Rally made Raikkonen better F1 driver - Solberg
Peter Solberg: "Alonso will certainly not like it,"
Sep.16 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen's rallying foray made him a better Formula One driver.
That is the claim of 2003 world rally champion Petter Solberg, who got to know the 'iceman' during his two-year F1 sabbatical in 2010 and 2011.
"I know Kimi and I believe that the rally made him a better Formula One driver," Solberg told the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang (VG).
Like many observers, Solberg thinks Raikkonen's return to Ferrari next year, where he will become current 'number 1' Fernando Alonso's teammate, will be interesting to watch.
"Alonso will certainly not like it," Solberg said of Raikkonen's impending move.
"But Kimi is cool," he added. "He drives the car, and that's it."
Former Ferrari boss Cesare Fiorio said last week he would not have signed Raikkonen.
"I admire his talent, but not his lifestyle or his technical work," he is quoted by Italy's Tuttosport.
But another former Ferrari boss, the current FIA president Jean Todt, backed the decision taken by the Maranello team's current chiefs.
"Ferrari is a Formula One institution, and very strong," he told the Italpress agency, "and I am absolutely certain they will also be at the highest level in the coming years."
As for signing Raikkonen, "Ferrari has always known how to make the right decisions," Todt insisted.
Share Or Save This Story
Jules Bianchi's father speaks of family's continued hopes
Sauber under no illusions about constructors' position
Pirelli chief calls for radical F1 overhaul
David Coulthard explains why Robin Raikkonen's rise resembles Max Verstappen's
On this day: Michael Schumacher wins… and stuns tifosi with F1 retirement
Red Bull signs Kimi Raikkonen’s son as junior driver
How the Bahrain GP in Malaysia exposed Red Bull’s hidden resurgence
The slick tyre gamble that hurt McLaren and Ferrari's Bahrain F1 chances
Ferrari’s Vigna on Vasseur and fake news: “There is only one reality”
Andrea Stella: F1 must avoid Sepang repeat, but "accept occasional glitches"
Bubba Wallace "paid the price on our front tires" in battle for Vegas win
How Elfyn Evans made WRC history in Hollywood blockbuster Sardinia decider
Winners & Losers from MotoGP's Japanese Grand Prix
How F1 let a golden opportunity slip at Sepang
How the Bahrain GP in Malaysia exposed Red Bull’s hidden resurgence
You Ask The Questions: Emerson Fittipaldi
The wide world of strategy options expected in F1's Bahrain GP in Malaysia
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments