2011 Formula 1 Season Thread

The problem is that for most of his last two seasons in F1 (the period between his last two wins, in particular, so second half of '08 and first half of '09) neither him nor his driving had been doing too much talking. Doing fastest laps at random during races doesn't win favours, the team must have been asking him every time "why weren't you able to do that for the whole race?".

To be honest, Kimi did perform rather poorly in '08. But all the podium finishes Kimi collected in '09 was pretty tremendous. His start(also thanks to kers) and race pace has often exceeded the car's potential.
 
I remember him saying he liked the '09 Ferrari, it's just that it wasn't fast enough to win many races.
 
The problem is that for most of his last two seasons in F1 (the period between his last two wins, in particular, so second half of '08 and first half of '09) neither him nor his driving had been doing too much talking. Doing fastest laps at random during races doesn't win favours, the team must have been asking him every time "why weren't you able to do that for the whole race?".

2008 was a poor year, but in 09 the Ferrari was on the podium often enough when it didn't belong there because of Kimi.
 
Do tune in for some hamilton PR bullshit then, if that's what you care about in F1.

Kimi does the talking on the race track, not in the paddock.

I'm not a Hamilton fan at all - but I'd much rather listen to Hamilton rather than Kimi any day of the week!

I mean, what did Kimi actually do to endorse Formula One in anyway? Nothing! He didn't deserve the millions in comparison to his team mate he was getting and he sure as heck didn't deserve the title.

Ferrari made a massive error signing Kimi.
 
You got ten posts on this forum, half of which are more-or-less clever one-liners about Kimi Raikonnen not talking enough in your opinion. I'd prefer you posting something more... productive now or then.
 
I'm not a Hamilton fan at all - but I'd much rather listen to Hamilton rather than Kimi any day of the week!

I mean, what did Kimi actually do to endorse Formula One in anyway? Nothing! He didn't deserve the millions in comparison to his team mate he was getting and he sure as heck didn't deserve the title.

Ferrari made a massive error signing Kimi.
Who are you? Bernie? Why does it matter about endorsing the sport? How the hell does one endorse the sport anyway? I've always found the saying retarded! People don't deserve championships based on how well they talk up the sport, they deserve it based on how many points they have over everyone else at the end of the season.
 
Ferrari made a massive error signing Kimi.

lol you idiot.

Kimi's talented is wanted by every top team in the paddock. Which is exactly why McLaren stole him from Peter Sauber in the first place.
 
Who are you? Bernie? Why does it matter about endorsing the sport? How the hell does one endorse the sport anyway? I've always found the saying retarded! People don't deserve championships based on how well they talk up the sport, they deserve it based on how many points they have over everyone else at the end of the season.

All I'm saying is when the likes of Vettel, Button and Alonso, heck, even Hamilton, won the championship, it was great for the sport. They are guys you know it means a lot to. They clearly live, breath and eat racing. They love the sport they're in.

With Raikkonen it's like he didn't give a damn either way and couldn't really be bothered. He could drive a fantastic race from near the back of the grid and win. And he didn't seem bothered by it. He could DNF on the final lap whilst in the lead. And still not seem bothered by it. He didn't even really seem that bothered when he won the championship!

At least show some passion and enthusiasm for what you're doing when you are in the top level of any sport. Inspire new people, and at least come across as human by showing some emotion on how much it means to you from time to time. At least seem grateful for the chance you've been given, especially when you're being paid millions and millions of pounds...

I don't know. He never seemed that relatable too. Like sometimes when somebody wins, it's a nice story and it makes you feel good. But with Kimi, as I say, he never seemed bothered whatever happen, so that's why I found it hard to get behind him and support him, despite being a Ferrari fan. I'm amazed he still seems to have so many fans who cheered for him blindly, despite the fact that they seemed more bothered if he won than he did.

He doesn't seem to want it enough for me. Last year when he was being linked to a come back with Renault he put out some comment about how he wouldn't be driving for them because they were just using his name for PR. What a load of bull. What a sucky, piss poor attitude to have. Why is it going to be any different with Williams this time? Heck, he couldn't even stay motivated whilst he was with one of the sport's best teams, so how on earth is he going to with a team that's not even scoring points consistently and enduring their worst season ever? How is it going to be any different at all?

This time I think it is the other way round. I think he needs to be linked to an F1 team for PR to get HIS name out, because he can't make his damn mind up what he wants to do!

@MadCow809 - Really? That's why Ferrari sacked him a year early is it? That's why he's failed to find a drive since is it?

And I'm sorry. I didn't expect I'd get chastised for holding an opinion on a driver. Didn't know it was a fan boy zone like the Autosport forums! LOL!
 
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I think by the amount of negative responses you're getting here, you can realize he did inspire and earn the respect of many people, including a legion of fans...
 
One of they very few things he could be bothered to do then...:rolleyes:

He couldn't even be bothered to try NASCAR out for more than 2 races and didn't go down to Australia for the WRC round...that about sums up his level of motivation.
 
One of they very few things he could be bothered to do then...:rolleyes:

He couldn't even be bothered to try NASCAR out for more than 2 races and didn't go down to Australia for the WRC round...that about sums up his level of motivation.
how long have you been following F1?
Are you more interested in the sport side of it or the glamour?

Kimi never did glamour.
 
He must hate the earlier racers, the ones who would only race and probably laugh at being suggested to do stupid Head & Shoulder ads.
 
[flame suit]

I'm terribly sorry, but clearly you guys are talking about two completely different people named Kimi Raikkonen. One camp is talking about the World Champion of 2007 who won races with daring overtaking moves on the last lap, the other camp is talking about the pale shadow of a racing driver which turned up for a significant part of the next two seasons.

[/flame suit]
 
[flame suit]

I'm terribly sorry, but clearly you guys are talking about two completely different people named Kimi Raikkonen. One camp is talking about the World Champion of 2007 who won races with daring overtaking moves on the last lap, the other camp is talking about the pale shadow of a racing driver which turned up for a significant part of the next two seasons.

[/flame suit]

So for you it's divided bofore 2007 and after, simple as that?
What about the great of performance in 2005 followed by a so-so 2006?

Things are not so black and white with anyone, having a couple of bad years doesn't make a driver a failure in my eyes. He started 2008 winning and then had a drop, he finished the year on a high with 3 podiums. The first half of 2009 should be excluded from Formula One history if you asked me, it was shit for everyone, complete lottery.
 
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So for you it's divided bofore 2007 and after, simple as that?
What about the great of performance in 2005 followed by a so-so 2006?

Things are not so black and white with anyone, having a couple of bad years doesn't make a driver a failure.

2008 and 2009 are somewhat more fresh in the collective memory, that's why they're being used as cases in point. (EDIT: Many people pretty much judge drivers on the criterion of "you're only as good as your last race/last few races".) Cold statistic: in '09 before Massa had his injury, he was leading Kimi 28-10 in the points.

In any case, it's just my personal opinion of the man. I get that people admire him for various reasons, but especially after his recent exploits in motorsport, I just can't. Sorry.
 
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how long have you been following F1?
Are you more interested in the sport side of it or the glamour?

Kimi never did glamour.

Followed it for 18 years.

Don't get me wrong, I'll admit that I think on his day Kimi's a very good racing driver. I'm not just beating up on him because I dislike him.

I just think he's really overated, never did much good for the sport at all, and find the talk of him joining Williams the most laughable thing since JV last tried to come back into F1.

I know some people seem a little insecure when someone criticises their favourite driver (do they have medication for people who are butthurt?), so that's the last I'll say of it.
 
Never did much for the sport?? I'll give you a few examples: gorilla suit on a yacht, sunbaking in Monaco after retiring from the race, drunk in a strip club, entering a snowmobile race under the pseudonym James Hunt, pre-race interview on the grid Brazil 2006.

Kimi gave F1 personality!! That's why he has so many fans.

Very different character but as a driver I think he is exactly the same as Juan Pablo Montoya. Bullshit-fast, probably the fastest driver on the grid, but absolutely zero interest in helping the team or developing the car. Which, alas, means that your talent is likely to go nowhere in the current age of Formula One.

I'll put my hand up as a Kimi fan, but even trying to look objectively, I think his recent exploits in motorsport have made me admire him more! He has always just wanted to drive as fast as he can without any bullshit. Rather than stick with the 'pinnacle' of motorsport when he wasn't having any fun, he chose to go do his own thing. I hope Peugeot pick him up as a Le Mans driver and he wins that. He would be awesome, other guys can pound around the test circuit and develop it, Kimi will stick it on pole and drive the rings out of it.
 

Who else would say something like this nowadays? Everyone PR puppets or complete R-tards.
 
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