Todt would choose Kimi ahead of Juan

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from planetf1.com:

Todt would choose Kimi ahead of Juan

Monday September 06 2004

If Ferrari had a choice between signing Kimi Raikkonen or Juan Pablo Montoya, Jean Todt says he wouldn't even have to think about it, he'd pick Kimi.

Ferrari haven't been shy about expressing their interest in McLaren's Finnish driver, who was runner-up to Michael Schumacher in the 2003 Drivers' Championship. Earlier in the year Ferrari President Luca Montezemolo sang Raikkonen's praises saying that he is "the best driver behind Michael Schumacher and Barrichello", while more recently it was technical director Ross Brawn who was exalting the Finn.

And now Jean Todt, Ferrari's managing director, has added his name to the Kimi Raikkonen fan club list.

"When the time comes, I'll decide to go for a certain guy, and that might be Kimi," he told F1 Racing magazine.

"I like Kimi. He's quick, he's naturally talented. He doesn't make wild statements. He doesn't try to raise his profile. I like that. And in my rally career I had a lot of Finnish drivers, so I know them very well. I like Kimi's style, but for the moment it's really only from a spectator's point of view."

"If you want me to tell you which I prefer out of Montoya or Raikkonen, then I'll tell you I prefer Raikkonen."

"Montoya is a very talented driver, but he's too wild for me - sometimes unnecessarily wild."

While Ron Dennis may not be particularly impressed to hear Ferrari declare their interest in Kimi, he may be even less happy with what Todt has to say about his McLaren counterpart.

"As for Ron, he's a real racer. Having said that, I think he's too arrogant - unnecessarily so. I think very often he isn't fair in his judgement. I think he should respect Ferrari for what Ferrari are and for what Ferrari do," the Scuderia's managing director fumed.

"Why criticise proficient people who are simply doing a good job? I think you know I can withstand criticism and I don't have a problem with it as long as it's justified. I don't have a problem with competition, either."

"I understand McLaren's desire to compete with us - that's their job. I mean: they recently hired our chief aerodynamicist who arrived in Woking with his head full of what he'd been doing for the past five or six years at Ferrari. And I said nothing. I had nothing to say."

"And yet in the past I remember Ferrari being accused [by Dennis, among others] of using illegal traction control. Ridiculous."

Absolutely, that