Angry Räikkönen hits out at motivation questions

[vcs316]

An angry Kimi Räikkönen hit out at questions over his motivation after he finished in eighth place during Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix.

Räikkönen endured a difficult weekend in China as he was knocked out in Q2 and came home in eighth, almost a minute behind Ferrari team-mate Fernando Alonso.

Räikkönen has achieved a best result of seventh this season, which he achieved in Australia, and is currently 12th in the championship but insists that it is his driving style that is costing him performance.

"A difficult weekend overall," he said. "For what reasons I don't know yet. But hopefully we find some reason or at least some cure for it to fix it, whatever it is. In the race [I was] just was slow. It was the grip overall, front and rear end, not really any major things I could say 'This is it'. In the last stint when it was new tyres, it felt pretty okay for a few laps but then it got difficult again.

"It's probably more to do with my driving style plus the weather. I don't think I work the tyres very hard. So obviously when it's cool conditions and wet conditions it's been many years that it's been hard to get the tyres working. It just feels that when you have a new tyre it works well until the grip from the new tyres goes away and obviously you have to go slower and then you start cooling down the tyres more. Everything goes round and round and you cannot fix that. I reckon it's more to do with that.

"It's the thing that everybody hates but there's not a magic thing and I can change everything in my driving and suddenly fix."

The Finn was questioned about his motivation but dismissed such propositions.

"I don't know why you always come up with motivation," he said. "If I didn't have motivation I wouldn't be here answering these kinds of questions. It's all to do with that. We have bad races and it's an unfortunate thing, but the aim is to improve and get where we want to be."

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/3...on-questions/?

[Forzi]

Same issues like Felipe a few years back. Up until now, Kimi had the perfect tire working and managing Lotus, with overal grip beneath him. As Massa and Kimi have pretty much the same driving style, not really surprised he's having these issues. The new regs also don't really suit him either. Never really got why most were running around saying these new regs will suit him. Saying that he likes a loose rear end is just simply not true and contrary. Maybe the idea that he went rallying was the fault. He, as does Massa, needs a positive, pointy front and and a stable, grippy rear for their driving style to work. Which is what the Ferrari, and now most of the cars on the grid (because of the regulations) don't have. It's the same style Michael had, braking hard, throwing the front in to the corner, pointing it early in mid corner, flooring the gas pedal and correcting the slide if it happens. It's aggressive, demanding a lot from the cars rear and very delicate to tire temperatures, since if they fall, you loose front end pointyness and everything falls a part. It's also rewarding if the car actually delivers the grip needed. Might be the best driving style out there if your lets say in a RedBull or a pre 2009 car. We've seen it with Massa, we see it now with Kimi, with these new regs just making it worse (rear can't handle this driving style). Massa already said pre-season, that he had to completely change his driving style. Would think, Kimi didn't do enough work here. Fernando for one, noted, that he doesn't feel a lot of change in car handling. It's because his driving style is perfect for these regs. He likes breaking earlier, creates a lot of 'fake' understeer when going in to AND in mid corner. He just likes it that way, rarely going on kerbs, never demanding the car to have rear grip as he never really turns his steering wheel heavily, unless he suddenly finds lots of front grip in mid corner, making the back to step out. But that's rare and easily corrected. He just likes to constantly flow in understeer, away from track kerbs. A lot of times, you would see him taking wide lines, wide entries, without demanding the car to do much work, which is why he has excelled with the bad rear grip having car while driving with Felipe, and why he is even better now with these new regs against Kimi.

Overextended a lil with this post

[SashAlex]

Nice observation, mate! After all, F1 is all about the overall balance between oversteering and understeering. :)))

[Hornet]

Hopefully Kimi will be able to adept his driving style (by his own admission).

And hopefully this put to rest the wild rumor about Ferrari plotting against Kimi

[Kiwi Nick]

The new larger front brake ducts and blown wheel nut could make Kimi's problems worse as they keep the front tires cooler. That may have contributed to his difficulties in China where it was cold as well. Hopefully it will be warmer in Europe.

[Parabolica]

"I don't know why you always come up with motivation"

Perhaps, Kimi, because your motivation is questionable?

It might have something to do with it.

[Ed Harley]

"I don't know why you always come up with motivation"

Perhaps, Kimi, because your motivation is questionable?

It might have something to do with it.

He has on several occasions mentioned that he does not have motivational problems. Why try to push this nonsense?

[sachin]

Keep Calm,Kimi knows what he is doing.

But yeah, i am pretty confident kimi will be on top of his game once he gets a car completely to his liking.
Maybe still will be a tenth or so behind Alonso.

btw : Media you

[Parabolica]

He has on several occasions mentioned that he does not have motivational problems. Why try to push this nonsense?

Is it nonsense? It's a common reoccurrence since 2008.

There were those at Mclaren who thought Kimi had a lack of motivation at times.

Now, if the bloke was a proven Workaholic it would ne nonsense, for sure.

That's not a label Kimi has struggled to shake off though.

[Nova]

He has on several occasions mentioned that he does not have motivational problems. Why try to push this nonsense?

It is nonsense..we have 2 of the best drivers on the grid. I think its on Ferrari to give them each a car they can race comfortably.
This headline is pure hollywood journo drivel. Close the thread.

[aroutis]

It is nonsense..we have 2 of the best drivers on the grid. I think its on Ferrari to give them each a car they can race comfortably.
This headline is pure hollywood journo drivel. Close the thread.

I agree.

[Giallo 550]

He has on several occasions mentioned that he does not have motivational problems. Why try to push this nonsense?

That's like asking a drug addict if he's addicted to drugs.

[Ed Harley]

Is it nonsense? It's a common reoccurrence since 2008.

There were those at Mclaren who thought Kimi had a lack of motivation at times.

Now, if the bloke was a proven Workaholic it would ne nonsense, for sure.

That's not a label Kimi has struggled to shake off though.

That's like asking a drug addict if he's addicted to drugs.

Kimi Räikkönen has always been known to be a guy saying things straight as they are period. And now the motivation is the thing he is lying about?

"It's **** all to do with that."

[Giallo 550]

Kimi Räikkönen has always been known to be a guy saying things straight as they are period. And now the motivation is the thing he is lying about?

"It's **** all to do with that."

I know he's the type of guy to say whatever's on his mind, but has he done it when his job is on the line? I don't think even the most unmotivated slob in any profession would answer "yes" if he or she was asked if they are unmotivated.

For the record, I don't think he's unmotivated. I just don't see how answering the question answers the question.

[Kiwi Nick]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NImu...layer_embedded



Power problems for Kimi at 4:25...
Good Lord that was awful. Barely kept it running...no wonder he's angry. It's not Kimi who lacks motivation, it's the car. I'd say 8th place was a miracle.

[Ed Harley]

So now he is a guy who would lie if his job was on the line? It shouldn't take long for the team to see that all his recent problems come from lack of motivation.

[REDARMYSOJA]

Maybe this will motivate Kimi.

[Alonsomaniac]

Kimi is a very fast driver, only, he needs a car to his liking. The same we see with Vettel now.
Now is Kimi really so much slower than Fernando? I don't think so, if the car is changed to his liking and still has it's raw speed, he will be fast.
The only difference between him and Fernando is that Fernando has this one unique talent: if somewhere deep in a racingcar real speed lies hidden, he will find a way to drive that car to the absolute limit.
Fernando will adapt his drivingstyle to the liking of the car and be fast.

[Parabolica]

He was unmotivated enough to allow the team to develop a suspension that hurt him and favoured Massa.

Admittedly, Massa was a really forceful character who Ferrari dare not upset, a Goliath of a personality.

Poor Kimi was a mere reigning World Champion.

Feel free to be in denial or to ignore Kimi's questionable motivation, but quite a few do question it and it has been the subject of doubt before.

It is too early to say if 2014 Kimi carries the curse of not being bothered, but it is no surprise that the question is often asked.

[Ed Harley]

Maybe the problem lies in the questioners themselves ie. their listening comprehension is perhaps not so good.

[Parabolica]

Actions speak louder than words.

[Ed Harley]

Best of luck on your chosen path.

[Cheeseman]

I don't question Kimi's motivation, I think it's a bit unfair. What I do question is, if Fernando decides to leave at the end of 2014 (god forbid that happens) is Kimi the guy to lead the team then? Will he pull off the same results as Alonso in an under-par car? I'm not convinced. I rate Kimi the same as Button, he is only quick when the car is perfect

[Katu]

is Kimi the new Angry Bird?

[Parabolica]

Best of luck on your chosen path.

There is no shame in admitting defeat.

Never having lost, I take others word for it.

[Kiwi Nick]

So now he is a guy who would lie if his job was on the line? It shouldn't take long for the team to see that all his recent problems come from lack of motivation.

OK, we know you're a troll, but anyone watching this video of Kimi's car in China thinks the problem is not with the car, they are stupid or a liar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NImu...layer_embedded

[Ed Harley]

Sarcasm indeed does not go very well with people from US.

[NickEice]

Maybe Kimi was like Pastor, and rather than turning right instead of left like Pastor, Kimi braked instead of accelerated!

In all seriousness, that was awful! What the heck was wrong with the car!?

[Nero Horse]

I think there's no doubt that Kimi is a great driver, when he's on it then he can be as fast as anyone, I just think that he's not as adaptable driver as Alonso and that is making the difference right now. But I certainly hope that soon Kimi will get a car set up to his liking and starts to show his true speed, cause as a Ferrari fan I always want both drivers to deliver the best maximum results. I would love nothing more than to see Alonso and Kimi pushing each other to the limit and fighting for the win every race. That would be simply amazing!

[Giallo 550]

So now he is a guy who would lie if his job was on the line? It shouldn't take long for the team to see that all his recent problems come from lack of motivation.

Reread what I wrote. If your boss asked you if you lacked motivation, would you say "yes," even if it was true?