Autosport: Raikkonen Adopts Gamesmanship

[Monty 0]

Posted from another forum, and the article is from Autosport

A bit of gamesmanship from Kimi Raikkonen may have cost Championship rival Fernando Alonso a place on the front row of the grid for today's German Grand Prix.

Pole man Raikkonen, having finished third at Silverstone, was 18th of the 20 cars in the qualifying order at Hockenheim, with Alonso and Juan Pablo Montoya following him.

Having set his 1m14.320s pole time, Raikkonen then drove off the circuit at Turn 1 on his slowing down lap, which put dust down as he came back on. Alonso was by this stage on his warm-up lap and, obviously, the next car through the dirty section. He lost a lot of time in sector one.

Fernando said afterwards: "I lost three or four tenths through the first corners: it was windier than this morning and the first corner is very quick and I was a bit unsettled. Then I didn't have the confidence to attack the braking zone at the next corner." Alonso doubtless thought it was the wind that had blown the dust on the circuit and his circumspection at Turn 2 will have been down to concern about dirty tyres.

Raikkonen's Turn 1 'moment' was not picked up by the main TV feed but, in the TV booths, Austrian TV was playing replays from a different camera, and this was spotted by the eagle-eyed former driver Thierry Tassin in the Belgian booth. Tassin then asked Raikkonen about it in McLaren's Saturday press conference.

A sheepish-looking Kimi admitted: "Yes, a little part of my wheel went into the dust at Turn 1..." Whereupon a grinning Ron Dennis embraced his driver with a 'That's my boy!' type of hug.

A look at the qualifying sector one times reveals just how badly Alonso was hindered. Raikkonen (16.349) set the second fastest time, just 0.009 slower than Montoya in the sister McLaren, Giancarlo Fisichella's Renault was next (16.444), front row man Jenson Button was fifth quickest (16.487), and Alonso was 15th (16.722). Only an oversteering Felipe Massa and the two Jordans and Minardis were slower than Alonso through sector one!

In sector two, meanwhile, Raikkonen was fastest on 34.974, with Alonso second quickest on 35.030. Kimi was quickest again in sector three (22.997) with Alonso fifth (23.152).

Button outqualified Alonso by 0.15 and so, with a more representative first sector time, it is fair to say that Fernando would have been comfortably on the front row alongside Kimi.

Alonso put a brave face on it: "It is actually quite good to be starting from the clean side of the track." Had Juan Pablo Montoya not thrown the second McLaren into the tyres of course, which was not part of McLaren's plan, Fernando would have been starting from the dirty side of the second row...

"I hope to make up a place at the start," Alonso said, "and I'm sure we have the right strategy. I want at least a podium and perhaps we will be able to fight for the win." If he does make a strong getaway, don't bank on Alonso being too accommodating with Raikkonen at Turn 1.

[kiko01 0]

Well, if this is true (and reading the article it seems to be) KR is a real b#####d. Quite sad

[Fed up 0]

Well, if this is true (and reading the article it seems to be) KR is a real b#####d. Quite sad 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wouldn't call him a b#####d, but I'd say it was a tad immature, dangerous even - As it turned out, FA had the last laugh

[kiko01 0]

I wouldn't call him a b#####d, but I'd say it was a tad immature, dangerous even - As it turned out, FA had the last laugh

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Absolutely I felt sorry for KR but now i

[Jem of the Shire 0]

Interesting. But it doesnt make any difference, cos the flukey little boy got another gifted win anyway. Does anyone remember Japan 1999 quali, when Irvine was 4pts ahead of Hakkinen going into final race, Hakkinen just happened to 'accidentally' spin his car on his in-lap just as Irvine was coming up behind him on his hot lap

[Fed up 0]

Absolutely  I felt sorry for KR but now i

[kiko01 0]

Interesting. But it doesnt make any difference, cos the flukey little boy got another gifted win anyway. Does anyone remember Japan 1999 quali, when Irvine was 4pts ahead of Hakkinen going into final race, Hakkinen just happened to 'accidentally' spin his car on his in-lap just as Irvine was coming up behind him on his hot lap

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, it makes difference and a huge one... To me KR has turned into a real b#####d when he was a real champion

[raikkonen_rulez 0]

A sheepish-looking Kimi admitted: "Yes, a little part of my wheel went into the dust at Turn 1..." Whereupon a grinning Ron Dennis embraced his driver with a 'That's my boy!' type of hug.

Can anyone recall KR looking embarrassed? Apart from him smiling occasionally during wins, don't see anything special from him.

Believe what you like, if I had believed every single bit the media says about KR I would've hated him long time ago.

Monotonous, expression-less, unfriendly, cold, rude, cheater, loser... you name it.

It seems to me that he's 'offended' a lot of people by not talking a lot, or showing a lot of emotions, and they, having no story to write about him come up with ideas like this.

[Jem of the Shire 0]

Yes thats assuming that the story is true. I suppose then we can say schumacher isnt a real champion, and is a complete b#####d, cos he rammed damon hill in 1994

[kiko01 0]

A sheepish-looking Kimi admitted: "Yes, a little part of my wheel went into the dust at Turn 1..." Whereupon a grinning Ron Dennis embraced his driver with a 'That's my boy!' type of hug.

Can anyone recall KR looking embarrassed? Apart from him smiling occasionally during wins, don't see anything special from him.

Believe what you like, if I had believed every single bit the media says about KR I would've hated him long time ago.

Monotonous, expression-less, unfriendly, cold, rude, cheater, loser... you name it.

It seems to me that he's 'offended' a lot of people by not talking a lot, or showing a lot of emotions, and they, having no story to write about him come up with ideas like this.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I

[raikkonen_rulez 0]

True, but what proof there is to say that he cheated? That ONE austrian camera? Why don't they show it to us?

What proof do they have that is was intentional?

I'll believe it when I see it. Words like sheepishly... don't work with KR. These are things that might never be proven (because there is no proof) and you can either believe it or don't

And I choose not to.

Nothing was said against Alonso during the Canadian GP, when he radioed in to say that he was faster than GF (asking for team orders). Now I saw and listened it live, and therefore it decresed my opinion of him. People were saying how the Renault team asked him to overtake himself, but really who would admit to the live telecast that they're cheating??

Probably in a few hours or so, other leading F1 sites will post the story as well, then people will assume that it's real. Again, as I have said, is a result of him not interacting more with the media, and they need "stories" about KR, because he is in title contention (not anymore to me, but he's the runner up nonetheless). He doesn't give juicy interviews and arrogant statements like JB, doesn't argue or make silly mistakes like Sato and Montoya, and therefore they are forced to make up lies. What else is there to write about him??

[Jem of the Shire 0]

So what if he did do it deliberately?? Its all tactics. Theres no rule against it. U bunch of moaners

[kiko01 0]

Nothing was said against Alonso during the Canadian GP, when he radioed in to say that he was faster than GF (asking for team orders). Now I saw and listened it live, and therefore it decresed my opinion of him. People were saying how the Renault team asked him to overtake himself, but really who would admit to the live telecast that they're cheating??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The facts showed that they didn

[kiko01 0]

So what if he did do it deliberately?? Its all tactics.  Theres no rule against it. U bunch of moaners

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Tactics? Tactics is another thing mate, what the hell are you talking about?

[Jem of the Shire 0]

Even montoya admitted in canada that it wasnt a team decision, so YOU WRONG GIRLFRIEND. Everyone in f1 is a b#####d. Except Button of course. And a few others.

[raikkonen_rulez 0]

JPM's retirement was his own decision, he made a mistake and admitted to it, and said no team orders.

The same can't be said about GF, his car always stuffs up during the most crucial parts of the race (or, when he is dangerous to FA).

Ps. Wasn't talking about team orders, was talking about FA hinting for the team to apply orders on GF. Please don't tell me he meant something else.

" I'm a lot faster than him!!!"

[kiko01 0]

Even montoya admitted in canada that it wasnt a team decision, so YOU WRONG GIRLFRIEND. Everyone in f1 is a b#####d. Except Button of course. And a few others.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

JPM can say whatever he wants but i watched that race and it was pretty clear that if KR would have been in Montoya

[pumpdoc 2]

So what if he did do it deliberately?? Its all tactics.  Theres no rule against it. U bunch of moaners

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kiko01 0]

JPM's retirement was his own decision, he made a mistake and admitted to it, and said no team orders.

The same can't be said about GF, his car always stuffs up during the most crucial parts of the race (or, when he is dangerous to FA).

Ps. Wasn't talking about team orders, was talking about FA hinting for the team to apply orders on GF. Please don't tell me he meant something else.

" I'm a lot faster than him!!!"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think that FA wasn

[raikkonen_rulez 0]

JPM can say whatever he wants but i watched that race and it was pretty clear that if KR would have been in Montoya

[Jem of the Shire 0]

I'm talking about tactics, you know what tactics are, so whats ur beef, beefy

[raikkonen_rulez 0]

I think that FA wasn

[Jem of the Shire 0]

I thought Alonso in canada was pathetic in thinking the team would make Fisi move, and I'm glad it was aired live so we could all hear how pathetic he is. He probably does this kind of thing every race

[kiko01 0]

How different?? Cheating is cheating... if KR cheated and if FA cheated then they're both cheaters regardless of circumstances.

The most important point here is that they don't have proof that KR cheated (or at least they're not showing us), and we all know about FA

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ok, i

[pumpdoc 2]

I thought Alonso in canada was pathetic in thinking the team would make Fisi move, and I'm glad it was aired live so we could all hear how pathetic he is. He probably does this kind of thing every race

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah that was the clicher for me and my dislike of FA as it made him sound like a school kid-----------a whiny brat----------------