First year AD Kimi Räikkönen

Year 1 jKR (AD)

Kimi Räikkönen's decision to leave F1 was the end of a royal era in Finnish motorsport history.

It was as if the clock had been turned 30 summers backwards in one night; now we are living a confusing first year AD Kimi Räikkönen.

Last autumn Kimi Räikkönen and Heikki Kovalainen had half of the most desirable seats in F1. Today Valtteri Bottas and younger guys than him are keeping up a fragile spark of hope but they have a long way to Kimi's driving shoes.

Kovalainen's switch to Lotus wasn't the end of everything but it wasn't anything more than the beginning of the end. In a way sad, although much more inspiring that Räikkönen is in the same starting position as a rally driver. The duo has a significant difference though; everybody knows that Kovalainen will never be a WDC in Lotus but nobody knows where Räikkönen's limits are. He has always had the ability to push them a bit further than expected.

Kimi's courage to put his reputation on the line in rally deserves alone a recognition. For an exceptionally talented person only one career in a lifetime might be a waste of unlimited possiblilities, but what can be done in art cannot necessarily be done in sport.

The all time best basketball player Michael Jordan dreamed of success in baseball but proved to be worse than mediocre in it.

Renaldo Nehemiah switched from tracks and fields to American football. Even though he celebrated the Super Bowl in 1984 with his team his role in the success was unsignificant.

The human missile Jim Hines, double gold medalist in the Olympics, failed even worse on the football fields. His nickname 'Oops' tells it all; he had speed but his hands came always empty when he went after the ball.

The grass on the other side of the fence might look greener although it could in reality be dry and dead.

John Surtees won the WDC in motorcycling and F1. Over 45 years ago the world and the demands for top sport were yet completely different.

The journey from F1 to WRC is as long as it is from sprint to American Football or from basketball to baseball.

Whatever Kimi will achieve in the end he will not have anything to be ashamed of.

KARI MELART

Fonte: VM Rally Finland (paper edition)/Dica-agradecimento pelo texto: Nicole

É disto que eu estou falando! Não importa o que aconteça, o que Kimi tem feito e enfrentado para hoje disputar um mundial de rali já vale aplausos. O texto acima resume exatamente o que eu penso. Pode não dar certo? Claro que pode! Mas e se der? Será histórico! E de verdade, eu acho que o Iceman está fazendo bonito, gostem ou não. Ele teve a chance, tem o patrocínio, tem a equipe, tem o co-piloto, tem a estrutura, ele só precisa mostrar o que pode fazer, e está mostrando. Acreditem, é o que falei no texto do Rali da Bulgária (quem não leu, aqui está), ele está escrevendo a história dele, e eu tenho certeza que será uma bela história!

Beijinhos, Ice-Ludy