The risk has paid off

The risk has paid off

Kimi Raikkonen proved all his critics wrong with his comeback.

Motorsport Magazin.com asked F1 experts what makes the Iceman so good?

Motorsport Magazin.com - 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 his 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 immediately 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.

Fonte: www.motorsport-magazin.com/ Dica: Artista & Momo / Tradução para o Inglês: Miezicat

Como eu estava precisando de um texto como este!!! Que maravilha!!!! Estou feliz agora! De verdade!!!!

Desde Mônaco venho sentindo um clima pesado e uma sensação de tristeza que não consigo explicar quando o assunto é F1. Sou doida, eu sei, mas tenho destas coisas, é o meu jeito, sou assim há anos e não vou mudar. Mas este texto, nossa, realmente veio na hora certa, porque quero de verdade, estar leve para o GP que mais amo na temporada, o da Inglaterra.

Sei que pode parecer bobagem, mas quem é fã de Kimi e o vê constantemente julgado em seu talento ou em sua forma de agir, ficará igualmente feliz com este texto. O que estas pessoas disseram acima, nunca foi novidade para nós, que acompanhamos e torcemos para o Iceman.

Mas é bom que de vez em quando, estas pessoas que possuem a voz que nós não temos, falem o que sempre soubemos, Kimi é demais e ele está muito bem em seu retorno à F1.

Agora a parte mais maravilhosa do texto acima. Jackie Stewart, depois da sua declaração sobre o Iceman, sério, sou a fã mais feliz do mundo! :)  "Kimi é um piloto nato, Michael não é e nunca foi. Ele tinha um bom carro e uma boa equipe e pilotou bem. Mas para Kimi há mais coração e alma nisto. E eu acho que Kimi é capaz de muita coisa."

Desculpem-me os fãs de Schumacher (que eu vi correr desde o seu começo), mas sempre achei que o alemão fez muito do que fez, seus grandes e quase imbatíveis números, porque teve uma base sólida que poucos na F1 tiveram. Não julgo o talento de Schumacher, porque sim, o cara pilota muito, mas sem a base sólida que ele teve na Ferrari, metade destes títulos não teria acontecido.

Kimi só foi campeão uma vez na F1. Pode ser novamente um dia, quem sabe. Como pode nunca mais conquistar o topo do mundo, mas não tem problema. Eu vi corridas deste rapaz que simplesmente nunca esquecerei, e não estou falando de vitória, estou falando de corridas mesmo, que acabaram sem sucesso, mas que foram inesquecíveis como Spa 2008 ou Nurburgring 2005.

O que me entristece é que o talento dele, poucos reconhecem como deveria. O cara é natural no que faz, pilota por prazer a paixão (como todos ali, é claro), ele realmente nasceu para isto. E mesmo se ele não vencer uma única corrida sequer, nunca mais, eu continuarei admirando este piloto, porque não são, nunca foram e jamais serão as vitórias que me fazem continuar ao lado dele como fã. É o que ele faz dentro das pistas, mesmo que a maioria não veja o que eu vejo. Talento. Puro e simples.

Beijinhos, Ludy