Raikkonen has faith Ferrari will deliver winning car in 2015

[Nova]

I think Ferrari will bounce back yet again, its in their history and dna. They will rise,
irregardless of who is driving. N I cant wait.

[Winter]

That the current philosophy hasn't worked is clear. Only I think it's not a drivers problem. I think the cause lies much deeper, in the whole developmentphilosophy within Ferrari. That is something drivers can't solve. We both know that Fernando and Kimi are great drivers, Fernando even considered the best of the grid by many. And still these two experienced drivers could not make the change....they pinpointed what the problems were, but Ferrari was not able to respond to that in an adequate way.
The only luck Ferrari had was that Fernando could more or less adapt himself to the car as it was, otherwise both drivers would have had a terrible season. That he is able to do that also meant the end of Massa with Ferrari, because they simply could not believe it was the car. Now Kimi has shown that it was not a problem with Massa, he has the same misery......so the problem is the car, not the drivers.
You can change the drivers line-up now, but as long as nothing basicly changes in the development area, the problem will not go away.
Besides that, ever since the testban, drivers influence on the development has become much smaller, there simply is no time. The car has to be good from the beginning.
What we saw this year were two unhappy drivers, one who found a way to drive the car and one who didn't. Does that mean Fernando is so much faster than Kimi? No, of course he isn't under normal circumstances, only in this car he is.
Now we think Vettel will come alongside Kimi. Will this change anything? I'm afraid it is again up to the developmentdepartment to build a driveable car, because otherwise next season could be even worse. Because we all know Vettel is, unlike Fernando, not a man who can drive a car that has fundamental problems.
So that's why I think Fernando and Ferrari parting ways is a very bad idea, at least for Ferrari.

Yes, Alonso is great(est?), that goes without saying, but do you really think that Alo and Rai started from the same line to this season and Alonso had zero advantage from all the feed back he has given in those previous seasons? Even if the rules changed, the team still knows what kind of a car Alonso prefers and when Kimi was signed the car was already designed.
Maybe Alonso has been driving better around the problems, but Kimi has had more and bigger problems to drive around.

[roflcopter44444]

As long as the car is this bad it doesn't matter who gets put in it. Focus should be on solving that first, driver lineup is a secondary issue.

[Winter]

As long as the car is this bad it doesn't matter who gets put in it. Focus should be on solving that first, driver lineup is a secondary issue.

I believe the car is designed to be fast as possible. But there is the driver factor too. Some drivers prefers different kind of cars than other drivers. All of them likes fast car though

[Katu]

Yes, Alonso is great(est?), that goes without saying, but do you really think that Alo and Rai started from the same line to this season and Alonso had zero advantage from all the feed back he has given in those previous seasons? Even if the rules changed, the team still knows what kind of a car Alonso prefers and when Kimi was signed the car was already designed.
Maybe Alonso has been driving better around the problems, but Kimi has had more and bigger problems to drive around.

possibly they didn't start from the same line, but it still is no excuse that after 18 GP's he still hasn't found a way how to drive this car so i'd get better position than 6-th. tell me as a Kimi-fan you are not disappointed in him when you see that there has been possible to drive with that car to podium too? when you say his problems are bigger, then you make it sound that he is even worse than rookies are when adjusting with completely new cars to them, not talking about former WDC who has almost 12 seasons experience supporting him...

[Alonsomaniac]

Yes, Alonso is great(est?), that goes without saying, but do you really think that Alo and Rai started from the same line to this season and Alonso had zero advantage from all the feed back he has given in those previous seasons? Even if the rules changed, the team still knows what kind of a car Alonso prefers and when Kimi was signed the car was already designed.
Maybe Alonso has been driving better around the problems, but Kimi has had more and bigger problems to drive around.

No, ofcourse they did not start from the same line. But cars are not built for a driver, they are built to be as fast as possible. The driver can do a lot with the car what setup is concerned, but that's all. Kimi is a professional and very experienced driver. I saw no problem in him losing out to Fernando in the first two or three races, but after that he should have been a little closer every time. And he was not. That surprised me.

[KimiBot]

2014 Abu Dhabi drivers press conference.

[fratelliferrari]

2014 Abu Dhabi drivers press conference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI8ag6LnPm0

Thanks for posting!

[Alonsomaniac]

The last one was really the best question ever.......Fernando completely speechless ......he didn't see that one coming

[Winter]

possibly they didn't start from the same line, but it still is no excuse that after 18 GP's he still hasn't found a way how to drive this car so i'd get better position than 6-th. tell me as a Kimi-fan you are not disappointed in him when you see that there has been possible to drive with that car to podium too? when you say his problems are bigger, then you make it sound that he is even worse than rookies are when adjusting with completely new cars to them, not talking about former WDC who has almost 12 seasons experience supporting him...

Firstly, yes I am disappointed to his season, but I've been following his career pretty closely for some time now and this is the worst season he has had so far. I also know that he really needs certain characteristics from the car to "show his thing". This is not the first season he has issues with the steering, but until this season those problems were solved at some point of the season. It was many races ago, when Allison said that there is no way to get rid of Kimis steering issues with F14T, the car was "baked" to be under steering. When they try to set up the car to be less understeery, it loses the balance completely.

Of course he could have changed his driving style to be less depending from responsive, pointy front, but natural driving style comes from the spine and is not "fixable". I bet, he has adjusted his style as much as he can, but his natural style is over steering and the car is under steering despite how ever they try to set up the car.

The fact that Alonso doesn't mind, or even prefers understeer and Kimi hates unresponsive front-end has been the biggest reason for the gap between them in this season.

[Nero Horse]

I think Ferrari will bounce back yet again, its in their history and dna. They will rise,
irregardless of who is driving. N I cant wait.

Yes, exactly. Ferrari has been through much tougher times than these before and sooner or later they've always managed to get back to the top and win again. It might take some time, but I have no doubt whatsoever, that Ferrari will rise again and we'll have many great days ahead to celebrate. And when those days come then it will taste really sweet.

Per aspera ad astra.

[Katu]

Firstly, yes I am disappointed to his season, but I've been following his career pretty closely for some time now and this is the worst season he has had so far. I also know that he really needs certain characteristics from the car to "show his thing". This is not the first season he has issues with the steering, but until this season those problems were solved at some point of the season. It was many races ago, when Allison said that there is no way to get rid of Kimis steering issues with F14T, the car was "baked" to be under steering. When they try to set up the car to be less understeery, it loses the balance completely.

Of course he could have changed his driving style to be less depending from responsive, pointy front, but natural driving style comes from the spine and is not "fixable". I bet, he has adjusted his style as much as he can, but his natural style is over steering and the car is under steering despite how ever they try to set up the car.

The fact that Alonso doesn't mind, or even prefers understeer and Kimi hates unresponsive front-end has been the biggest reason for the gap between them in this season.

if it's good enough explanation for you, then okay. will be looking forward to next year to see how things develop then

[KimiBot]

Ferrari WDC drivers

Alberto Ascari 1952, 1953
Juan Manuel Fangio 1956
Mike Hawthorn 1958
Phil Hill 1961
John Surtees 1964
Niki Lauda 1975, 1977
Jody Scheckter 1979
Michael Schumacher 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
Kimi Räikkönen 2007

[Katu]

why's that important here now?

[Alonso14]

Kimi > Gilles and Prost

Obviously.

[KimiBot]

why's that important here now?

Just to show, how difficult it is.
Only 9 names on that list from 1952.

[Ed Harley]

1950	Giuseppe Farina	Alfa Romeo
1951	Juan Manuel Fangio	Alfa Romeo
1954	Juan Manuel Fangio	Maserati/Mercedes
1955	Juan Manuel Fangio	Mercedes
1957	Juan Manuel Fangio	Maserati
1959	Jack Brabham	Cooper
1960	Jack Brabham	Cooper
1962	Graham Hill	BRM
1963	Jim Clark	Lotus
1965	Jim Clark	Lotus
1966	Jack Brabham	Brabham
1967	Denny Hulme	Brabham
1968	Graham Hill	Lotus
1969	Jackie Stewart	Matra
1970	Jochen Rindt	Lotus
1971	Jackie Stewart	Tyrrell
1972	Emerson Fittipaldi	Lotus
1973	Jackie Stewart	Tyrrell
1974	Emerson Fittipaldi	McLaren
1976	James Hunt	McLaren
1978	Mario Andretti	Lotus
1980	Alan Jones	Williams
1981	Nelson Piquet	Brabham
1982	Keijo Rosberg	Williams
1983	Nelson Piquet	Brabham
1984	Niki Lauda	McLaren
1985	Alain Prost	McLaren
1986	Alain Prost	McLaren
1987	Nelson Piquet	Williams
1988	Ayrton Senna	McLaren
1989	Alain Prost	McLaren
1990	Ayrton Senna	McLaren
1991	Ayrton Senna	McLaren
1992	Nigel Mansell	Williams
1993	Alain Prost	Williams
1994	Michael Schumacher	Benetton
1995	Michael Schumacher	Benetton
1996	Damon Hill	Williams
1997	Jacques Villeneuve	Williams
1998	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren
1999	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren
2005	Fernando Alonso	Renault
2006	Fernando Alonso	Renault
2008	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren
2009	Jenson Button	Brawn
2010	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull Racing
2011	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull Racing
2012	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull Racing
2013	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull Racing
2014	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes

This list is a long one. I hope it does not continue for long.

[Alonso14]

Just to show, how difficult it is.
Only 9 names on that list from 1952.

Yes, yes. Kimi lucked into a great car and got us a WDC, we are aware. This does not make him superior to the likes of Prost or Villneuve, you realize that, don't you?

[KimiBot]

Yes, yes. Kimi lucked into a great car and got us a WDC, we are aware. This does not make him superior to the likes of Prost or Villneuve, you realize that, don't you?

Come on man, I just said that it is extremly difficult to be member in that Club.

[Ed Harley]

Come on man, I just said that it is extremly difficult to be member in that Club.

The sooner you learn not to mention his name the less friction there is.

[Katu]

i suppose it was quite difficult to get into that member's club where Jenson Button sits today, alone! but no-one seems to notice that...

[Ed Harley]

F1 is a team sport so it is quite difficult to get anywhere alone.

[Petronius]

Yes, yes. Kimi lucked into a great car and got us a WDC, we are aware. This does not make him superior to the likes of Prost or Villneuve, you realize that, don't you?

If You become wdc, you need three factors in place. Good car, driving skill and luck. This applies every time. Why You try to dismiss or put down Kimi in almost every comment you send into to all threads on this site is a bit strange IMO. He is after all the driver choice off Ferrari management for next Year besides Sebastian. Not Fernando, who will probably be at McLaren, so hyping him up to skies here, feels a bit out off place, or what do You think? It is time to look forward and not hang on to past.

[Hornet]

If You become wdc, you need three factors in place. Good car, driving skill and luck. This applies every time. Why You try to dismiss or put down Kimi in almost every comment you send into to all threads on this site is a bit strange IMO. He is after all the driver choice off Ferrari management for next Year besides Sebastian. Not Fernando, who will probably be at McLaren, so hyping him up to skies here, feels a bit out off place, or what do You think? It is time to look forward and not hang on to past.

Hanging on to the past is when someone constantly bring up the last WDC argument as if it has any bearing on the present or future. Didn't do a tiny bit of good this season, and it won't matter in the future. So I don't see any point in invoking that list of past Ferrari champions, unless someone is seeking to learn about the history of the team. But that list has got nothing to do with the present or the future.

[Greig]

If that is the case then none the past drivers should be mentioned.

Think you missed the point.

[Alonso14]

If that is the case then none the past drivers should be mentioned.

Is that necessary? Playing like you don't know what was that about. Posting Ferrari WDCs without the context warranting it? Ok, cool.

If You become wdc, you need three factors in place. Good car, driving skill and luck. This applies every time. Why You try to dismiss or put down Kimi in almost every comment you send into to all threads on this site is a bit strange IMO. He is after all the driver choice off Ferrari management for next Year besides Sebastian. Not Fernando, who will probably be at McLaren, so hyping him up to skies here, feels a bit out off place, or what do You think? It is time to look forward and not hang on to past.

I put him him down because of his performances, that's why. And Nick Tombazis is the management's choice for chief designer and Marmorini was the management's choice for head of the engine department. Let's hail them to no end and pretend they are the second coming because the management chose them. Just because the management makes choices and I support Ferrari it doesn't mean that I have to feel obligated to be happy with every decision they make. It's a forum and in my opinion Ferrari has been run quite badly in the past 5-6 years.* Oh, and did I mention Alonso? I'm pretty sure I didn't mention Alonso.

*And I fully expect someone to tell me "Don't judge until you were in their place" or some nonsense like that.

[Stormy]

Well to be frank, when we brought Kimi back that was a pretty solid move, because Kimi was performing superior in Lotus, just like his earlier days. But Kimi just couldn't adjust to our car this year, so it was bad fortune for us and him. But it was a good option to keep Kimi for next year beside Vettel because you never know, maybe he will bring back his old form, we know what he can do. If not, he will most probably retire from F1.

[Alonsomaniac]

Come on, truth is simple: Kimi Raikkonen is one of the fastest drivers around, always has been. His only weak point is that he just needs "his" car to show it.
But once he has "his" car he awakens and then there are few drivers who get a chance to beat him.

[Nand0Nand0]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAz54LLCDEs

[Nero Horse]

Come on, truth is simple: Kimi Raikkonen is one of the fastest drivers around, always has been. His only weak point is that he just needs "his" car to show it.
But once he has "his" car he awakens and then there are few drivers who get a chance to beat him.

Well said, and I completely agree. There's no doubt that when he's got a car that is to his liking, then Kimi is one of the best and fastest drivers ever.