Where is Kimi Raikkonen?

A Kriss do fórum F1 Zone publicou a tradução para o inglês de um artigo húngaro bem interessante sobre o Kimi. Segue abaixo o artigo (em inglês). Chamo a atenção para alguns trechos onde fala que o maior erro de Kimi foi ter assinado com a Ferrari e, também, para o meu preferido: "When he wanted to be drunk he got drunk and didn’t care about the opinion of the media." (Quando ele queria ser um bêbado ele era um bêbado sem se preocupar com a opnião da mídia).

Where is Kimi Raikkonen?

We continue our series where we try to form opinion in those questions which divide millions of fans and where the ordinary sports media is helpless.

First we solved the Schumacher mystery then we analyzed the trinity (Senna, Schumacher and Alonso) but the best for last - the interpretation of the Raikkonen factor. Have fun!

Let’s face the fact that Kimi is not going back to Formula1. It seems that he’s found the place where he really feels good and he has no intension to test himself in the championship of lies and intrigue. Let’s say it: the Formula 1 was able to squander the most brilliant talent of the last decade and the only special individuality who was able to expose the human side of the sport in addition doing his job perfectly like a machine. Who is to blame?

It would be very simple to say that Ferrari. Many thought that Kimi was worthy successor of Schumacher in Maranello and with him the Scuderia could continue its success – with the latter definition I could completely identify myself but the first part of sentence raised doubt in me even in the beginning of 2007.

We have to admit that Kimi is not the type of racer who is getting his team behind him with his huge work ethic. He is doing his job, telling what he wants and when he gets it he drives his car fast, damn fast. Motivating his team, building emotional relationships are not of his strengths. Kimi is a really old school racer who doesn’t care a bit about marketing, doesn’t make friends, doesn’t do anything else but going into the factory telling what he wants and then performs. Why? Because the only thing Kimi knows is how to drive the car very fast. And today this is not enough to be a real great racer. We could speculate for a long time whether this new style is good or not but the facts are facts – nowadays it is not enough to drive the car fast, a driver must have a much more complex knowledge to achieve his dream.

Kimi wasn’t capable to measure up to the task which was only partially his fault. Coming from his style and habit he is not a very passionate person and his genius isolated him from his team. He had many arguments with Ron Dennis because the McLaren team couldn’t provide a championship contender technique and Ron (rightfully) demanded consequence and intelligence in Kimi’s racing.

There was something that he misjudged. Kimi’s way of competing is very simple – he wants to win no matter what, and he doesn’t think that in certain situation he should slow down. This kind of attitude brought him the love of ten and hundred thousands of fans but also is to blame for having only one world championship title in his cabinet.

Kimi made a mistake in his carrier when he signed Ferrari, In 2007 the great personalities of the post Schumacher era (Alonso and Kimi) made unbelievably wrong decisions. – practically they swapped teams. It was obvious at his very young age that Alonso belongs to Ferrari and it was hard to imagine Kimi in such a passionate environment. In his first season with the passionate support of Jean Todt pulled together the world title. (how and why I have a special theory) then after the Frenchman’s departure Kimi vanished. Trust is vital for Kimi.

He can not live without trust; he has to feel that that team is there for him, works for him and wants his success – even if he is not willing to do anything else but driving very fast. With Todt’s departure the trust disappeared. In Maranello the chiefs became less talented but Italians and they couldn’t find the way with the Finnish champion. In 2008 Kimi wasn’t losing to Massa because the team put him down but because he wasn’t in the mood to drive for Ferrari. It seemed from many of his expressions. He didn’t feel the confidence, he wasn’t the team’s mascot anymore, they didn’t observe his opinion and that was enough to lose his spirit for a lifetime.

And of course there is a very significant detail that in 2007 Kimi had fulfilled his dream and became a world champion. Everybody who ever won something knows that after the euphoria of winning emptiness comes very quickly. Kimi was fed up with the media hype, he didn’t have a minute without the press. Many questioned the equity of his title, they said that he only won because of the McLaren’s inner battle. Kimi simply lost his spirit – and it is Formula1’s fault: the environment, the rules, the sharks of the media.

Formula1 needs a great talent like Raikkonen in any circumstances – especially in current times. Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso all are exceptional talents but they are from the new era, raised for racing, treat the media and the fans like a machine, they never do anything risky. They are fast, talented but without personality, self-will, the freedom of individuality which could predestinate them to be remembered after 30-40 years as gritty racers.

So it can be seen that Kimi is the last person in Formula1 who loves life, who raced with real emotions, he didn’t like to be controlled, who had separate ideas about life and didn’t approached everything through F1. When he wanted to be drunk he got drunk and didn’t care about the opinion of the media. He never wanted to seem perfect because he never was.

Today, it seems he has found his place – sad for us that he he had to leave F1 for that. Rally is unarguable his environment, personally I feel that he’d changed carriers with Sebastian Loeb.

The precision of the French champion of records would predestinate him for very big results in F1. The coolness of Kimi can be a winner in rally. And yes, the Flying Finnish is very fast there. Only those trees beside the road …..