Kimi Raikkonen is a bold driver and a worthy successor to his compatriot, fellow Finn, Mika Häkkinen.

Kimi Räikkönen surprised the world of F1 when Peter Sauber announced that he had offered Kimi a seat for 2001 on the condition that obtained his superlicense.


In his first year Raikkonen helped Sauber achieve fourth place constructors championship, the best in their history. This success eaned him a drive at McLaren.
In 2002 he maintained his blistering pace, on several occasions beating his teammate. His first F1 victory came in 2003, a year in which he fought for the title until the very last race of the season. Many thought that the 2004 title was his to lose, but as it transpired, the new MP4-19 was not up to the challenge. Räikkönen had to be satisfied with seventh place, with just a single victory, in Spa. 2005 began badly for McLaren and Kimi, but they recovered, gaining 7 important victories, enabling the team to compete with Fernando Alonso right down to the wire, but in the end he was runner-up.



So far this season has only been a reasonable one by Kimi's exacting standards, he currently (after the Hungarian Grand Prix) lies equal fourth with 49 points, 51 points behind the leader, Alonso.

Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher and reigning world champion Fernando Alonso will continue their duel from the middle of the starting grid at the Hungarian Grand Prix today after both drivers were hit with time penalties.


Kimi Raikkonen of McLaren-Mercedes, last year's winner, took the pole position yesterday in 1 minute, 19.599 seconds on the course. However, the focus was on Schumacher and Alonso after both incurred two-second penalties per qualifying session.


It was the tenth career pole position for Finland's Raikkonen and his second straight.


Schumacher was 12th and Alonso 15th in the qualifications, but Schumacher will move up to 11th when Jenson Button moves down from fourth to 14th because of an engine change, which indirectly caused Schumacher's penalty.


When Button's car caught fire, the session was stopped and Schumacher was judged to have passed two cars - including Alonso - despite red flags being waved. Afterward, Schumacher was penalised two seconds by the stewards.

"Of course I am angry... but I blame myself too," Schumacher said, adding video footage would show what happened.
"It is a bit difficult to explain what happened out there," Schumacher added later. "It's easier if everybody looks at the pictures. There you see more and the pictures are self-explanatory."

He did not elaborate.

"There are rules. If you don't respect them, you get a penalty,"

Raikkonen said.


Alonso still leads Schumacher in the season's standings 100-89, and it could get closer after today's race on the tight, twisting Hungaroring circuit where passing is difficult.

"The race here is as hard as Monaco, You usually can't overtake here,"

Schumacher said.


Schumacher started from last at Monaco after another qualifying penalty and finished fifth. He had been judged to intentionally stop his car at the last curve to slow the drivers - including Alonso - behind him in the final minute.


Schumacher goes into the race on the back of a convincing home victory in the German Grand Prix, where Alonso struggled with tire blistering problems and came in a distant fifth.


Today's race is 70 laps of the 4.381-kilometer (2.722-mile) circuit.


Source: The Scotsman

Fernando Alonso said he had the Canadian Grand Prix on his ‘to do’ list at the beginning of the season, and he ticked it off in style in Montreal yesterday.


He should have won easily once Kimi Raikkonen suffered a clutch problem that made it difficult to change the rear wheels during the first round of pit stops, but a late crash by Jacques Villeneuve (on lap 59) nearly turned the race on its head as it threw a beaten Michael Schumacher and Ferrari a dramatic lifeline.


After his initial delay, Raikkonen held on to second place. For a while it seemed that Schumacher was on a single-stop strategy, and might well grab the position, but then the German pitted again on the 57th lap, restoring the status quo. By that stage Alonso was 20 secs. ahead of Raikkonen (whose clutch problem delayed him further in his second stop when the engine stalled), with Schumacher another 18s further back.

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GP2 sensation Lewis Hamilton reckons he is ready for a shot at the big time should he be given the chance to race for McLaren in Formula 1 next season.


The 21-year-old British ace, a long-time McLaren protégé, has been linked with a seat alongside Fernando Alonso in the race team in 2007, should Kimi Raikkonen opt to join Ferrari. And while McLaren does not often sign rookies to its race squad, Hamilton says his target is to race for the team next year.

“I’m feeling more and more ready for Formula 1, that’s for sure,” he told this week’s Autosport magazine.
“I want to race for McLaren. If that opportunity comes up, I want to grab it with both hands.
“So I’m really working my arse off to make sure I have every possible opportunity.
“I think if I keep on winning and performing like I did last weekend, they will find it hard to say no to me – unless someone like [Michael] Schumacher comes along.”

Team principal Ron Dennis admitted at Monaco last weekend that he expected Hamilton to be in F1 next year, but stopped short of saying in what capacity.

“Lewis’s first step is to succeed in GP2 and then we will guide him to the next and highest level,” he told the Times.
“Will he be in Formula 1 next year? I believe he will be. With which team? I don’t know yet.”

But Hamilton says one thing he doesn’t plan on is spending a season on the sidelines as a test driver for McLaren.

“I’m a racer not a test driver,” he told Autosport.
“If you’re going to be a test driver, you need to be in a third driver role where you can get used to the tracks. If you take year off you lose something.”

Click here to read a biography of Lewis Hamilton


Source: ITV Sport