According to a comment Kimi made when he arrived in Bahrain... "Will the Finn remain at McLaren, or will he race at Ferrari where he might have signed a contract already? According to Kimi he hasn't signed for anyone just yet. "The truth is that I haven't sign a contract with anyone yet," Räikkönen said in Bahrain. "There is a bigger chance that I will stay at McLaren than join another Formula 1 team." " How amazingly AWESOME would it be to see Kimi and Fernando as teammates in 07? Hopefully Schumi will stick around after this year (I think he will) and Kimi will stay at McLaren. I would kill to see McLaren return to competitiveness with Ferrari and both of them at the top of the pack like the days of yesteryear with Hakkinen. Then Rossi can displace Massa and we can all have the best season of racing in years and years.
For once I agreed with you. But you lost me at Rossi. Either way Kimi vs Alonso at McLaren or Kimi vs MS at Ferrari would be tremendous fun. And having a McLaren at par with the Ferrari would be stunning. You're quite right, the Hakkinen-MS battle was fantastic.
There's no way this could happen because it would simply make too much sense. I'm 99% sure that F1's business modelling system has some sort of logic warning built into it. ie, when things become too logical someone has to step in and turn them ass-backwards.
I just love statements like this. When I read one my fondest wish is that we get to see exactly that situation. You're talking about two very good drivers. The idea that one is so much better that he would "mop the floor" with the other is, um, a revealing statement.
Here's to agreement! I'm glad you agree JV is washed up, finally (jk) As for Rossi, I have no idea whether he would develop into a top contender in F1. I DO know that he has Schumacher-like skills. Its not often that you see a racer that is truly above and beyond the rest. Kimi is good, and Alonso is good, but neither of them have that "something extra" that Schumacher has. The only other F1 driver I can recall like that was Senna (in my lifetime of watching F1, that is). In every sport, there is usually one person who is head and shoulders above the rest, even if the rest are "really good". Like Michael Jordan in Basketball or Wayne Gretzky in Hockey. Rossi is that talent in MotoGP. He is the real deal, with absoultely tremendous skills and instinct. Will that transition into F1? Maybe, maybe not. I tend to think he would be pretty good in F1. I know one thing - he is a character and would liven up F1 mightily. He is also very very competitive and I know he'd give all he's got every time. I will never forget when he was racing in MotoGP and someone cut him off inside going into a turn - the guy came in hot, nudged Rossi and almost pushed him off track. Rossi had to back off to avoid crashing out from the hothead. So in the next sweeper, they are both leaned down to the ground, dragging elbows at way over 160mph. You know the guy who cut him off's heart is beating intensely and he's focusing 100% on the race. Rossi sails by him on the outside making it look easy - pauses mid-corner, turns to look at him, takes his hand off the handlebar, gives the guy the finger right in his face, puts his hand back on the bar and continues to pass the guy. THAT's why he'd be awesome in F1!
I agree with t88. Kimi would dismantle Alonso on a regular basis. Alonso does not have the speed Kimi does IMO. He is a good driver but not one of the greats. Kimi could be one of the greats. Alonso will puss out and whine on the radio when things don't work the way he wants - Kimi will put his foot down and bludgeon the car into doing what he wants. IMO of course. I will never forget the time going into Eau Rouge when a car had popped an engine and there was a big cloud of smoke. Kimi couldn't see a damn thing but he STILL went flat out through the turn right *through* the smoke. The boy's got balls!
Woo Hoo, that is the best news IF he really isnt coming to Ferrari. To make a comment like this really is saying he DOESNT want to be teammates with MS and would rather wait like Rossi and everyone else is waiting. Soo in other words he is afraid I dont know why everyone is keen on some superbattle with Alonso and Kimi at Mclaren cause it aint going to happen. One will become the dominate player based on skill or luck and the other is going to play 2nd fiddle. I dont see any Prost/Senna battles this isnt the 80;s.
I knew our agreement was short lived: MS, Kimi and Alonso are all equally fast. Not one of them would wipe the floor with the other. The next MS like driver is already here: Renault's #3. Rossi doesn't have it. Not now and not tomorrow. Ferrari keeps him around because he is popular and Italian. It is a PR thing, nothing else. It will pass. I used to think that he'll replace Massa, but I don't even believe that anymore.
Kimi's drives are inspired. When the pressure is on, he delivers. Period. He also knows how to turn up the heat like a blow torch. The only driver I've ever seen perform under like pressure is Michael or possibly Nigel Mansell. He's got the Great White Shark-like killer instinct. You need only to look at Suzuka 2005 or Bahrain 2006 where he started dead last (because of another McLaren breakdown) and either won the race or made it to the podium. I doubt that Fred could ever match that. Fisichella is still wondering how he lost Suzuka '05! Fred looses confidence quickly when there are problems. I don't know if anyone recalls the radio transmission from Canada 2005 where Fred just knicked the wall? He sounded like he'd lost his composure. Just my .02
