Kimi – the comeback king?

Source: motorsport-magazin.com | Translation courtesy of Miezicat

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Kimi Raikkonen proved all his critics wrong with his comeback. Motorsport Magazine.com asked F1 experts what makes the Iceman so good?

The comeback of Kimi Raikkonen seems to have been the right choice …

Damon Hill: Absolutely, it’s good he’s back in Formula 1.

Marc Surer: In any case, he also was never gone. He drove two years rally and was always active – that is why he is still in top form.

Jackie Stewart: He made a brilliant comeback. He is an incredibly talented driver. It’s as if he had never been away.

Danner: I said at the beginning of the year that I do not think Kimi will manage. So I really have to admit: I was wrong. Kimi is fully on it. He copes perfectly with all the modern realities, cars without fuel stops, Pirelli tires. His performance is just awesome, great.

Johnny Herbert: It was sad when he left the F1 and I’m glad he’s back. I like Kimi, especially the way he pushes and gets the most out of the car. He doesn’t like all the stuff with the media, but he is not the only one. But he shows it more than others. A comeback is not easy, but he made it in no time, to drive at the top again. He is competitive and has settled in well.

Why Raikkonen was successful after returning faster than Michael Schumacher?

Danner: Kimi has to rely a bit more on his talent, Schumacher works more. The relaxed way like Kimi addressed it, is perhaps more the path to success, than to try to achieve something by force.

Marc Surer: He is also younger, which certainly helps with it.

Johnny Herbert: He is much younger than Michael, and he still feels the hunger. That Michael does as well, but he is in a different situation than Kimi. The younger generation has taken over the helm and Kimi is still more in this category in terms of competitiveness than Michael. I think Kimi will have more success than Michael.

Raikkonen doesn’t change, he is as he is. Is that his strength?

Marc Surer: He’s not a superstar, but he is extremely well received by the audience. He has an incredible number of fans and everybody likes him.

Danner: It’s so crazy what he does sometimes. Sometimes he doesn’t come at all. It is unbelievable. But that is Kimi, he is like that. I do not blame him. He brings his performance in this way – not different. If you really restrict him he loses his freedom and that is one of the guarantees that he is so fast. And he really is very fast.

Damon Hill: He does his own thing. He is not interested in the circus around him, it is only the driving. He lets his performance on the track speak for itselves.

Johnny Herbert: Especially important for Kimi is that he is very happy in the team. Lotus gives him confidence, without confidence you can not get into the car and do a good job.

What else are its strengths?

Marc Surer: speed and talent, absolutely. He drives, focuses on his work and isn’t in F1 because of the glamour. I do believe that he can still win in 2012.

Danner: He is surely capable of one, two wins.

Damon Hill: It was a risk to go to Lotus, but it paid off for both sides. Kimi has immense talent and experience. And he is still young. I only started with 33 years in F1. Early 30s is a good age for a racer, so it’s for him a very good time to be back in F1. I expect more action from him. A victory is difficult, but possible.

Jackie Stewart: He has a clear head, he knows what he’s doing. Michael took nearly a year in order to get reasonably at the top. Kimi came back and was immidiately there. They are two different personalities. Kimi is a true racer, Michael is not and never was. He had a good car and a good team and drove well. But for Kimi there is more heart and soul in it. I think Kimi is capable of quite a lot.