After some brilliant drives in Asia there is plenty of momentum behind Kimi Raikkonen as F1 heads to Europe.
It is safe to say Kimi Raikkonen had a rather poor 2014. He drove somewhat tamely and really lacked any motivation or conviction. Yes it can be argued that he was stuck behind the wheel of a sluggish Ferrari but the car can’t all the blame. But what a difference a winter break can make. Ferrari have sky rocketed from a midfield team in 2014 to contenders in 2015 and this seems to have motivated Raikkonen.
The “Iceman” got off to a rather mediocre start in Melbourne, not helped by a late retirement. However, Raikkonen has since put in three brilliant displays and it appears the Kimi of old has returned. A poor qualifying in Malaysia really hampered his race and had Raikkonen started further up the grid he may well have been on the podium. A similar story played out in China but this time a late safety car, which the race finished behind, halted the Finn’s charge on teammate Vettel.
It was in Bahrain where it all came together for Kimi. A rather brilliant tyre strategy from the Ferrari garage as well as a flawless stint on the medium compound allowed Raikkonen to catch Nico Rosberg in the closing stages to move up to second. That overtake handed Raikkonen his first Ferrari podium since his return to the team. His previous best had been fourth place, which he had already managed twice this season in Malaysia and China.
It’s not so much the results that have highlighted Raikkonen as a real contender this season but more so his performances. He drove a stunner in Malaysia to come from the back of the field to finish fourth after early contact with Felipe Nasr. He was also impressive in China and of course in Bahrain where Raikkonen truly showed us what he was made of. Staying true to the nickname the “Iceman” he was cool calm and collected pumping in fastest lap after fastest lap. Vettel may have already won a race this year but in all honesty Raikkonen has provided the more entertaining drives and that bodes well for the Finn.
With just over two weeks until the Spanish Grand Prix in Catalunya Raikkonen will be looking to harness all the momentum he has gained over the last month or so. The Barcelona track should be rather warm if the 2014 track temperatures are anything to go by. If it’s a warm and dry day track temperatures could rise above 40 degrees Celsius and that should benefit Ferrari and Raikkonen. Certainly if Raikkonen carries his fine form into Europe then a strong finish in Spain is assured. Raikkonen is a two time previous winner in Catalunya with his last win coming back in 2008.
It is another crucial race in context of the season. The Spanish Grand Pix is followed directly by the Monaco Grand Prix and so the Catalunya race is a vital confidence builder for the streets of Monte Carlo. Ferrari also have major engine upgrades planned for the Canadian Grand Prix in June. They will no doubt be aiming to eke out every bit of performance they can prior to these upgrades.
If Raikkonen does have serious intentions of a Driver’s title push then a good finish in Spain is paramount. With Vettel’s somewhat poor drive in Bahrain Raikkonen will surely be full of confidence. Nico Rosberg’s somewhat improved drive in Bahrain will have also boosted his confidence but Raikkonen still managed to snag second from the German’s clutches. That might be significant as Rosberg’s confidence is already rather low.
The real question is can anyone beat Lewis Hamilton with the form he is on. Certainly Raikkonen is not going to settle for second best. He made that abundantly clear in his podium interview at Bahrain. Can Raikkonen use his momentum to push for a victory in Spain? Well, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
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