Sometimes it is good to go outside the pool of the usual suspects. That is what Mclaren did when they put Hamilton in a car. I don't like him much, he's too much a narcesist, but his driving is not all that bad. Trading in the Majors is some times good but picking up a star from the minors may be better as just maybe? they're a little more motivated? Th big names are already in F1, their dream, perhaps a kid who still dreams and has the passion of desire for soemething he hasn't yet attained ( with the skill to get it) would be a far far better choice IMO. JD
i believe SRT Mike makes the best sense. first of all, we have to realize that Kimi is overpaid, period. his job at that price is to be fighting or wrapping up the driver's championship and equally contributing with Massa for the constructor's. Kimi at least in the public eye makes no attempts to put any extra time like his predecessor or Alonso in developing or getting the car right. its easy to complain that the tires don't warm up, etc. but its another to be working with the team to at least get it right. lets not forget people, its his job. i don't think the fans or i would have a problem of him just showing up race weekend, so long as he was performing and not coming up with this feeble excuse week after week.
At this point, not going to worry about Kimi. I am more interested in seeing Massa be given the support to win the WDC. Kimi has acknowledged he has no chance for the WDC. From Autosport: Kimi Raikkonen conceded on Sunday his championship chances are now gone following his fourth consecutive race outside of the points. The Ferrari driver, who crashed out of the Singapore Grand Prix when running in fifth, is now 27 points behind Lewis Hamilton with just 30 left to win. The Finn, however, admitted he was sorry to lose the points for his team, who lost the lead in the constructors' championship to McLaren. "It was a pretty small chance anyhow," Raikkonen said about his title chances. "I'm not sad for my fifth place but I'm sorry for the team to lose those points. But for sure we'll try to do better next race." Raikkonen, whose teammate Felipe Massa is seven points behind Hamilton, said he was still unsure if he will have to play a supporting role for the Brazilian. "I know what the team wants - they want to win the world championship," he added. "We will see what happens. I'm trying to win races too and we will see what happens. I'm out of the championship anyhow." The reigning world champion has not won a race since the Spanish Grand Prix in April, but said he was not thinking about his drought and not planning to give up. "It doesn't change anything. I was in a position to try to win, but when the safety car came out the chance was pretty much gone. We've been close a few times but quite often we've been a bit unlucky so we try next race again. I haven't given up. We want to have some good races. "We have not had the season we wanted but we have a good spirit. Of course this is not a nice day but I've seen enough in Formula One and we still have a good car and we should still be able to win some races this year." Raikkonen, who lost his chances of a good result during the first safety car period, crashed out of the Singapore race with four laps left when running behind Timo Glock. The Ferrari driver, however, denied it had anything to do with a lack of concentration. "No. I wanted to stay close in places to the Toyota because there were only two places that I could get very close and have any chance if he made a small mistake. "That was one - before the back straight I needed to get very close and unfortunately I touched the kerb slightly too much and just when you hit that quite hard you can't turn too much and I couldn't turn any more so I just went a bit wide and hit the wall. Not the tyre wall, but the plastic blocks and I took the wheel off."
Congrats on your 1000th post! I agree with you but it will be a cold day in hell when Ferrari decides to nurture a newbie along.
Don't hold your breath for Kimi's help. If he thought his role in Singapore was to try and win the race that would have been fine on lap 10 but five laps from the end his role turned into preserving points - preserving the ones he was earning for the constructor's championship and keeping Hamilton from earning any more than he was going to earn. But we all know what he chose to do. He can try to explain it all he wants but the bottom line is that he had no more of a chance to win the WDC coming into Singapore as he has now after it. What a loser.
One of the biggest factors that has been attributed to Massa's surgence is the amount of time that he spends with the track simulators. You would think that Kimi has wherewithal to figure that out and emulate what massa is doing.
I called, but did not get my friend. Maybe the travel schedule. However, I did talk to a guy who knows Kimi quite well. (Knowing how private Kimi is, this guy still eats 2 or 3 meals a month with Kimi. So it is more than a casual acquaintence.) This guy said "I think I would know if this is true. As far as I know, all is well at Kimi's home." So, I can't confirm that the wife left or not, but based on my friends, I would place money that there is no split. (However, I frequently lose when I go to Vegas.)
If the simulator can help Kimi learn how to drive a car with wheelspin it would be worthwhile. I don't think he is capable though. Kimi apparently thought he was too good to learn from Schumacher; Massa was willing.
+1 and look at the testing for real in the car. Massa tends to get more on track testing time as well(2days for Massa vs 1 for Kimi at the last big test). With Kimi getting beaten and abused by Massa, one would think he would like sim time and track time. Guess not. Im a big fan of Kimi, at least I used to be. Massa is clearly the better of the 2 - at least this year. The stats are there and they dont lie. Also makes me think Felipe is the actual car development driver compared to Kimi.
Why would Jenni want to divorce him? Kimi paid her bills, Kimi gave her a lot of fame, Kimi lives in Maranello and/or Wollerau and she lives in Helsinski where she owns a BAR "Bläk"
Don't know if many will remember this, but Sir Jackie Stewart had a terrible off year right in between two winning seasons...he writes about how terrible it all was in his book Faster. Having said that, I just don't see how this is going to continue much longer if Kimi wrecks the car in the final 3 or 4 laps just one more time. Now, who is going to be the first to bring up the idea of Fernando Alonso again? yes, I know - gagging noises from 360 degrees...
Infidelity would be a reason. She then hits the lottery and moves on down the road to find Mr. Right. It's all probably just a rumor though.
In Finland? come on! They are the most open minded people I know, they practice casual sex as national sport or a casual drink with friend. PLEASE DON'T MISUNDERSTOOD ME FOR SAYING THIS I DON'T WANT TO OFFENCE NO ONE
How much can Kimi support Massa? It never seems like they're anywhere close to a position of working together--it always seems like one of them is up front and the other is downfield.
If Kimi had finished the race in front of Hamilton he would have taken points away from him. Those are points Massa won't have to earn if he wants to be WDC. But that wasn't what Kimi wanted to do; he wanted to show everyone how good he was (as he has more times than not, setting fastest lap at the end of the race). He clearly had WIN on his mind and not HELP. He's a sorry soul.
Ermmm, well you have a point there, as I have said all along it will take both of them to beat LH, but on the other hand you can't really say HK is helping LH out.
Those of you who call for Kimi's head, remember you said all this, if he ends up dominating the championship next year. The fact is, **** happens, and things aren't going to go smooth sailing all the time. What really counts, is if he and his engineers can conquer this problem or "rough patch" if you will, and start winning again. kimi didn't all of a sudden forget how to drive, and I don't think he'd agree to a contract extension, if he wasn't fully committed to driving for the next couple years. I still support the Ice Man.
That's a good point, Heikki has been useless when it comes to being a strong number 2 driver. The difference between him and Lewis looks like the difference between Fernando and Fisichella 2005-6 or Michael and Massa 2006. There is absolutely no reason why Lewis should be in 1st or 2nd all the time, and Heikki back in 5th or 6th. I don't know if it's a setup problem, or if Lewis is just THAT much better than Heikki.
Kimi can come back and he will. Just not enough to impact this year. Only problem is that he will slump as well. I was and am very impressed with Massa this year. Shows what dedication can do. If Kimi was the Hare then Massa was the Tortoise.
Has anyone looked at his career performance graphically? I'm sure he's had some great highs but it might show he's in decline thus making some kind of a comeback tough. Especially when he's run out of excuses. Personally I think his lifestyle/attitude has finally caught up with him. Without some serious sole searching he's washed up.
