in Q3 in quali. 11th position was a good result. We lost one place in the start and stayed there too.
The gang probably asks what we do next year. I think we can at some point tell what we have decided. I can say that much that the motivation hasn't gone anywhere. Racing interests me as much as it did when I was a kid. Racing is everything!
But now I'm going on a short vacation. The season was hard and we knew it already before we started to race when we were so much behind the lead. Fortunately we at least won in Spa. That is the highlight of this season and the only thing that stays in my mind.
F1 is going through a tough change. The regulations will change again. Let's hope that in the future they will be the same for everyone and in a way so that they can be understood as you want to.
I'm preparing for the next season like before. First I take in a breath of fresh air and then I'll keep the touch alive. Let's wait and see where we will drive. Thank you to all the fans and mates who have supported me. The fight goes on!
(Translation thanks to Nicole)
From this editorial he seems a really nice guy, and from te interview I get the same impression.Quote:
Originally Posted by Boudica
There is rumours that Kimi has signed a contract with Mclaren for $3 million plus $200 000 per point and $1 million bonus per win. Many people claim that an announcement will be made on Monday, lets wait and see.
Apparently he writes those Finnish reviews himself, and he is apparently quite clever with words sometimes, according to the Finnish fans.Quote:
Originally Posted by F1boat