Can Raikkonen and Alonso Play Nice at Ferrari?

Even though testing has begun with day one at Jerez complete, we’re still a month and a half away from the first Grand Prix in Australia.  Aside from all the major questions about the new engines and reliability, and whether Sebastian Vettel will make it five in a row, there is still one question that I can’t wait to see how the answer will be played out: Will Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso be able to play nice at Ferrari?

For decades now the Ferrari team has run with a #1 and a #2 driver.  Both men knew their spot and both men knew where they stood.  Interestingly enough the last time the #1 and #2 positions at Ferrari were in some muddy water was the last time Raikkonen was with the team.  He was outperformed in 2008 and 2009 by Felipe Massa before his traumatic accident in Hungary.  Raikkonen left the team after 2009 and it has been Alonso’s team and his #1 spot since.

Both Raikkonen and Alonso feel they are contenders for the title this year, and they should feel that way coming off of great seasons last year with a few wins and many trips to the podium between the two of them.  They’ll have a new engine and hopefully a clean slate that will give them a chance against Vettel who absolutely dominated the entire season last year winning 13 races and only finishing off the podium three times.

So the stage is set where their biggest competition might be themselves.  They are being diplomatic about it now saying they will both be racing hard and there is no way to tell how each situation will be handled as each race goes along.

Raikkonen on the subject in a recent interview, “I don’t think there is any way of telling things right now because every situation is different but we know what we have to do.  We have said before we are going to race against each other like every year.  It doesn’t matter who is your team-mate. But for sure we have respect for each other and obviously we both try to come out on top. We know what the team expects from us and I think time will tell what happens.”

Alonso seems to be on the same page for now.  “There is not any way of preparing anything or any way to answer the question straightaway but the best way to bring back to Ferrari some of the success it has had in the past is to race each other at 100% every race and try to always bring back the points for the team and for ourselves.  And to do that we need to work in perfect harmony and follow what the team priority is and what the team will tell us.”  

I will be interested to see that if and when the time comes will Alonso or Raikkonen step aside so the other may vanquish the tyranny of Red Bull Racing?

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Main photo credit: ChrisMRichards via photopin cc