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Raikkonen needs time to acclimatise, says Watson
ESPNF1 Staff
January 14, 2012
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Kimi Raikkonen will get behind the wheel of the team's R30 car at Valencia on 23rd/24th January © Getty Images
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Former grand prix winner John Watson says that Kimi Raikkonen will need time to familiarise himself with the new technicalities of the sport when he returns to drive for Lotus Renault for the 2012 season.
Raikkonen last drove for Ferrari in 2009 before quitting the sport to take up rally driving. And with several new regulations being introduced since his departure, Watson thinks the former world champion may take time to get up to speed.
"If you take the example of Schumacher, who was slightly longer out of the cockpit and found it more difficult to re-acclimatise to F1 than he may be expected, whether Kimi will go through the same struggle I don't know," said Watson at the Autosport International Show. "I think probably not to the same degree.
"But big changes because of the aerodynamics, primarily because of the change of tyres, the limitation on testing, all those factors are going to limit Raikkonen's progress so he is going to have to really use every opportunity to be in the car to try and short cut that two-year period where he has been fooling about in rally cars.
"He must re-tune his mind from what you do in a rally car and what you do in a grand prix car."
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ESPN Staff
People said the same thing about Kimi when he came into F1 with few open wheeler races and he proved everyone wrong. He did amazingly well in rallying beating many experienced rally drivers. He even won a stage of a rally. Ice man!
Posted byWith regards to Kimi not being on top of his game in 2009, maybe he wasn't at his alltime "best" (which if anything I would say was his 2005 season), but I don't think he was very far off it - definately not a ok/bad season like 2008 was... I mean despite Ferrari admitting to having an average car and then turning all their attention to the 2010 car halfway through the 2009 season, Kimi still managed to make up places in nearly all the races in the 2n half of 2009 which made for very exciting racing, not to mention his win in Spa.
Posted byI would say he might struggle a bit.But I think the pressure is less on him.Kimi left when he was not at the top of his game,while Michael left when he was at the top of his game.
Posted byyes, kimi it will not be easy. ok that challenging but hope it does not frustrate you at the end of the season. the car surely will not be on par with red bull or mclaren or even ferrari. so car is another big issue. and getting to acclimatise will be the another important issue. need to be mentally strong. i loved you when you are fitting with schumi. in many race you had beaten him. few races you lacked luck against schumi. it was satifying that you won championship. need to quickly adjust you mind and body quickly to new conditions
Posted byI'd say that's glaringly obvious isn't it?
Posted byTwo things separate Raikkonen's comeback from Schumacher's: Firstly, Raikkonen isn't in his 40s, so his fitness and body are more up to it, and secondly Raikkonen drove in 2009, after the biggest regulation change of all. DRS, Pirellis etc he will learn quickly enough.
Posted byI think so.he will be fine,but i think the pressure on him are less because he left at the time when he was not on the peak of his game.Unlike Michael who left when he was at the top of his game.