Great intitial post - Thanks. Having read thru it all, I think the most interesting thing is only one of the 8 Kimi bashers that were explicitly identified has responded.....[And, in fairness, he did stick to his position pretty well..... ] Cheers Ian
well, i was pretty frustrated with Kimi's form a few weeks ago, i admit that. but i also always reminded myself that he needed some time to fit in the team and in the car. well, i'm just really pleased that both the Scuderia drivers are happy with their car, and i'm not really bothered which one of them wins, as long as it's a Ferrari driver. Forza!
I'd almost like to think Kimi is on the wagon. He did a fine job, the last two races. But if he needs to have the car just so before he bothers, that doesn't bode well for an overall career. I prefer to think he finally got the boot in the backside it took to get him motivated again -- and that it won't be going away soon. Massa does a good job from up front, but he still needs work on passing front runners. (Passing back markers with a car that's 2-4sec faster isn't exactly a challenge for a world class driver.) Now can Phil take not being the only game in Maranello anymore, and fight for the points? But everybody take a step back. Breathe. And recognize that there's some real, live actual competition going on in F1 this year. Refreshing, ain't it?
+1 I've always been a big Kimi fan...truth be told he's been my favorite driver for the last few years. I never understood why some thought he was doing such an extremely poor job this season. IMHO, he's a team player who seems to always put the team first and does the best job he can with the car he's given. When he makes a mistake he takes the blame for it instead of whining and blaming his team, other drivers or crazy circumstances like big lights falling on his car. He's fast as heck and can race against anyone. He also seems to be pretty calculated, patient and intellegent on the track. If it's not wise to pass then he calculates how to pass with his pit stratedgy. He seems to be a driver who doesn't make unintelligent risky moves just to try to impress. Sure he doesn't smile a whole lot on camera and speaks in monotone in interviews...that's the way he's always been. I believe that's just the way he is. IMHO, I would rather someone just be themselves regardless of how monotone they speak or how little they smile rather than be fake and always try to act like what others think that "happy" should look like just to impress some fans. I really believe Kimi will continue this winning streak...but if he doesn't, he's still gonna be my favorite driver.
I bashed Kimi and am not regretting it. It looks like some of you girls would swoon over if he merely shows up at the race. My hero! At the beginning of the year, I felt that he would walk the championship this year as did many of you. He would have the best car and with his natural speed, and sublime overtaking a much deserved championship would be a natural end result. He did win in Australia - but the win was too easy - Ferrari had a big car advantage and Massa was hobbled with his qually troubles. He did OK in Malaysia hobbled by a poor engine. Then the rot sat in - his performance in Bahrain, Spain, Monaco, Canada and USA being passed in the start and not showing his usual overtaking flair. He seemed quite content to sit where he was - a kind of bovine like drive. He was making mistakes in qualifying and in the race. Where was the Kimi of say 2003 and 2005 - his hallmark was consistently fast speed in qualifying, excellent starts of the line, daring and efficient overtaking. None of these traits made themselves present in the 5 races listed above. Hence my frustration. Fortunately for all of us, the old Kimi has risen from the ashes with great performances in France and Britain. My comment comparing him to Schumacher still holds true - Schumi will make the odd mistake once or max twice a year. The rest of the year he is literally a machine forging to collect max points. His fighting spirit and determination to win is awesome. This was not apparent in the Kimi in the mid season. So in conclusion I am glad real KIMI is back (not the mid season imposter).
This is going to be a long wait for the next race ! Looks like bashing of the bashers is going to have to be our entertainment. Kimi did not perform as expected so he was criticized. I think we thought he was going to out perform Massa in the same car, but Massa was scoring more points. I am sure by the end of the season if Massa out scores Kimi we will see a thread labeled Kimi lovers -c'mon down
I don't think it's the criticism per se that Mike was commenting upon but rather the *nasty* nature thereof - "He's a cancer", "should be fired", "won't be there next year" etc etc. As usual, my 02c, Cheers, Ian
Again I ask you, where is the proof??? I have never read or even heard of Kimi getting wasted during a race weekend and I can't find any article even claiming a rumor to that effect. Either I am using a horrible search engine or you're making it up.
OK, but I believe that was *after* he was done for the W/E - Given the W/E he'd just had, I can relate
well, there's your mistake...assuming two driver's on the same team always have 'equal' cars...different drivers favor different setups, and with the given chassis, it may or may not be 'easier' to adapt to a particular driver's 'style'...you can only drive 'around' the traits of a car for so long, and in doing so, max speed isn't there...at some point the engineers and the drivers get the car sorted, if not 'perfect'...which may or may not be possible..
\ again, and YOU, know for a FACT, the reasons behind Kimi's performance/his car's performance, that Massa 'did a better job'... and this one's even better, again, how the F%@$# do you posit to know for a FACT, what Kimi, or any other athlete is feeling/thinking? how do you know for a fact, pertaining to his 'confidence'... i am taking this 'subject' a bit personal yes...i hear this bs from monday morning quarterbacks every frickin' weekend, saying 'you, this guy, that guy, wasn't motivated, he/she was slacking and didn't perform in the game, didn't bring the heat in the race, etc, etc,, blah blah, blah... just because you don't know the why's or whereof's in a certain situation does not entitle you to trash another person's internal locus, and then, push that as FACT! monday morning quarterbacks..
you've lost the plot man, you have some issues that belong with a shrink, not here where we discuss performances from an, up-to-this-stage, overpaid driver. Go do some sport psychology courses , YOU need them !! STOP taking this personal !!!!! I didn't say YOU were crap but YOU are taking what I say about elite sportsmen as if it is directed at YOU
My theory is that the white powder that is being blamed on Stepney was spilt by Kimi from his stash! He is now keeping off the "stuff" and can focus. LOL Actually the timing fits well for the announcement from Luca saying that Kimi WILL improve. Maybe some extra motivation there.
Everybody knows that if a driver drives over the shadow of Michael Schumacher when he is standing near the track, it's good for at least 2/10's per lap because it gives the driver such a good feeling...
Kimi should have to watch this every day. I have a picture of myself swimming in the Colorado River. We jumped in because we were hot. Almost drowned. Every time I think I am smart I look at this picture and think, you dumb @ss. Probably saved my life more than once.
Although SRTMike was polite enough not to mention me as one of the Kimi bashers, I have been one from Bahrain to the USGP. It looked hopeless, but then Kimi finally flipped the proverbial switch (Nikki Lauda's metaphor, not mine). Others call it "finding his feet", whatever it was, something happened in Indy and it brought back the Kimi I was confident in on winning this year's title. France and Britain saw Kimi performing at his peak: Qualifying with a bigger fuel load and then doing Schumacheresque pit in- and outlaps to pass the competition. McLaren made mistakes in France and Britain, but still it took the old Kimi to first set the incredible pace. 18 points is a lot to catch up in 8 remaining races and it will need a DNF from Hami, but it is possible. So I'm not (again) proclaiming that Kimi will clinch this title, but I'm sure glad as hell to see him back to his old form of 03, 05. Sorry to say this to all Massa fans, but his days as #1 are over. Now the question is whether and when Kimi is able to beat Hami for the title.
I noticed the people you mentioned for staying smart and not blasting him and keeping faith in him, were the very Fchatters that I've always considered the smart, experienced, knowledgeable type that don't ever put in anything stupid, wrong, mean, unknowledgeable, or otherwise a waste of my time onto this lovely forum. Kudos to them, and a great post all around. Made me chuckle a few times. I saw a few of those. Luckily I just stayed out of the whole thing.
