F1 Views on Kimi Raikkonen's recent struggle

[PanterroR]

Schumacher influence an effect on Raikkonen


A respected German newspaper has speculated that Kimi Raikkonen's struggle at Ferrari this year could have been worsened by a simple and very famous factor.

A writer for Die Welt reports that the former McLaren driver appears 'paralysed' every time the retired multiple world champion and team 'advisor' Michael Schumacher strolls into the garage wearing a red uniform.

Italy's authoritative sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport headlined its own story about the same issue by wondering if Raikkonen can be diagnosed with 'Schumi Syndrome'.

Raikkonen struggled to climb through the field in Monaco after a qualifying crash, and two weeks earlier was also outperformed by race winner Felipe Massa in Barcelona before a car failure.

At both events, Schumacher was present, and former champion and Ferrari driver Alain Prost is quoted as speculating that Raikkonen is 'still not completely integrated' within the Maranello team.

Another former Ferrari driver, Eddie Irvine, told the Irish broadcaster Setanta: "I don't know what it's all about but he's going to have to get his act together or stop drinking because if he's not winning he can't be drinking."

Source: Formula 1 : News RAIKKONEN - F1-Live.com

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@ Eddie Irvine's comment.

 

[Zonda]

Not yet being fully integrated with the team can be a reason. But Kimi doesn't care about Schumi.
And why can't people just stop complaining about his drinking? Just can't understand why people keep doing it. And the Finnish alcohol culture is different to alot of other parts of the world.
And Massa didn't win his first race with Ferrari...

 

[NarutoRamen]

Not yet being fully integrated with the team can be a reason. But Kimi doesn't care about Schumi.
And why can't people just stop complaining about his drinking? Just can't understand why people keep doing it. And the Finnish alcohol culture is different to alot of other parts of the world.
And Massa didn't win his first race with Ferrari...

Quoted for the truth. And I might add. He is struggling with the bridgestone. Just like Alonso was strugling with McLaren. It's a new team and he has to get used to it. Shumy didn't just join ferrari and started winning all the races. It takes time.

The "kimi has to work harder" statement is a "no isht" statement. Of course he has to work harder. He has to work harder than Felipe does and he has to work harder than Alonso at McLaren. Why? Because the Scuderia Ferrari squad is a culture/family not a corporation type of business that McLaren/Mercedes is.

 

[Zonda]

The tyres are an important factor too. They don't suit Kimi's driving style at all. But afterall it's his job to adjust. Maybe it's a bit too much adjusting to both a new team and tyres.

 

[Imhotep Evil]

I still think that Kimi will be back, and I still see him above Massa.

For me a 100% Kimi can win both on wet or dry on any track as opposed to Massa who definately is a dry man and track picky.

 

[Centurion]

I know Kimi will prevail but he needs to get his act together. Sure there is the "getting used to" factor but Alonso has also switched team but he has done fine. It is the drivers job to get used to a new car and tell the engineers and mechanics to adjust it the way they want it.

If Kimi doesn't get his act together soon it might get to late for him to compete for the title.

 

[Zonda]

I still think that Kimi will be back, and I still see him above Massa.

For me a 100% Kimi can win both on wet or dry on any track as opposed to Massa who definately is a dry man and track picky.

Massa also has a few weak circuits. Like Suzuka for example. Lucky for him, no Suzuka this year. Bad for me, love that track

 

[Imhotep Evil]

Massa also has a few weak circuits. Like Suzuka for example. Lucky for him, no Suzuka this year. Bad for me, love that track

Yeah I love Suzuka. The 130R is fantasic, well it was, ... 6G was reached there.
2005 was a terrific race, Alonso's overtaking of Schumacher and Kimi's overtaking of Fisi were simply awsome.

 

[Zonda]

Ah ye, memories. Both were spectacular. Although, Kimi's took the prize in that race. As it got him the victory as was afterall the slightly nicer overtake. Damn, I want that DVD!

 

[Imhotep Evil]

Me too.

It was a race worthy the golden eras, and those cars had the last V10 evolution pumping 950 to 1000 hp, the most powerful race trim engines ever.

 

[vabboud]

you forget the 80's turbo era imhotep, though i wasn't born yet!
but i do miss the V10! F1 hasn't been the same since

 

[Imhotep Evil]

you forget the 80's turbo era imhotep, though i wasn't born yet!
but i do miss the V10! F1 hasn't been the same since

The turbo were nice as qualification trim specials with way over 1000hp.
But in race trim they only reached 850 to 900hp at peak.
Then when FIA regulated fuel type, boost and so on, they droped to 700hp.

The V10s despite numerous bans on exotic fuels, exotic materials, magnetic valve gear, number of valves per cylinder and the 2 race rule continued to become ever more powerful peaking at 1000hp acording to Honda in late 2005.

Mosley said that V10 banned because we would have had 1100+ hp in race trim.

 

[Zonda]

Too be honest, I don't mind the V8s. They're good for the sport. I just want them to change so that they don't have to save their engines. And we need stickier tires that allow passes on both the inside and outside. Like Suzuka 2005 for example. High speed overtakes on the oustide. Something that surely won't happen this year.

 

[Imhotep Evil]

Not only that they're restricted in many ways, but the V8 architecture (and V12 for that matter) is inherently flawed against the V10 in super high reving territory.

The F1 V10 architecture is not something in between the V8 and V12, it is above the V8 and V12, it is superior.

Agreed about slicks, and not too mention active suspensions.

 

[Zonda]

I did read something about that about V10s. Isn't it so that it vibrates less the higher it revs or something like that?

 

[vabboud]

it's about the balance of the cylinders and the crankshaft
the V10 is prone to less vibration, less stress
enabling designers to push the limits far higher

 

[PanterroR]

I know Kimi will prevail but he needs to get his act together. Sure there is the "getting used to" factor but Alonso has also switched team but he has done fine. It is the drivers job to get used to a new car and tell the engineers and mechanics to adjust it the way they want it.

If Kimi doesn't get his act together soon it might get to late for him to compete for the title.

WORD!

 

[Remy Zero]

i see Kimi improving come mid season. we have some fantastic high speed tracks coming up soon next week. Ferrari have been traditionally strong there.

having said that, Massa has improved a lot this season. i think, even IF Kimster misses out on the title this season, he'll run away with the title next season.

 

[C.Charles]

People need to stop giving Raikkonen crap... He isnt doing badly if you think about it.. Look at Ralf For example of doing bad...

Think about the position he is in, trying to take the place of the greatest F1 driver there ever was... There is pressure, money, pride and change to deal with. Let the guy get his bearings... He'll be right.

 

[Imhotep Evil]

it's about the balance of the cylinders and the crankshaft the V10 is prone to less vibration, less stress
enabling designers to push the limits far higher

[off topic]
That is true. Whereas the V12 is bigger, heavier, thirstier and prone to friction and inertia problems.


The V10 reaches the critical area in vibration between 12000 to 14000 rpms, and from that moment on it's pretty much smooth reving.

The V8 reaches critical are at ~16000 rpms and never gets past it.
Therefor more revs on a V8 past 16k rpms means more reinforment and this means more weight, and even potential cooling/packaging problems. And let's not forget it's also more prone to mecanical failure.

That's why the 19k rpms of this year and the 20k+ of last year V8s were no lighter than the V10s.


So in the super high reving area, V8 is quite an unnatural choice, since it's severly flawed/retarded.

The V10 doesn't have the problems of the V8s or V12, and once Renault coupled it to their pneumatic valve gearing system, the critical 12k-14k zone left behind and with the supremacy of the V10 architecture over the V8 and V12 was only a mater of time.

In the early 1990s the increasingly sophisticated Renault V10, powering the Williams (and later also the Benetton cars), was outreving and outpowering (due to exotic Elf fuel also) even the V12s from Honda and Ferrari. [/off topic]


Now back on topic, I'm sure Kimi can get his act together.