Alfa Romeo Team boss says Raikkonen 'still very motivated'
Aug.9 - Kimi Raikkonen should "make way" for a younger replacement, according to Dutch racing driver Tom Coronel.
Coronel, 49, told the Dutch magazine Formule 1: "I think he's bleeding to death.
"Kimi is obviously good for the media side, but he doesn't stand out anymore. And when that happens, you have to make way for the new heroes."
Indeed, at 41, Raikkonen is the oldest active F1 driver, and even the most experienced in Formula 1 history.
"The funny thing is that he sounded tired of it ten years ago, but he also knows that he is a lucky motherf***er to still be in Formula 1. He knows there is really nothing after F1," Coronel said.
Alfa Romeo is obviously weighing up its driver options for 2022, but boss Frederic Vasseur is not ruling Raikkonen out of the equation.
"Kimi has become one of the cornerstones of our simulator work," he insisted.
"We've taken big strides in the simulator in recent months, and Kimi has played a key role. He is in the factory before and after each race, and his work is a pleasure to follow," Vasseur added.
"This shows that he is still very motivated. If we ask Kimi to come to the simulator at 8 o'clock, he comes at exactly eight with a smile on his face."
However, Vasseur admitted that a key moment in the career not only of Raikkonen, but also his current Italian teammate Antonio Giovinazzi, has arrived.
"But that is so in every season in Formula 1 - for every driver," Vasseur said.
"When you think otherwise, it's over for you. This is a super-competitive environment that everyone should be aware of."
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he might be in the Sim at 8am , but i bet hes out of it by 11am and gone........ lol, cant make my mind about kimi, so easy to think about Alonso and say yeah if he had a competitive car, if he stays its an amazing story , if he goes then its been an amazing story
Kimster is the last of the real characters in F1. We wait with bated breath for his rare words of wisdom !!!
Keep on trucking Kimi
Read Kiki is getting £7.3 million for the 2021 season. Heck, for that kid of jack, I'll keep driving till the pry my dead fingers off the steering-wheel...
Small fry really , at least Kimi can tell them whats wrong with the car , and yeah ok , the cars stil crap, but add in his marketing value plus feedback and 2me doesnt sound to bad, if the car was say as good as the Apline is now , wed be saying hes very cheap, because Kimi would deliver even at 41yr imo
It's crazy to think we almost lost Perez last year and Ocon couldn't get a drive last year. Kimi is just a marketing tool, should have gone several years ago.
Well Perez only got the boot cause vettel got the boot, SB a 4 time wdc isn't that for marketing as well for AM.........
And Ocon couldn't get a drive cause of politics and Merc feck up
Finally Ferrari didn't resign KR for " marketing purposes 2015-2018 he finished 4th , 6th , 4th, 3rd in wdc , hardly "just for marketing" or what dyo think f1?
Weirdly i'm not having a go at you f1, I know its hard to believe isn't it...!!, just putting some facts out there
.
"And Ocon couldn't get a drive cause of politics and Merc feck up"
One tiny error. Substitute Toto for Merc in this sentence.
You do type some rubbish ShoddyPost. In general teams hang onto rich or marketable drivers like KR but drivers like Perez and Ocon struggle. You need to read slower and understand. And why are you going back to 2018, you'll have Nigel Mansell in a car next.
Well obviously because you said "Kimi is just a marketing tool " you can be nasty and try and get yourself out of the mess you got in np, perez didnt struggle, he was picked up by RB hows that struggling, and more easy to point out -- because you said he should have gone , ermmm years ago, very silly statement f1, and if we have to explain why ocon didnt get a seat then oh sdear if all i can say , a poor effort for getting yourself out of a poorly worded comment lol "general terms " sily silly silly
Shrop' why do bother with Jax/Award.....lightening quick widget finger.
insert " in general terms" so there's no misunderstanding, worse than Jax for back tracking , expected more , should have remembered what your like
I was in Austin 2018 watching him beat LH. He did pretty pretty good for an old guy if you ask me. Damn, still can't believe that the first GP I attended, my favorite driver won.
Well Sako , if we are to believe f1award, hell argue that KR should have gone years ago ( maybe was generalizing, hard to tell with him sometimes....) , or he was drunk again and didn't see the race in 2018, i remember the race yes , loved every lap of it good old Kimi
Sako, you chose a good fav!!! Remember, young guys aspire, old guys rule. (smile)
I know , ahh, i forgive him occasionally and forget what hes really like, a Jax clone, or to be precise the lesser Jax
i hope he stays at least 10 more years
hahaha , no silly ferrari dont sign KR hell only finish 3rd, f1 gloves off a complete Bellend you really are, think first then hit send in future
Yeah yeah Ocons really struggling with his 3 yr contract f1 what a fool you are
Kimster is the last of the real characters in F1. We wait with bated breath for his rare words of wisdom !!!
Keep on trucking Kimi
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