29 posts tagged “kimi raikkonen”
After an unfortunate race in Montreal, Kimi Raikkonen is once again prepared for the next quest and that is to win the French GP. Raikkonen is currently in the fourth spot behind fellow Ferrari driver Felipe Massa and archrival Lewis Hamilton of the McLaren team. But despite the two Ferrari drivers falling behind BMW’s Robert Kubica and McLaren’s Hamilton, the team is still holding tightly to their number one spot in the constructor’s standings. With one more disappointing race from Raikkonen, Ferrari will definitely fall way behind their rivals BMW and McLaren just like their drivers.
Due to Raikkonen’s point-less races, the “lust for winning” has escalated rapidly. The Finn even said that he can’t recall when he had such desire to win. I think he and Hamilton are on the same page. He also said that he doesn’t think much about his disappointing race in Montreal and that thinking about it will only make him lose time. Well, that’s what you call positive thinking. "I think that things will look really different at Magny-Cours, compared to the last GPs. It was here in France last year that my season practically started all over again; and this is what I need now, after the two races with no points,” said the Finn. He has that much liking to the Circuit de Nevers that he thinks that the Ferrari cars are perfect for the circuit, I think so too.
When you try to work out the degree of danger of the McLaren team in the Formula 1 today, you’ll find them in great danger. The black team has fallen to the third place in the constructor’s standings. Both Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen dropped on the driver’s standings. Here’s the more troubling part on the standings, the BMW team is 23 points ahead of Hamilton’s team and that’s mainly because of the disappointing race in Montreal. And on the driver’s standings, another BMW-related problem called Robert Kubica has taken over the top spot which was once Hamiton’s. Another problem that poses such a huge threat to the team and Hamilton is that Felipe Massa is tied with him and Kimi Raikkonen is just three points behind. Just by looking at the standings, I know the black team is very worried about their current status.
One of the reasons of McLaren’s slow downfall is Hamilton being so hasty and Kovalainen aftermath of bad luck. Hamilton ended his Sunday’s race by crashing onto the back of Raikkonen’s Ferrari. The Finn was pretty irritated with the fact that Hamilton was unable to see the red light up in the pit lane. The collision between the Finn and the Brit caused them a race where they could’ve won. And another troubling result of that pit lane blunder was the penalty given to Hamilton, which places him in the tenth place in the grid in the next grand prix. Well, I don’t think being in tenth place affected Hamilton in any way. He even said that the penalty won’t make any difference. As far as Hamilton’s skill is concern, I pretty much agree with him. Hamilton has definitely improved a lot after his rookie years. And what’s very impressive about him is his determination. Not even the slightest tinge of doubt can be seen in him before and after every race.
Even his fellow F1 driver, Raikkonen has noticed the improvement in Hamilton in both the physical and mental aspects of the race. The three-time world champion also agrees but says that it’s impossible for Hamilton to be Einstein at once. It’s like going straight to a university after being a kindergarten.
I haven’t watched the Canadian GP because something came up in our house and so I browsed through the official website of Formula 1. As I was browsing the results of the race, I was a bit shocked with the results because I couldn’t find Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton on the top three. Instead, the results read that BMW’s Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld dominated the race. So, what happened to the two infamous drivers of Formula 1? Hamilton and Raikkonen crashed on the pitlane. The fault, I think, was because of Hamilton not seeing the red light on the pitlane and crashing on the rear of Raikkonen’s car. The damage caused the two cars and their drivers to retire. Raikkonen accepted the fact that each of us makes mistakes but was quite annoyed by the fact that such mistakes can happen on the pitlane. He also said that his chances of winning were ruined and that his car was doing pretty well.
Indeed, the Finn has failed to score in two straight races and the continuous domination of BMW should worry the red team. And yes, is worried not because BMW has the faster car but because of the blue team’s consistency. The Ferrari team certainly has the fastest car in F1 but with their lack of consistency they could eventually lose their lead. Raikkonen obviously has lost his lead on the driver’s standings but I don’t think he’ll give up that easily. He knows what a Ferrari car could do and that’s all up to him to use that to his and his team’s advantage. Raikkonen has to win and the best to start a winning streak is on the next grand prix in Magny-Cours, France.
As I’ve written on one of my previous posts, expect the unexpected. And so, the unexpected occurred in Montreal. Well, it’s not that I’m not expecting BMW’s Robert Kubica to perform so well, given that he’s the third in the grid. It’s just that, well, I was kind of wanting McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen to execute well during the Canadian GP. I guess luck was way out of reach from the two ace drivers of Formula 1. Kubica stood holding the first place trophy at the podium, standing right next to him was teammate Nick Heidfeld, who was unexpectedly followed by Red Bull's David Coulthard. Where were Hamilton and Raikkonen? Well, they were no where to be found due to an accident, which I’m going to talk about that later on.
Kubica’s maiden win in Circuit Gilles Villeneuve positions him on top of the driver’s standings. Only four behind him are Hamilton and Felipe Massa, who was also followed by Raikkonen. Heidfeld, though he won second in Montreal still fell short in fifth place but that also puts him in a secure place right on top of Heikki Kovalainen. The constructor’s standings showed a lot of change maybe not in position but in points. The McLaren team has remarkably fallen way behind Ferrari and BMW. And despite the red team staying on top, the blue team remains to be a threat with only three points behind.
The BMW team has been very consistent on the previous races and with this they could win the world championship. But Willy Rampf, the team’s technical director, said that his team doesn’t really think much about the odds of achieving the championship and said that he’s proud of what the team has achieved in Montreal. Now, BMW is starting to concentrate on the upcoming Grand Prix de France that’ll take place in Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours. The humility that the team and its drivers are showing are beginning to pay off and it’s happening at the right time. I say my cheers to the BMW team for their Canadian GP victory.
If there’s one that I really wanted to come across while reading an article related to Formula 1, it would be consistency. Consistency is the secret to winning the world championship in a race where teams and drivers are very close to each other. Right now, the driver’s standings is dominated by McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, three points behind him is Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. And behind Raikkonen is his teammate Felipe Massa, who is just two points ahead of BMW’s Robert Kubica. Just imagine the closeness of each driver, one wrong move and one will definitely descend while one will ascend. This picture is also similar on the constructor’s standings. So, the change of scenario in the upcoming race will be the same on both standings.
Talk about consistency, the one driver that I think has been very consistent all-through the season is Massa. He doesn’t get to the top of the podium that often but he’s definitely consistent in earning points for his team, which is most important especially in obtaining the world championship. Oh so now I get it, the reason why Raikkonen was so disappointed about his race in Monte Carlo was due to the reason that he’s earned no points at all. Raikkonen’s teammate even pointed out that earning points are more important than victory. And if a driver wants to earn points for himself and his team, consistency will be needed. The two Ferrari drivers have been very consistent on the previous races, with the exception of the Monaco GP, which have helped the team top the standings.
“Although I didn't collect any points in the last race, thus losing the lead in the championships, it's not the end of the world. Last year I was in a much poorer situation. Now we have to go to Montreal con and pay back,” said Kimi Raikkonen. That’s the spirit! He’s said it but let’s just see what happens this Sunday after he’s raced in Montreal. I just don’t know who among the two ace drivers of Ferrari will top the Canadian GP. Raikkonen is great but Felipe Massa has proven that he’s a lot more consistent when it comes to performance. That was proven after Massa hit the third place while Raikkonen held on for the ninth place.
The Canadian GP is only a few days away and someone’s definitely going to make a comeback. I still haven’t figured out who I’m going to put as my top podium finishers. But I have these deductions that the Ferrari team will regain their spot in first and the McLaren team will be in second, although, I really shouldn’t be counting the BMW team out, right? This Sunday’s race is definitely going to be thrilling with Raikkonen prepared to come back after that disappointing race in Monaco and Hamilton trying to protect his lead while Robert Kubica continues to hang on among the top spot both in the driver’s and the constructor’s standings.
I’m not a big fan of Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. I can’t even remember how the circuit looks like. Oh well, I can’t do anything about it anyway. So, after the Formula 1 celebrated the first victory of Lewis Hamilton in Monte Carlo, the drivers are back into action. But now, they’re racing in less demanding circuit the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada. I’m not saying that the circuit in Canada isn’t great. Don’t get me wrong, okay. I’m merely comparing the one in Monte Carlo to the one in Montreal. Last season’s victor was Lewis Hamilton, who was having a great rookie year. And this year, he’s boldly expressed that he’s determined to try his best to win each and every race. But I don’t think it is possible. There’s just a lot stumbling blocks, namely: Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa, and Robert Kubica. Should I still be counting in Fernando Alonso? I guess I should, he’s the previous Canadian GP champion anyway before Hamilton took it from him last season.
But did you know who got the most win in Circuit Gilles Villeneuve? If you guessed Michael Schumacher, you’re right. Schumacher has the most wins in Montreal. Imagine having seven wins, he’s actually surpassed Nelson Piquet, Jacky Ickx, Jackie Stewart, Alan Jones, and Ayrton Senna. If Hamilton wins this season’s Canadian GP, he’ll definitely be standing in line with Ickx, Stewart, Jones, and Senna, who all had two wins apiece.
In the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, you’ll also find the Wall of Champions. This is actually no ordinary wall because this is the wall where infamous racers have crashed. Among the World Champions that have crashed on the Wall of Champions were Damon Hill and Schumacher. Other crashes on the final corner of the circuit also include Jacque Villeneueve, Nico Rosberg, and Juan Pablo Montoya. I just hope Hamilton doesn’t crash during race day because it’ll definitely ruin his chances. He definitely has a lead to protect especially against the infamous Ferrari team.
I’m pretty sure the Ferrari team has done a lot of preparations for the upcoming Canadian GP. Remember the team has won several times on that same circuit. And with Raikkonen’s disappointing race, he’s definitely going to make a comeback. But hey, I’m not giving out my podium finishers yet. I still have a lot of thinking to do after my previous podium finishers got busted on the previous race. I almost got it right; I just missed out on Massa. What I’m pretty sure is that the town will be painted in red.
Are the rumors true? I’ve read that Fernando Alonso is going to sign a deal with Ferrari for 2010 season. And then there’s the rumor about Kimi Raikkonen retiring. I hope not but my reliable source quoted that the Finn has told some of his friends that he doesn’t have any plans on racing for too long. Is that the reason why he didn’t do well in Monte Carlo? I don’t know.
The current Formula 1 world champion loves to drive but sources have said that the publicity and the “life under the spotlight” was already taking a toll on the famed Finn. Who wouldn’t get tired of the spotlight anyway? Celebrities do get tired of all the publicity and just wants to have a quiet life. Maybe that’s what Raikkonen wants, to live simply and to just wake up without ever worrying about the next race. If Kimi retires, I don’t want Alonso to replace him. I’d rather wish it was Robert Kubica or anybody else, just not Alonso.
After a disappointing race in Monte Carlo, Kimi Raikkonen spent his time recuperating by attending the Kiss concert this week in Helsinki.
Raikkonen, who was second at the qualifying race, is slowly showing that his Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa is quicker than he. The Finn has indeed showed that his teammate is seconds quicker than him, judging by his performance in six qualifying races this season. You know what I think? I honestly agree with Massa being quicker and the nice thing about these two Ferrari drivers is that their skills are almost on the same level. If only Raikkonen kept his focus, he would’ve had a better chance of earning points for his team, which he obviously did not after finishing in the ninth place on the Monaco GP.
If Gene Simmon’s gig could help him get back to his usual competitive self, then, it’s good decision to go to Helsinki and rock his way to the Kiss concert. And when he goes back to racing in Montreal, he’ll be able to prove that he’s better and he can win in Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, where Lewis Hamilton previously dominated. Then maybe, he can silence all those that doubt him.
Kimi Raikkonen is expecting Ferrari to be very competitive in the upcoming Monaco GP. Since when did Ferrari become incompetent anyway? Ferrari must have been planning on using their brand new nose because of the high downforce quality of the Circuit de Monaco. But one must remember that since 2001, the team has not won on that circuit. Yes, those were still the days where Michael Schumacher dominated almost every race. So, what is the problem with Circuit de Monaco that prevented the Ferrari team in achieving a win? Maybe it is because of the downforce of circuit or maybe the difficulty of overtaking another car. If it is the downforce that is causing trouble for the team in Monaco, then, they’ve definitely come up with a solution.
The new nose developed by Ferrari’s Maranello squad is designed for enabling the car to create as much downforce on high downforce circuits like the Circuit de Monaco. And of course, Ferrari is not the only team that realizes the challenge they are about to face in Monaco. McLaren and BMW are probably making their final touches on their cars to prepare for the next race.
If Raikkonen is expecting a superb performance in Monaco, Lewis Hamilton is anticipating a great race and quotes that the Monaco GP is the most “unpredictable.” Is he telling me something? Un-“predictable” My list is almost complete okay and I am quite confident about my top three podium finishers and Hamilton is definitely one of those. I am still thinking about Raikkonen though. With what the history of the circuit, I don’t know if Ferrari can make it to the top. The last time they joined the race in Monaco, they only had one point. I still haven’t made up my mind yet but I am almost there, almost there.