Kimi Raikkonen’s battle with Robert Kubica was fought over more than just second place. Raikkonen was fighting to keep his championship hopes alive – and he lost.
Raikkonen is 21 points behind Lewis Hamilton with 20 left to be won this year. Thus his chances of retaining the crown he won in 2007 are over.
That means whichever of the remaining contenders wins the title this year – Hamilton, Felipe Massa or Robert Kubica – it will be a first time champion, and the 29th different title winner in the sport’s 59-year history.
bert
12th October 2008, 20:10
i think it is sad for him, becouse i still believe he is the best driver of them all. keep flying kimi
cyanide
12th October 2008, 20:10
Don’t discount Hamilton getting disqualified from the championship by the stewards :) With the way things are going, it might just happen.
bert
12th October 2008, 20:43
now i hope kubica wil win, he’s a real talent. can’t help hating hamilton, he is so agressive but with no control, he ‘s in the best position but screws it up every time.
Atticus
12th October 2008, 20:58
@bert
maybe not the best but hes surely the fastest. he has 10 fastest laps out of 16. that means 10 times he was the fastest man on track somewhere (usually near the end of the race)… he has just not been consistent enough.
and i agree with you on hamilton.
Dan M
12th October 2008, 21:34
Kieth, When was the last time a defending WC was knocked out with two races to go?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
12th October 2008, 21:37
Dan M – Schumacher in 2005?
chunter
12th October 2008, 21:59
Wasn’t that the blown engine at Suzuka (not a collision)?
frosty
12th October 2008, 22:04
its not over cos hamilton will obviously get a points penalty for driving too quickly
Patrickl
13th October 2008, 0:06
@frosty,
Or they might slap Kubica with a 25 second penalty for running Raikkonen off track (ie not just let him pass).
Nick
13th October 2008, 1:37
our only hope is Kubica now, Hamilton and Massa don’t deserve it.
the limit
13th October 2008, 2:14
In all fairness, Raikkonen has not performed this year. He had to wait six, long years to get his Finnish fingers on that trophy, alot of nails were chewed along the way. I always admired his driving, especially in his early years, with relatively no prior experience. The 2002 race at Magny Cours comes to mind, against Schumacher, and that patch of oil that cost Raikkonen the race.
The desire was there, the hunger. The worrying thing is that Raikkonen looks more like Hakkinen did back in 2001, just before he retired. He looks completely disinterested in what he is doing, totally uncomfortable. I hope I am proven wrong.
Terry Fabulous
13th October 2008, 7:03
For 30 Million a year he should be ashamed to be dusted each and every race by Massa.
He needs to have a good hard look at himself and either shape up or ship out.
BTW it is good to be back on the forum and in GP world again. I have just returned from my honeymoon and spent a great day with the bride on the lounge watching 1000km of Bathurst and a great Japanese GP.
Do you reckon Fred might want to stick around with Renault based on this late season form?!
Jean
13th October 2008, 7:34
Congratulations to Terry F. – hope it will be a long and happy relationship , also filled with many hours of watching intense motorsport battles ! Kimi is out of it , which will hopefully make him come back stronger next year. He was described as a “sleeping giant” by a commentator , which I thought was a great description. Whether it’s the car not suited to him , his motivation , lack of fitness or all put together , cannot avoid feeling he is operating way below his maximum this year , and would not have deserved a championship anyway.
Sumedh
13th October 2008, 10:14
Kimi anyways, never deserved this year’s title.
joe
13th October 2008, 10:31
it seems like kimi is having bi-annual peaks in terms of performance.hope it works again in 2009. :)
Ron
13th October 2008, 11:59
Well as long as it is a ferrari, i dont mind to be honest, but raikkonen dropped the ball a few times this year, that and a combination of bad luck didnt help him.
whatever it is, he better be on his game next year or i suspect it would be his last. as for Felipe, i think the Pastaman is well worthy of taking it, and i hope he does. adn i wouldnt be the bit annoyed if Hamilton is slapped a penalty for racing (in a McLaren). i think if there is really prejudice, it’s aimed at McLaren not L.H. but i have a good feeling that all will go normal.
Vai Vai Massa.
Terry Fabulous
13th October 2008, 12:28
Thanks Jean!
Oliver
13th October 2008, 15:43
I think it was Kimi’s fitness that let him down this year. His inability to stay focused during a race weekend I can attribute to fitness. He has taken the lazy mans approach to racing, but it can only take you so far.
Luck played a big hand in his winning the championship last year, perhaps he thought it would be easy again. If he continues like this, with a casual approach to racing, then it will be his last championship.
Raj
13th October 2008, 16:55
Kimi will come back next year and blow the butts out of
Massa,Hamilton etc…..
Loki
13th October 2008, 17:22
Alonso says he will help Ferrari and Massa win the titles?
No offense to Alonso, he might not be close enough to affect the results (despite winning back to back races), and it’s not like he’s going to yield his places for them if he’s in a podium position. Maybe if he were being lapped he could make life difficult…
Anyways, I’d love for Kubica to win it – would be amazing to watch that, and he thoroughly deserves it. Of course, I’d love a Ferrari to win, so I hope Massa gets the job done in China – because we know that Massa is strong in Brazil and his chances are very good there. As is Kimi, so hopefully Brazil is just a formality – China may have the answer.
Nick
13th October 2008, 21:02
“For 30 Million a year he should be ashamed to be dusted each and every race by Massa.”
Every race?!? Austrailia? Sepang? Spa? France? Silverstone? Canada? Singapore? Fuji?
Tom
13th October 2008, 22:11
Nick how can you forget Spanish GP?
Terry Fabulous
13th October 2008, 22:26
@ Nick
Ok Fair call, that was a bold exaggeration!
But I still make the point… Massa has been the more valuable driver this year in a red car.
Taimur
14th October 2008, 16:42
kimster…
I was so sure that he would regain the title this year. But not to be I guess. His qualifying problems have been strange and difficult to justify.