Not sounding like a guy who is coming back in a year...... Raikkonen: I don't miss F1, and WRC is more of a challenge Tue, 16 Feb 13:20:15 2010 - Crash.net Former F1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen has admitted that he is not missing the top flight since departing the fray at the end of last season to make his full-time bow in the World Rally Championship (WRC) with the Red Bull-backed Citroën Junior Team this year – as he revealed that not only is rallying a friendlier environment, but it is also a more challenging one too. After being ousted by Ferrari to make way for incoming fellow title-winner Fernando Alonso, at the cost of a reputed £15 million to the Scuderia – being unable to agree financial terms with erstwhile employers McLaren-Mercedes and shunning the overtures of reigning double world champions Mercedes Grand Prix, a disillusioned Raikkonen pledged his immediate future to the WRC with Citroën. Following a warm-up on the Arctic Lapland Rally last month, he made his official debut for the French manufacturer on Rally Sweden last weekend, the opening round on the 2010 calendar. Whilst the anticipated ‘learning curve’ saw the Finn at one stage beached in a snow bank – costing him as much as 25 minutes, and with it all conceivable hope of a good result – he did reach the finish, albeit in 30th position, and but for his error would likely have placed just outside of the top ten, a far from unrespectable result on his maiden appearance at full WRC level. The Espoo native was clearly having fun, too – something he opines the increasingly boring, mundane, clinical and predictable F1 has forgotten how to do in recent years. “I was in Formula 1 for a long time and, right now, I don’t miss it,” Raikkonen told the News of the World. “In F1, testing and everything is exactly the same; you go to the same circuits and do lap after lap. The only variable is whether it rains or not. “The WRC is more open than F1, it’s more relaxed and there’s a warmer feeling. The teams are friends together. In rallying, everything is completely different to Formula 1. There are so many variables – different conditions, different roads and different surfaces. It is a big challenge; every corner is different. In Formula 1 that’s not the case.” Confessing that he has not even followed the pre-season F1 testing to-date that many would have found it hard to believe last year that he would not be a part of, Raikkonen added that even the celebrated and much-hyped return of his former sparring partner Michael Schumacher – the most successful driver in top flight history – does not greatly excite him, as he insisted he has no regrets about the somewhat unceremonious manner in which he exited the sport. “I only see the times in the newspapers the following day,” the 18-time grand prix-winner mused, betraying no emotion even in the light of the fact that Alonso in ‘his’ Ferrari has been one of the outright pace-setters from day one. “I have this new challenge and I am more interested in this right now, but even when I raced in F1 I never really looked at what time everyone did, because you know the details before the next race. “For me, it doesn’t matter who is racing in Formula 1 now. Michael probably started to miss it and he has got a good option now, so it’s good for him. Let’s see how he does. Whatever happened in the end, [Ferrari] wanted to change driver and I had no contract for this year. “If people don’t want you somewhere and they are willing to pay you out, I have no reason to try to stay because it’s not going to be a happy relationship – but that’s life. It has happened and I do not have a bad feeling with anybody. I got what I wanted in the end.”
Struggling to get to the top ten fastest drivers with a top car & team boss vs. being one of the fastest drivers with a crap car & team boss. Not surprising really.
Kimi doesn't miss F1? Count me as someone who's not surprised by this considering the attitude he portrayed the past two seasons.
With this attitude he'll never be back. He's going to keep playing the "if they throw enough money at me" scenario yet his franchise keeps dropping as time goes by. Plus, if he doesn't take what he's currently doing seriously and perform the guy's just a slacker with a big bank account. Good for him.
Yeah... **WRC SPOILER- HIGHLIGHT BELOW TO READ** ....he never had to shovel his Ferrari out of a snowbank! LOL! *****
WDCs in general are not forgotten and Ferrari WDCs in particular not. Even questionable WDCs like Rosberg, D. Hill or Button will be remembered and a heroic battle as the Iceman fought will stand the test of time. Ferrari drivers who never achieved the WDC however are quickly forgotten: The Arnoux, Johannsons and Massas of this world.
Ouch! In all fairness, Massa's career isn't over yet, even though he missed his big chance for WDC in 2008. One less mistake by the TEAM would have resulted in Massa being champion, but that's another thread. Kimi's behavior and attitude after winning his one (and only) WDC was thoroughly disappointing.
Bearing in mind the fact that he was probably robbed from a legitimate WDC by the little Piquet-Renault contretemps at Singapore in 2008, I think you are really unfair about Massa. In my book, he is the moral winner of the 2008 championship. I only wish that these infos had come at the time. Also, even those Ferrari drivers who didn't win WDC aren't forgotten. I remember Ginther, Baghetti, Rodriguez (both brothers), Bandini, Ickx, Reggazoni, etc... And for many, Ferrari and Villeneuve are ever present together.
Actually, if the Singapore stuff had come out sooner, Hamilton would have widened his lead to Massa... Massa was only as close as he was because of the Piquet cheating.
One less mistake by Hamilton would have made him win by an even larger margin. One less mistake by Massa would have made him win. Honestly, blaming Massas loss on the team is like blaming a bankruptcy on your cell phone bill. It's the cumulation of things that do it, and it coulda been Massa not making a mistake, or Hamilton not making a mistake, or the FIA not messing with the results twice, that could have changed the outcome. As for Kimi, he doth protest too much. He sure goes out of his way not only to say he is happy in WRC, but to point out the full extent of how little he cares about F1. Sounds like a jilted ex-girlfriend, telling anyone who will listen that she never really liked that guy anyway, is much happier without him, and considers dating him the biggest mistake she ever made, etc, etc. But you know that every time the phone rings, she's checking in nervous anticipation that it might be him begging her to come back
As i've said before, Kimi's done with F1. As for Massa, i'm a huge fan. But whats all this moral winner thing? No one's gonna remember any 'moral winner' IMHO. Massa still needs to get out there and win the WDC, and i know he's capable of doing so.
Hats off to Kimi. Every time an F1 race runs this year, he smiles and gets paid under his continuing F1 contract with the Scuderia. Bright boys those Finns. Lots of green to pay for unlimited vodka and he doesn't have to read Italian newspapers anymore to see what they are saying about him.
WRC is, in fact, a more challenging motorsport than F1. Kimi's not the first to express such sentiments, and he won't be the last.
I think he's very excited in learning about the WRC and how to be quick in a WRC car and getting some good results. I think he'll enjoy this year and then if it doesn't completely go to plan then weigh up his options for next year based on what's available.
Spot on. Only his die hard fans will bring back 2008 and the close finish while completely ignoring all the mistakes he made that year which cost him the title and the 15 points the FIA gifted him in Spa and Fuji. Does anybody remember Prost as a moral Ferrari WDC? Didn't think so. His chance is over. After Ferrari (that is in 2011) he'll go back to some midfield team and end his career as another Trulli/Salo/Fisichella slowing fizzling out of view and memory.
