I am starting to get the feeling that...

Kimi is overrated.

He hasn't done anything really amazing yet, IMO, I was expecting him to come to Ferrari and win every race with no problem.

Now with FA and LH duking it out, and FM doing well, who do you really think is the best driver in F1... did your opinion change since before the first race?

 

it's kinda hard since it's still early in the season. i dunno maybe he'll start picking up his pace in europe. he still won the Aussie GP quite impressively tho.


my cousins and friends keeps on saying that Kimi hasn't created the spark, or fire, he should have created since he started driving for the Scuderia. personally, i'm on the fence on this one. one part of me is telling this is true, while another is saying that he needs time to adapt into the team and then real sparks will fly.


i'm quite surprised to see something quite similiar is happening over at the mac camp. right now, LH is clearly the faster one over there. LH and Massa came from within the team, while FA and Kimster came from the outside. it's gonna be an interesting next few races, iMO.

 

I think it's too early to say Kimi isn't all he's been worked up to be, just as it's too early to say whether or not Massa will forever be just a #2. We're only three races into a seventeen race season. There's plenty of room for everything to change. IMO once Kimi and Fernando get fully accustomed to their new cars they will start to pull ahead in the WDC rankings.

 

Overrated? Really? I completely disagree. that you were 'expecting him to come to Ferrari and win every race with no problem' implies you don't have a full grasp of F-1. Yes, he is the driver, but many individuals make up the team, and design/build/setup the car he is driving. a driver can only have what the car will give him. my opinion of Kimi (or FA, or Massa) has not changed.

 

I still believe Kimi is the best out there right now. Or at least has the ability to be the best on the grid.

His teammate is much more dedicated, and faster at that moment. I think by mid season, Raikkonen's ego will finally come into play and he will do what it takes to integrate himself into the team as Massa has done already. He will then be the fastest consistently.

In the long run, Kimi will prevail. I expect him to be WDC in 2008.

 

I have no doubt Kimi is an excellent driver. It's just that in all the anticipation of this years season, many were talking how Kimi wouldn't be touched now that he would have a reliable car. Right now I think that FA, LH, KR, and FM all have an equal shot at the WDC, and that Kimi was overrated in that nobody thought anyone would come close to him.

 

It sounds to me that the real issue is you underated FA, LH and FM more than over-rated Kimi.

 

He has 74 races under his belt, how many more do you need?

 

You can't crush a driver like Montoya without being VERY good. Give him a bit of time and you will see even better results.

 

Whatever it takes. He is still very young, and there is no Michael Schumacher to take away race wins.

 

While I agree with you on Massa's qualities as a driver, there are late bloomers: It took Hakkinen something like 100 races to become really fast.

 

I think the question raised about Kimi's talent is valid. Allthough I see no argument in the propostion that Kimi is among the three best drivers out there, it is no certainty that he is the ultimate best of the current crop. I have no idea where to rate him against this years for top runners (being Massa, Alonso, Hamilton and Kimi in no particular order).

I think some of the problem lies in the fact (?) that Kimi somehow doesn't seem to be passionate about what he is doing, let alone passionate about driving for Ferrari. Therefor it is tempting to believe that Kimi doesn't really care about winning or losing, allthough I fully believe Kimi is as eager to win as the next guy. It is just the outlook he is presenting. Alonso looks very cool and collected, but does a crazy dance whenever he wins. Kimi can barely be bothered to crack a smile when he crosses the line first. Where does his priorities actually lie?

But then again, Schumacher also took his time to be accepted by the tifosi. Came Spain 1996, they welcomed him to the family for once and for all.

In my book, Kimi is still favorite for the title with Alonso a close second. Any other WC will be a surprise for me.

 

It took him a lot of races to become a winner, he was already fast. He outqualified Senna in his first race in a McLaren.

By 74 races, you pretty much know if a guy has it or doesn't...

 

With the flame suit on, Kimi beat Montoya but never crushed him 05, and was quicker in 06 (Montoya can't deal with the same chassis as well as Kimi could at McLaren). Montoya never cemented his relationship with McLaren thanks to his stupid motorbike accident. Based on what I see, I still think that Alonso is the best driver in the field.

 

OMG, not the great Senna, the all-time great qualifying master. JK

 

Gotta agree, he just doesn't make the cut. I still have to give him a few more races though, about 50 of those were spent at a less than average team. He has about 3 left to prove himself. Last year he got adjusted to Ferrari, this year he needs to show what speed, if any, that he has.

 

I always check my flame thrower at the door.

 

MS retired, so if not Kimi, then who ??????????

 

Sato's on the fast lane right now

 

Yeah, him, and maybe Ide has improved over the last year or so...

Or they could go find a Fittipaldi, or Schekter's kid... Mansell might be ripe for a comeback... where's Lauda ? He's due...

DANICA !!!!
Man, did she ever disappear overnight..

 

No need for a flame suit, you are 100% correct.

 

No, she just diappeared last night. Sorry, my fault...

 

It's ok, I found them. Danica and her Mom are at Ron's house.

 

Kimi - IS overated! no question ... he now has to prove that he is WC material...Ferrari will not keep him if he does not produce... they will sabotage him like they did to Barrichello....It's The Ferrari Way!

 

I'm no fan of Barrichello, but don't really see how he was sabotaged. They robbed him of some victories (Zeltweg 02 for instance), but his dismal performance I think was overall due to him.

If Ferrari ever sabotaged a driver then it was Irvine in 1999 (having 3 tires instead of 4 at the pitstop as an example). But even there I wouldn't call that sabotage, but rather lack of team spirit.