Kimi Raikkonen performance

[NathanOlder]

Ofcourse what do you expect him to say "I suck"?

I'm just providing the evidence - he definitely does not suck.

But everything is not cool because he's part of a team.

[Bonker T]

tbh, part of drivers skill is the adaptability to different cars.
Also i wonder how much they really "build a car around a driver" and not just calculate what is fastest and go with that.

[NL_Fer]

Let me point out, his best performances were 2007 and 2012, Both cars were already designed when Kimi came in, they some how fitted him. When in 2008 het got his tailored to needs car, he slowed down.

[mertol]

His so called best performance in 2007 was matched by Massa and was about the same as his 2008 performance - mediocre. For his 2012 performance we have no frame of reference - his teammate was a wrecker but when he didn't wreck he wasn't far behind Kimi, the tires that year were to put it mildly - random - even maldonado managed to get a win. Who knows that car might have been the best on the grid or he just got extremely lucky with the random tires.

[f1universe]

Not only that but Massa became Ferrari's 2nd driver after Monza 2007, without that I doubt Kimi will be champion today. Kimi is a decent driver with some sparks, he was never an elite driver in my opinion.

[NL_Fer]

2012 car is not great. ING pulled out in 2009, Renault sold to Genii in 2010. Bij 2011 funds for development were dropping, maybe they had some gain of the excellent blown diffuser engine mappings by Renault, but that Lotus was not the best chassis on the grid.

[PlatinumZealot]

Also looking at 2012 and 2013, Raikkonen beat his teammate when downforce was extremely low at the rear compared to the front.

Errm. Low downforce at the rear when coanda blown diffusers were at the peak of their powers? Not sure how you surmised that one!

[PlatinumZealot]

'It is known' (another GOT reference for you)
That Kimi has always had a very particular setup that he drives well with. If it's not there, he does not perform to the level we are NOTused to seeing.

Fixed it for yah!

[everythingisawesome]

2012 car is not great. ING pulled out in 2009, Renault sold to Genii in 2010. Bij 2011 funds for development were dropping, maybe they had some gain of the excellent blown diffuser engine mappings by Renault, but that Lotus was not the best chassis on the grid.

The chassis was definitely not the best, they had the best blown diffuser setup on the grid, which masked the chassis under-performance.
It must have been mega, because they made Redbull sweat the year!