Kimi signs for LRGP in two year deal

[MJones94]

Originally Posted by steve_r

Hopefully this will be a shot in the arm that Renault need - they looked like a team in decline this year. As impressive as Senna and Petrov have been at times this season, an on-form Raikonnen should be in a different league.

Will Kimi still have "it" after a couple of years away?

I'm positive that Kimi will be able to pull off his comeback than Schumi did. For one he is 10+ years younger than Schumi was when he made the decision to return. He is really hungry for F1 and seems very motivated.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by kurski

...

9) Michael Schumacher will announce his final goodbye to F1 in Monza, stating that he chose his successor to Mercedes, that person being Kimi Raikkonen. Corinne's husband tells that the reason was that he had no intention of creating any discomfort for his dear friend Rosberg, see story of Massa in 2006.

this makes me think of why Kimi last missed Schumi retirement ceremony in Brazil 2006!

perhaps he is back to miss it all over again.

[kurski]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

this makes me think of why Kimi last missed Schumi retirement ceremony in Brazil 2006!

perhaps he is back to miss it all over again.

Comments of one legendary Kimi gave her beloved home in our country when asked. More specifically, he was asked, how do we relax in Finland?

- Well, the summer in Finland is a fishing and ****ing. And in the winter ... it is difficult to fish.

[strider]

Originally Posted by Super Hans

This is the best F1 news I've heard in years. I was always fond of Raikkonen.

I'll second that.

[nickyf1]

Great to see the return of one Kimothy L. Raikkonen.

[kurski]

http://blogit.ts.fi/formulablogi/201...lias-comeback/

Curious comeback

29.11.2011 20:13, heikki.kulta

Kimi Räikkönen's comeback to F1 after two rallying years was worldwidely noted mostly curiously. My cellphone and home phone has been ringing ever since the morning until night. I got congratulations from familiar Russian reporters and reporters from Netherlands, Britain, Germany and Italy for example.

When I talked with Kimi, the man was ouzing such laidbackness and joy that one couldn't ask for more. Kimi is not going there to drive for the championship and he knows himself that he has a huge work load to carry in order to keep this year's Renault's positions in the top of the midfield group.

I asked my colleagues how they experience Räikkönen's comeback and what kind of prospects Lotus has for next season.

Andrea Cremonesi from La Gazzetta dello Sport -magazine thinks that Räikkönen's decision is a gamble.

– When you have been away from F1 for two years the comeback is always a gamble of some kind. Michael Schumacher is an excellent example. After driving for two seasons he has still not got on the podium even once.

– Lotus-Renault is not the world's fastest car. Kimi has to do very intensive and close work with the engineers so that he gets some kind of results from the races. Everything in the team will change - up to the name.

– Kimi is one of the fastest F1-drivers without a doubt. It's a big advantage for the team if Kimi throws himself as focused and dedicated to driving as he did in McLaren and the first one and a half seasons at Ferrari.

Luis Vasconcelos doesn't see that next year's Lotus-team has what it takes to succeed even in the same way they have done this year.

– The team has been going downhill and lost a lot of good personnel. The rumour on Sunday night in Brazil was that even Eric Boullier will have to go. If they get Dave Ryan in the crew, then it would be the only decent enforcement. James Allison can of course build cars and aerodynamics but it isn't easy from these starting points.

– I guess that at least Force India and Sauber will overtake this new Lotus next year.

Bob McKenzie from Daily Express -magazine clapped his hands in the phone and congratulated Finland for Räikkönen's comeback.

– This comeback is a splendid thing for F1 but it isn't necessarily splendid for Kimi himself. Now there are the magical six champions on the grid but it doesn't necessarily mean that Kimi could even get 6th position in qualification and races. From what I see at least Webber, Massa and Rosberg together with the other 5 champions will go ahead of Räikkönen.

– Kimi will drive for positions 8-10. I don't know if it's enough to keep him satisfied and how he reacts if he does even worse.

Oskari Saari from MTV3 is happy on behalf of the whole Finnish F1-fanbase.

– It's a big thing and a big lift at this point when the Finnish success has been poor. I think that a small inflation like this has only done good and now we can be happy over a smaller rise.

– I can't say anything about Kimi's team's potentitality because I don't know how much they have been working already for next year. I'm sure that the so called four big teams are in their own league and after that comes perhaps this Lotus-Renault. It can generate a tough battle between Kimi and Heikki.

Then what do I myself expect from Räikkönen and his team?

I would think that Kimi makes a similar job as Robert Kubica would do if he would be healthy. The performance level surely take a while and the results are up to the car's competitiveness.

I guess we can expect positions between 5-8 - because all eight top cars won't always finish the race and on top of that Kimi can take 1-2 positions by driving from the smallest opportunity.

In the middle of writing this story motorsport legend Jussi Kynsilehto called and asked me to send regards from him to this site:

- We haven't heard better news than Kimi's comeback ever since the big hatred in Finland ended! (war-thing)

[bjohnsonsmith]

Kimi to Renault, who would have thought?

[Richard B]

Originally Posted by Bononi

It's certainly good news, though this "amazing" field of 6 WDC is pretty much just numbers, nothing more.

Whilst a big fan of Kimi's I do fear that with so many "long term" drivers F1 is restricting those in the lower catagories. What happens to Senna now? Will we ever see Turvey,Bird, Grosjean, Filippi and Bianchi in a Grand Prix? There are a number of drivers on the fringe who could be the next superstar and yet opportunities for rookies are getting fewer.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Richard B

Whilst a big fan of Kimi's I do fear that with so many "long term" drivers F1 is restricting those in the lower catagories. What happens to Senna now? Will we ever see Turvey,Bird, Grosjean, Filippi and Bianchi in a Grand Prix? There are a number of drivers on the fringe who could be the next superstar and yet opportunities for rookies are getting fewer.

but is that balanced with there being more teams/ more seats now than in the recent past?
granted its hard when the smaller teams need money so care more about money than giving young (talented) drivers a chance...so i do see your point.

but somehow Lotus/Renault have become a team where young drivers go to show their stuff. this is supposed to team which hires experienced drivers and races to win not help guys move up to a better team.

[Adam43]

Off topic, auto censored posts removed. It's a family forum for discussing Motorsport. 10-10ths has been mistaken for other forums.

[JeremySmith]

The return of Kimi to F1 is the best piece of news I have heard in quite a while, although I am a bit surprised it is with Renault...

[Paulaweybridge]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

I don't believe it's Kimi. If you read that report they quote him making a statement of more than three syllables!

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Paulaweybridge

They must have dubbed in a sound bite.

[strider]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

The return of Kimi to F1 is the best piece of news I have heard in quite a while, although I am a bit surprised it is with Renault...

I think we all were until Sunday night when the rumours began to circulate. All the journalists wander around at the circuit and then get togther in the Media Centre and on the plane home, so rumours travel fast.

There's another now saying something else big is happening at Renault soon. I wouldn't be surprised to see Dave Ryan (ex-McLaren team manager) appointed and/or for Eric Boullier to go, although I'm not so sure about the last part.

[Adam43]

Kimi's motivation:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/mot...s-Renault.html

Originally Posted by Kimi in the Telegraph

There's always a lot of talk about motivation to race, but nobody really knows what I do or what I think apart from myself, so I don't really care what people think.

Fair play.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by strider

There's another now saying something else big is happening at Renault soon. I wouldn't be surprised to see Dave Ryan (ex-McLaren team manager) appointed and/or for Eric Boullier to go, although I'm not so sure about the last part.

I have been wondering the same - he can't have just been with them in Brazil for no proper reason, I guess he and Kimi got on quite well before.

Wasn't Kimi's ex McLaren engineer at Enstone recently, or has he since moved on?

I wonder if we'll see an Alonso/Ferrari eque hiring spree of Raikkonen engineers and other F1 people?

[kurski]

http://www.ts.fi/moottoriurheilu/f1/283542.html

Räikkönen's Lotus-time starts from Friday's Christmas-party

Turun Sanomat 30.11.2011 09:53:16

...
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[Wims]

Kimiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!

[Wims]

Originally Posted by Bononi

Wow, if that was motivation, then I'll be worried when he is not motivated...

The man won a race in that terrible terrible car. He totally outperformed it, hauled it home to positions where it had no business being. How can you say that he performed badly with a straight face.

[Marbot]

My only worry for Kimi is that Lotus Renault, like McLaren, seem to be leaking personnel like there's a bit of a bad smell there or something.

[Bononi]

Originally Posted by Wims

The man won a race in that terrible terrible car. He totally outperformed it, hauled it home to positions where it had no business being. How can you say that he performed badly with a straight face.

Originally Posted by Marbot

My only worry for Kimi is that Lotus Renault, like McLaren, seem to be leaking personnel like there's a bit of a bad smell there or something.

I am fan of Kimi's style, always been. Unfortunately for reasons unknown to me his later period at Ferrari was frustrating and they sacked him for a reason.

Like Marbot said, the excitement of his comeback is hindered by the team he's signed with. I can't see Lotus (which is not Lotus) Renault (which is not Renault) Team improving to give Kimi a chance to a sucessful comeback.

[tausif]

Car isnt the best - but welcome back Kimi.

[strider]

Originally Posted by Bononi

I am fan of Kimi's style, always been. Unfortunately for reasons unknown to me his later period at Ferrari was frustrating and they sacked him for a reason.

Don't get me started on that!

Originally Posted by Bononi

Like Marbot said, the excitement of his comeback is hindered by the team he's signed with. I can't see Lotus (which is not Lotus) Renault (which is not Renault) Team improving to give Kimi a chance to a sucessful comeback.

Going on this season, the best he could hope for would be about P8 or P9 - as achieved twice by Bruno Senna. Behind two Red Bulls, two McLarens, two (maybe) Ferraris and two (maybe) Mercedes.

But next season the blown diffuser will not be allowed in any form and the pecking order may change. It would be good if it did. I think Martin Sky Walker said there had only been 5 drivers on the podium this season, which is not good.

[Bononi]

Originally Posted by strider

But next season the blown diffuser will not be allowed in any form and the pecking order may change. It would be good if it did. I think Martin Sky Walker said there had only been 5 drivers on the podium this season, which is not good.

No discussion from the tech side of the next season, but this team - like I said before, Lotus (not) Renault (not) - doesn't inspire any confidence, despite all the fuss about turning into a big team they'll have to do huge changes to become real competitive. Let's see who, if Petrov, Grosjean or Senna brings more money and then we'll see what they're up to...

[strider]

I hope that when the wheels start turning people will cut Kimi some slack and not expect miracles immediately.

Seb Vettel thinks it will take him some time to re-adjust and I'd say particularly so in a car like the Renault. Remember it's taken MS the best part of two seasons to get back up to the speed that I think is about as fast as he's going to get. At least Kimi is younger and has stayed active whilst away.

One thing Vettel, Kimi and MS share is spare brain capacity, e.g when Seb was working very hard to bring his wounded car home in Brazil he could still think of Senna there in 1991. It's a priceless asset.