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WAS PRIME RAIKKONEN AS FAST AS WE REMEMBER? Raikkonen: A Retrospective

Aidan Millward

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Kimi Raikkonen probably should have two titles. There's a possibility that he could have three, and we'd be talking about him in the same breath as the likes of Lauda, Piquet and so on. But he only won one, so he's in with the Hills, Villeneuves and Norrises of the world

But was Kimi permanently fast or was it up or down? It seemed that he'd have a good car, then a bad one, then a good one again. It never stayed stable for two years running. But I guess this is where you come in. It does appear that way, but is it the truth? And was he as fast as Alonso and Montoya?

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20 Comments

@AidanMillward Creator 4 months ago (edited) Pinned

Alonso had already won the title by the time Japan 2005 had happened.

It was that weird time when Japan was after Brazil, rather than before it, and then Brazil became the end of the year in 2006… which it should still be

@justomov 4 months ago

Yes he was!

@SebastianDaniels-c5p 4 months ago

Leave kimi alone he knows what he's doing

@alexmilton51 4 months ago

Short answer - Yes
Long answer - Yes but with a comically long Finnish pause

@Challenger-Mark 4 months ago

I still regard him as one of the modern greats, not just talented, but comedic genius and someone who is respected by anybody who knows the name.

@SwimmingFish10 4 months ago

Yes, Raikkonenwas plagued by glass cannons during his McLaren years.

@meinkraft2284 4 months ago

2003 Kimi would destroy prime schumi if not for reliability issues

@1greenMitsi 4 months ago

I think aidan underplays just how much raw speed kimi had in his first F1 stint, for a few of those years he was outright the quickest driver in the world over 1 lap

@JohnSmithShields 4 months ago

Those West branded McLarens really do just keep getting better looking with age.

@richboy900 4 months ago

Raikkonen was one of the most unlucky drivers imo, should have three titles to his name. In the McLaren, if the car didn't break down, he was near unbeatable

@sandmaenchen 4 months ago

Ferrari paid him an extra 6 million euros to not race for any other team in 2010... That's one way to eliminate competition in the title fight.

@AmanAli-dc1sy 4 months ago (edited)

Considering Kimi did the equivalent of F4 before jumping into F1 and the V10 era at that, and then perform the way he did the man was so naturally talented. I couldn't think of any driver today from F3 let alone F4 who could have jumped from that to F1 and then perform the way he did.
It wouldn't be allowed these days due to the licence point system.
Kimi rise to F1 is the equivalent of a kid playing school football to then playing for England the following year.

@JG54206 4 months ago

I’m sure this video is well made and worth the watch, but for anyone who wants the quick version…. Yes. Prime Kimi was not only as good as you remember, he was better.

@ibex485 4 months ago

That 2002 French GP at Magny Cours really should have been Raikkonen's first win. Anyone else would have been penalised for overtaking under yellow flags, as by the time Schumacher arrived Raikkonen was back on track. But it was Michael and the 'win' won him the drivers title, so...

@WagnerianoItaliano 4 months ago

Imagine how glorious would have been Kimi Raikkonen as the 2003 F1 Champion, racing with an evolution of the previous year's car (which was totally useless against the F2002), with the MP4/18 debacle boiling in the background, upstaging both Schumacher and Montoya and their much publicized rivalry with pure grit and consistency. He just needed three more points to achieve that, one less engine failure and he would have done it... Oh, and then, there's 2005...

@benska7190 4 months ago

Yes, back in his prime he was as fast as we remember. And one of the last ever true motorsport personalities the sport had.

@icancookright 4 months ago

Crazy stat: at the end of 1993 Damon Hill had more career victories than Michael Schumacher.

@qEZZAp 3 months ago

Kimi not winning the 2005 championship thanks to dog reliability is the biggest crime against humanity, you cannot change my mind.

@mihaelsoldo4304 4 months ago

As a Schumacher fan, prime Kimi was a beast, yet that bloody McLaren reliability...

@shig.bitz.3205 4 months ago (edited)

Was a massive Schumi fan back then (still am amongst others) but when Kimi came in, I think everyone myself included went 'WTF' because he was so impressive. Immediately a fan of him. I understand the recency bias, but in his prime the man was a PROBLEM