Last season Kimi Räikkönen was hopelessly troubled with his car package. To add to the agony, completely inexperienced racing engineer Antonio Spagnolo was not able to facilitate in any way the Finnish Ferrari driver’s performance.
When Räikkönen switched from Lotus to Ferrari, he would have liked to bring Mark Slade to Maranello. When Kimi’s F1 career is nearing it’s final stage, however, the British engineer was reluctant to relocate and engage in a short-term exchange.
Nonetheless, Räikkönen’s life is now made easier working with a different British engineer. Dave Greenwood left Marussia to become the helping hand of the 2007 world champion. The partnership has started very promisingly.
“Damn good old-timer! Dave is really clever, and does things exactly as it should be,” Räikkönen told Turun Sanomat.
Greenwood is Räikkönen’s sixth race engineer. Sauber guided Kimi with the ways of experienced Jacky Eeckelaert. At McLaren Kimi received Mika Häkkinen’s race engineer Mark Slade and physical trainer Mark Arnall. At Ferrari Raikkonen won the championship with Chris Dyer, later he was assigned with Andrea Stella. A renunion at Lotus with Slade saw Kimi in 2013 (previously Simon Rennie) and the Ferrari comeback was with novice Antonio Spagnolo.
“It’s easier to work with an Englishman. He has a different style of working, and I’m really happy.”
And is Greenwood’s style the same as Slade’s?
“All engineers are different, but Dave pretty much reminds me of Mark. Both speak English, are very familiar with the car and know what I want so,” Räikkönen smiles.
Spagnolo was involved in winter testing with the Ferrari team, but for Räikkönen, he is no longer working closely with him.
“Antonio now carries out general team work. He is a nice guy, but not a terribly good partner for me. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. Now only the situation is different, and I’m happier overall.
In addition to a new racing engineer, Räikkönen’s team also went through changes.
“Systems are little changed, how they are made, but in principle, not in my case.”
[ Source: ts.fi | edited by KRS ]
KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN SPACE 