I therefore propose that each driver is a genius. Not in the sense of Einstein, Newton, or Hawking. Nor a literary genius like Tolkien or an artist like van Gogh. Rather they are exceptionally talented in the art of driving a car.
Each driver can feel a car out, determine its strengths and weaknesses, and try to get the most out of the vehicle. Furthermore, in order to drive a car as close to the limit as possible, the driver must be able to grasp the physics of the car’s behavior.
I doubt many of them think about it in a mathematical way, but rather while turning or braking their head and stomach tells them how close they are, and how much more they can accomplish if they are brave enough.
There is an inherent intelligence in these actions. They have a self awareness and the ability to quickly think through the outcomes. After some experience, drivers know how to set up a car, and know what will and will not work.
In other words, Formula 1 drivers are fairly smart people. You shouldn’t turn to them for stock market advice, but their ability to observe what is around them and see what is happening should not be underestimated.
Most drivers should be expected to be logical and even-handed. Well, usually only the latter when they lay their egos aside, but I digress.
And this is where I think Kimi Raikkonen runs into trouble. During an interview, a driver is typically asked a question along the lines of “Why didn’t you qualify on the front row?” or “how did you pull away from Lewis Hamilton during the second stint?”
The answer to either question is almost the same, even though the situation is very different; “Well I drove as best I could and it was (or wasn’t) enough.”
If Kimi wanted to, he could throw in comments about having a better or worse setup. Or perhaps he got lucky with a safety car period or unlucky with a punctured tire. But the problem I think he has is that a large portion of the questions he is asked are redundant.
I have heard questions about fuel levels posed many different ways. A driver would grow tired of dodging that question a few times a weekend.
Questions that might seem less boring such as, “When you increased the car’s downforce, you seemed to experience more tire wear during the middle of the run.
Why is that?” are mostly unanswerable, either because the driver doesn’t fully understand why or because the driver (and team) want to protect the knowledge they might have.
The good questions that do get asked and publicity tasks that a driver might see as worthwhile are few and far between.
Kimi might be willing to suffer the celebrity spot light for a chance to drive in Formula 1, but when he sees the media wanting his opinion on something as predictable as clockwork on top of his loss of privacy, he likely doesn’t want to deal with it.
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