Pundits say Raikkonen getting too old for F1 now
Jul.6 - Some Formula 1 experts and pundits are wondering if it's time Kimi Raikkonen hung up his helmet.
Rumours suggest that Ferrari may be considering relocating Mick Schumacher from Haas to Alfa Romeo, presumably to replace 41-year-old Raikkonen from 2022.
The Finn and 2007 world champion is the most experienced driver in F1 history, but at 41 Raikkonen is also the oldest on the grid.
His future is being discussed with even more intensity after the second Austrian GP, after he made inexplicable late-race contact with his former Ferrari teammate and friend Sebastian Vettel, resulting in a high speed crash.
Raikkonen was penalised by the stewards, but Vettel defended him.
"There was definitely no intention on either side, but it was a little strange," the quadruple world champion admitted. "He probably just didn't see me.
"I think it was a misunderstanding, so I will have to look at it again and talk to him."
Raikkonen explained: "I saw him, but I don't know how we touched. I don't know if I moved or he moved. I'll have to look at the images."
This season, Antonio Giovinazzi has clearly got on terms with Raikkonen in the sister Alfa Romeo, while incidents like Sunday are causing some to wonder if Kimi's career is coming to its natural end.
"It was completely absurd from Kimi," former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher told Sky Deutschland.
"He drove straight into the other car. What he did was a disgrace."
Raikkonen's former McLaren teammate, 50-year-old David Coulthard, thinks age may be a factor.
"I was 37 when I quit," he told Bild newspaper.
"Suddenly you're making mistakes but you don't want to admit it. But it is you," Coulthard insisted.
"I noticed that it had to do with poor concentration, especially towards the end of a race. We saw the same thing with Michael Schumacher in his last year."
49-year-old Mercedes boss Toto Wolff agrees: "After a long journey on the autobahn, I sometimes feel pretty broken.
"Maybe at same point it is your age that becomes the most noticeable thing."
Wolff is also quoted by Kleine Zeitung newspaper about the Raikkonen incident: "Maybe he was looking at the clock to see when it was finally over!"
Mick Schumacher is not the only candidate to replace him. Ferrari may also be looking to promote Callum Ilott, but there are actually rumours that the Hinwil-based team may split with Ferrari and use Renault power instead.
In that case, team boss Frederic Vasseur may look to fast-track the career of impressive teenager and Sauber driver academy member Theo Pourchaire.
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What do you mean now, he was already to old, just a journey man who's milking it for what he can, oh he's now becoming a danger too.
In a way yes , but in a way no , if his car was good enough for reg top ten point scoring, would he still be getting this grief ?, im not saying he isnt getting on for an f1 racer and this maywell be his last yr, but bit silly to say hes a journeyman,there are a lot of others who've had shorters careers than kimi, who id call that, but either way , kimi will be not in the slightest phased by all this , and that's why we admire him, wolfs comments are bit childish , the day will come when someone has the balls to write---- maybe Lewis is getting slower .
Today we have robots when they speak to the press , fortunately weve had people like senna,irvine and kimi that were never afraid to speak there minds
Come on Jax/f1 reply and show us your wisdom on this
I don't understand your reference.....show us what???
Oh Yeah , sorry i got carried away there, wont happen again
I'm writing it Hama's is getting slower,max is getting quicker and quicker so is red bull
What a team
off topic , but its been said before , before Lewis could make the difference when the car wasn't fast enough , but it seems now hes unable too, and yes i think its a combination of Max getting that bit more consistent and RB having given him a fast enough car that's my opinion anyway
he is bad in qualy, but he is always much fuster in race compared to Antonio, so he is still rly good and should race in many many more years!
Mick needs a better car to progress
Think his stats show he is one race result better Antonio, both have a highest place of 10th and Antonio has stuffed KR in quali. To be honest Antonio is no Senna so I'd put MS in the Alfa next year.
i dont dispute the above but if you look at the actual quali times for both drivers , then for austria 20 and 21, kimi was marginally quicker in 21 and half a tenth slower in 20, so taking just Austria is he getting slower?, ok thats quali, when the top ten in AT are covered by 0.9 second this yr and last yr same race top ren by 1.3 , just throwing this into the ring, sure someone has to be last, but when we are talking about one second, hardly means SLOW
And if we are talking about 1 second , then ok, Kimi was a 1.02 off 3rd place in quali !!! 2021 , and in 2020 1.74 sec to 3rd place . Stats, muck about with them long enough and you'll always find a positive
too old to win in F1? Juan Manual Fangio, the maestro,won a F1 drivers championship the age of 46.
apples and oranges but i know what your inferring
Good comment, Rulon. His first GP was in his late 30's. Now drivers are 'over the hill' in their early 30's.
Tough to compare racers from different eras, but Fangio to this day holds many percentage records...quali, fast lap, front row, wins, etc.. These records are versus his contemporary competitors, a reasonable measurement of true acumen. But GOAT is simply great pub confab. Fun stuff.
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