Wanted: The Kimi Raikkonen Of Old

There is an old saying in the world of Motorsports: “If you want to win, hire a Finn.”

Certainly, this is what Ferrari did when they hired the services of Kimi Raikkonen at the end of the 2006 season, recruting the Finn to replace their beloved Michael Schumacher.

Many at the paddock reckoned that it would be a defining move for Raikkonen, who was never able to win a Championship, despite his enormous talent. Ferrari + Kimi would be a winning combination.

Unfortunately, after spending two years with the Maranello outfit, the relationship has not yielded the desired results.

His victory in 2007 came after some major mistakes by McLaren, and in 2008, Kimi had by far the worst F1 season of his career.

The answers to these problems lie only with Kimi and Ferrari, for whom he is driving. For me, the performances over the past two years come as a major blow.

I remember when Kimi joined McLaren in 2002. He was a young, fearless driver with an "I don’t care" attitude. A penchant for driving fast cars, Kimi was the epitome of a raw talent which was ready to be unleashed behind a fast and competitive Formula 1 car.

McLaren was the right team, a team where he could fight equally for the World Championship. Unfortunately, they couldn’t provide him with a competitive car that year.

Still, Kimi impressed with his unforgettable driving, finishing on the podium more than once and announcing his arrival on the big arena of Formula 1.

In 2003 we saw Kimi flourish as part of a team which was fighting for the title against the reigning Champions, Ferrari, and Michael Schumacher.

In the end, it was only a margin of two points which separated Kimi from dethroning the empire of Schumacher, and many believed he was now a force to be reckoned with.

2004 did not see the magic of 2003 recreated, mainly due to the underpowered McLaren, but it was the race in Spa Franchorchamps which established Kimi as a future World Champion. He drove with great speed and control and beat Schumacher at his own game.

Ultimately, Kimi showed his true class in the year of 2005.

With the MP4-19 suiting the Finn’s driving style perfectly, Raikkonen came into his own after a slow start to the season. 

Though he lost the title to Fernando Alonso, there was no denying that Kimi had the season he deserved. We saw the Finn drive at maximum potential, nurturing the car in his own way, mastering the art of manipulative driving and executing it perfectly.

It was a Raikkonen we had never seen before, smooth and crisp at the same time, taking the McLaren to new heights with his amazing throttle and steering control.

Four years have gone by, and we are still longing to see the Kimi of 2005.

We saw glimpses of it in the second half of the 2007 season, but only when Kimi and Chris Dyer had resolved the problem of too much traction control coming out of the corners in the F2007.

This is a fact; Kimi is not a huge fan of electronic stuff. It was something Schumacher excelled at using, responsible for many of his seven world championships.

There was one more thing. At the first half of the 2007 season, Kimi was lagging behind the field. The McLaren drivers and his own teammate, someone who did not pose any threat to him, were now beating him.

This had never happened before. Never has a teammate got the better of Kimi. Massa was not only getting the better of Kimi, he was slowly turning out ot be the No.1 driver for Ferrari.

Kimi needed to fix it, and fix it soon.

It all started with the French GP, his second victory, and then there was no looking back. Kimi was now a resurgent force who had a mission; to win the World Championship.

It was clear that Kimi was chasing the pack, something he had been doing all his career, and something he excels at. It all ended in Brazil, where Kimi won after recovering a deficit of 17 points from Lewis Hamilton. It was a chase one had never seen before.

2008 was supposed to be the year of Raikkonen, the World Champion. Instead, his teammate was the flag bearer for Ferrari, ultimately losing the championship by a mere point.

I don’t know why Kimi was so slow in 2008, but one thing is certain; Kimi enjoys a challenge and relishes it more  than leading from the front. That was evident last year.

Maybe the pressure of expectation got the better of his mental framework. Whatever happened, the stage is set for you, Kimi, in 2009.

With Ferrari struggling right at the start, and Brawn dominating, the scene is set. The team is right for you, and you can hope for a competitive car. Let the hunt begin.

No expectations, you shall go out undeterred, and do what you do best; race.

Ferrari, I hope you are listening. Give Kimi a car competitive enough to win races, and leave the rest to him. For he shall chase down the pack like a hungry predator marching towards his prey.