Martin Whitmarsh, a former boss of the famous Finn some years ago, has admitted he has been impressed by Kimi Raikkonen in 2012. The pair worked together between 2002 and 2006, when the now 32-year-old won nine grands prix for McLaren.
Raikkonen switched to Ferrari in 2007, winning nine more races and the title, but after 2009 he quit formula one to go rallying and Nascar racing. He has returned to F1 with Lotus this year, and despite not yet adding to his tally of career wins, the 'Iceman' is tipped as a dark horse for the 2012 championship.
When asked about Raikkonen, McLaren team boss Whitmarsh told Brazil's Totalrace: "He is very talented. I think he is one of the fastest men on the planet," he added. "People tend to underestimate Kimi, because of how little he talks. But he is a very intelligent and impressive driver. The Lotus is a good car and so, put together, they're a real threat," said Whitmarsh.
"I'm sure you've noticed that Kimi does not make many mistakes; he always does a good job. So I'm not surprised and I think he has the ability to improve even more throughout the season," he added. Raikkonen's former McLaren stablemate, Pedro de la Rosa, told Spain's El Confidencial that Raikkonen is "definitely one of the best drivers I've ever seen".
And at the wheel of the impressive black and gold E20, it looks like a winning combination. "Well, it hasn't won any races, so it's not a winner," Raikkonen insisted. "We are still pretty happy but of course you want to do better. We'll see what we can do in the second part (of the season)," he added.
Lotus' technical boss James Allison thinks a shot at the title is not out of the question. "Why not?" he told the British broadcaster Sky. "There are an awful lot of points for coming first and an awful lot of races left. The lead is miniscule compared to the points available." (GMM)
Raikkonen 'a real threat' in 2012 - Whitmarsh
- Published on 07 Aug 2012 13:44
-
0
- By: Rob Veenstra
.
Trending news
-
Only seven F1 seats remain unfilled for 2027The 2027 Formula 1 grid is rapidly solidifying. Following Max Verstappen's contract extension at Red Bull and rec...
28 Aug 2026 11:45 -
Why F1 boss Domenicali called Verstappen's Red Bull extension the 'icing on the cake'Stefano Domenicali has expressed visible relief after Max Verstappen committed his future to Red Bull through 2030, t...
28 Aug 2026 10:43 -
Why Ralf Schumacher believes Piastri is no longer a team leader candidateOscar Piastri has become McLaren's second driver following a difficult start to the 2026 season, according to Ral...
27 Aug 2026 16:19 -
Why Coulthard thinks Lawson proved his doubters wrong at ZandvoortLiam Lawson has earned high praise from former Red Bull driver David Coulthard after filling in for the senior team a...
27 Aug 2026 15:18 -
Antonelli reveals emotional moment racing childhood hero VerstappenAndrea Kimi Antonelli has admitted he fought back tears the first time he raced wheel-to-wheel against Max Verstappen...
27 Aug 2026 14:16
Dutch Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Dutch Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
Test calendar
Circuit de Catalunya - Winter testing
-
Jan 26
I. Hadjar
- 1:18.159
-
-
-
Jan 27
M. Verstappen
- 1:19.578
-
-
-
Jan 28
A. Antonelli
- 1:17.362
-
-
-
Jan 29
G. Russell
- 1:16.445
-
-
-
Jan 30
L. Hamilton
- 1:16.348
-
-
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
-
Feb 11
L. Norris
- 1:34.669
-
-
-
Feb 12
C. Leclerc
- 1:34.273
-
-
-
Feb 13
A. Antonelli
- 1:33.669
-
-
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
-
Feb 18
G. Russell
- 1:33.459
-
-
Feb 19
A. Antonelli
- 1:32.803
-
-
Feb 20
C. Leclerc
- 1:31.992
-
-
World Championship standings 2026
Pos
Driver
Team
Points
Pos
Team
Points
Related news
Give your opinion!
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Spain
-
Bahrain
-
Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
-
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
-
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
Austria
Red Bull Ring
3 - Jul 5
United Kingdom
Silverstone
17 - Jul 19
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
24 - Jul 26
Hungary
Hungaroring
21 - Aug 23
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Team profile
- Team name Ferrari
- Base Maranello, Italy
- Kimi Räikkönen 1
- Michael Schumacher 1
- Michael Schumacher 1
- Felipe Massa 2
- Fernando Alonso 3
- Felipe Massa 3
- Michael Schumacher 3
- Felipe Massa 4
- Kimi Räikkönen 4
- Sebastian Vettel 5
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Felipe Massa 5
- Michael Schumacher 5
- Michael Schumacher 5
- Felipe Massa 6
- Felipe Massa 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 6
- Felipe Massa 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 7
- Felipe Massa 7
- Fernando Alonso 8
- Fernando Alonso 14
- Charles Leclerc 16
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Lewis Hamilton 44
- Carlos Sainz jr 55
- 511,450 comments on Ferrari
284 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Ferrari
Replies (0)
Login to reply