F1 Views on Kimi Raikkonen's recent struggle

[450SEL6.9]

A contrary view to the Kimi mess.

Is his struggle that surprising or has his reputation (which is based on merely 11 wins and a sh*tload of DNFs) simply been overstated? I think he has been overrated.

 

[chonkoa]

A contrary view to the Kimi mess.

Is his struggle that surprising or has his reputation (which is based on merely 11 wins and a sh*tload of DNFs) simply been overstated? I think he has been overrated.

I believe you and I are of the minority that believes Kimi is highly overrated, however I also believe that Massa is strongly underrated.

I believe Massa is getting less credit, and every error by Massa is amplified whereas with Kimi, it would appear to me that most people are willing to make excuses for his disappointing performance thus far.

 

[Zonda]

I think you two are a minority indeed

I can understand where you are coming from with your arguments. But I belive I've seen enough of Kimi to see a real driving talent and a Kimi at 100% is undoutebly one of the best drivers on the grid, if not the best, imo. And I think he's proven that on several occasions by winning very hard races with a car not working 100% or with a bad starting position. He's also done some incredible passes.
Massa can have a very high highest level just as Kimi but Massa has too many weak points. He's bad in rain and on tracks that require a bit more from the driver. Like Suzuka for example. And I have yet to see Massa pull of a spectacular win.
Kimi has shown me everything I need to see to rank him well, Massa has yet to.

 

[Imhotep Evil]

I agree with Zonda. I do belive that as a driver he is out there in the top, above Massa.

So technical problems, Massa had that (Australia 2007; and in 2006 we had China GP-Massa, Japan and Brasil Schumacher).

Mistake, Massa and Alonso have had their share this season, just that they got away cheaper since it wasn't Monaco.

 

[450SEL6.9]

I believe you and I are of the minority that believes Kimi is highly overrated, however I also believe that Massa is strongly underrated.

I believe Massa is getting less credit, and every error by Massa is amplified whereas with Kimi, it would appear to me that most people are willing to make excuses for his disappointing performance thus far.

I am happy to be in the minority with Kimi. I don't know about you, Chonkoa, but I am staying in the minority until the car breaker shows me otherwise. I simply don't see Kimi as a complete driver. Sure he has won from bad grid positions and extracted more speed from the car than what was thought to possible, but Alonso has as well and his achievements don't seem as impressive, though Alonso has two-WDCs and Kimi will likely retire with zero! That's right! If anyone can get odds on Kimi never winning a WDC, I think you should take it. Kimi has had spectacular race wins and I'm not doubting that. What I'm saying is that he mixes in a boatload of DNFs in between his spectacular wins . . .

Chonkoa, I reckon you are correct about some die-hard fans excusing kimi's performances. With him, it's always bloody bad luck! When he stuffs it or gets a DNF, it's automatically bad luck! I suppose it's also bad luck that he ended up at Sauber, Mclaren and then at Ferrari.

However, I do see Zonda's and IE's points. Massa is an inconsistent driver. I have said before that he is bad on technical tracks like Suzuka. He has improved steadily and maybe Schu has helped him. Remember Massa's hacksaw driving style when he first started with Sauber? As for the odd reliability issue with Alonso, Schumacher, Massa and anyone not named Hamilton, I feel they are not as relevant as Kimi's. The others simply haven't had as many DNFs over their careers. In percentage terms over his career, Kimi has DNFed almost as much as Schumacher has won! And Kimi has never driven for a rubbish team!

 

[kere]

So you are saying that Kimi broke all those engines etc? lol

 

[Zonda]

I wonder how it's even technically possible for a driver to blow up his engine. That would require him to drive it at redline for far too long, which I strongly doubt he does or ever has.
Sure, maybe he didn't "save" the engine as much as him teammates at McLaren. But that's what I want to see. People who give 100% all the time. That's the spirit!

 

[wltsm]

He has been called a car breaker many times!

I'm sure it's not the case, Kimi just seems to have very, very bad luck all the time!

If his car didn't failed he'd have a few WCs by now, 2005 was the worst, he had by far the fastest car, but just as it looked that he was going to win, the car broke down! That's where he got the name car breaker from!

 

[Imhotep Evil]

Kimi didn't break the cars, but he acted as a catalyst.

Those McMercs were fragile and he drove them as if they were tanks. That's his
problem.

The Renaults were more reliable and Alonso is a driver knows how manage/pamper/care take his car.

 

[chonkoa]

So you are saying that Kimi broke all those engines etc? lol

Perception unfortunately is reality.
If you have an impressive DNF stats has Kimi does(which is reality), then the perception is that you are careless/reckless or whatever we want to call it.
I believe Kimi needs to address the so-called misconception by delivering on the desired results.

Till I see a counter-trend to the what is his norm I am afraid he is overrated.

 

[450SEL6.9]

So you are saying that Kimi broke all those engines etc? lol

All of them? No! What I'm saying is that he has DNFed in something like 34% of his career races. Worse, he has never driven for a bottom-rung team. Therefore, I am only suggesting that his DNFs are not down to bad luck alone, which many people insist to be the case. When a drivers DNFs with top teams as much as he has, at what point do we start to question the driver?