Alesi thrilled with Räikkönen’s arrival at Lotus
Jean Alesi is an ambassador for Group Lotus and the Frenchman expressed his delight at Kimi Räikkönen's return to Formula 1 from 2012 with the Lotus Renault team.
The Frenchman believes that Räikkönen’s return to F1 is a good thing for Formula 1 and for LRGP. Even though the Espoo native may have seemed tired of F1 a few years ago, Jean Alesi thinks that these two years in WRC have allowed him to gain perspective and he is delighted that Räikkönen has renewed his interest in F1.
This is fantastic news. Kimi has a natural speed much higher than any other Formula 1 driver, and if he’s coming back, it’s because he wants to, and he thinks he can do great things. He had a little break (in 2010 and 2011), which was somewhat forced by Ferrari. I think he was fed up with the system and wanted to take some time, which I can completely understand. But now he’s back, with Lotus, so it’s really exciting, Alesi shared in an interview published by Group Lotus.
The former F1 driver believes that the 2007 world champion is the driver Lotus Renault needed because he’s a fast driver who is always on the edge and knows how to get the best out of any single-seater – something that was clearly lacking from Petrov, Heidfeld, and Senna this season.
What is good about Kimi is that he gets the most out of a fast car. When the car was good at McLaren and Ferrari, he always won. LRGP will expect him to get the most out of the Lotus as well. F1 teams need a driver who consistently puts in lap times that are 100% on the limit. That’s what a driver of Kimi’s caliber is capable of doing, always being on the limit and never falling behind.
Alesi also believes that Iceman will be a great help for the engineers at Enstone because his consistent performances will allow them to better understand the strengths of their car. Even though he knows that Räikkönen shouldn’t be more talkative than before once he’s out of the car.
« From that, the engineers have a working base. They understand the true speed of their car and can make changes accordingly. This eradicates any form of doubt. I expect Kimi to be a formidable tool in fact. But I don’t expect him to talk much outside the car! I’m certain he hasn’t changed, » added Alesi.
