12/09/2013
NEWS STORY
As Kimi Raikkonen heads back to Ferrari, team boss Stefano Domenicali insists that both drivers will be treated as equals.
Driver turned commentator Martin Brundle perhaps best summed up the thoughts of many when on Wednesday evening, hours after the Iceman's return to Maranello had been officially confirmed, he tweeted: "'Kimi, Fernando is faster than you'... 'So why is he behind me then? Leave me alone'."
The idea of the two world champions, both with entirely different approaches not only to their craft, but their attitude to life, already has us salivating. However, whilst we anticipate fireworks from this fire and ice teaming, Domenicali is insistent that both drivers will be treated equally.
"Nothing will change in the way the team is run," he assured the team's website. "Since the world began, our drivers have always started on equal terms. It's always been that way and always will.
"Then, during the course of the season, if the situation is such that one driver can help the other based on the points table, it's logical and right that it should happen. It's happened in the past and will happen in the future, as all drivers who have driven a Ferrari have demonstrated.
"It occurred at the time of Fangio and Collins and more recently with Salo and Irvine, when the Finn gave up on his only chance of a win in Formula 1 to help his team-mate, as Raikkonen was helped by Felipe, before repaying the compliment and again with Felipe and Fernando.
"As for the Dream Team, I'm not in the habit of dreaming with my eyes open," he continued, "as it's not in my nature to do so. I would only say that the combination of Fernando and Kimi is the best one could have today in Formula 1, in terms of talent, experience, competitive spirit and the ability to move car development forward."
While some believe the idea of having two cockerels in the same hen house will end in disaster, the Prost/Senna pairing at McLaren coming to mind, also Mansell/Piquet at Williams, Domenicali says 'not so'.
"It brings to mind football fans who are scared of rival teams because they have so many strong forwards and so they hope they will fight each other for the ball. For anyone thinking that the choice of Kimi is somehow an anti-Alonso choice, I can put their minds at rest: at Ferrari, everyone knows the interests of the team come first and only then those of the individual. Fernando is a key asset for this team and he will be for a long time. I'm sure he is the first to be happy with a choice made to strengthen the group, because he is too intelligent not to realise that a stronger team can only be an advantage.
“When you make a change, it's always with the aim of improving and that is what we are trying to achieve by bringing back to Maranello a very experienced, talented and determined driver like Kimi," he added. "For a few years now, we have been working on a refurbishment programme in all areas; our buildings, organisation, work methods – and now we have in place another building block, in the structure of the Ferrari of the future.
"For the first time, we will have a driver pairing made up of two world champions," he continued - an error since in 1953 the team ran Alberto Ascari and Giuseppe Farina, world champions in 1950 (Farina) and 1953/53 (Ascari), indeed, Italy's last F1 world champions - "which in itself is already significant, as they are the sort to always try and win and they can help each other by taking valuable points off our rivals. Having said that, we are well aware that without a competitive car, not even Superman can win. So our priority on a daily basis is always the same, namely to give our drivers a car capable of always fighting for the top place."
Referring to Raikkonen's known contempt for media and PR work, and his inability to develop a car, Domenicali said: “Some cliches refuse to die! We worked with Kimi for three years from 2007 to 2009 and we never had a problem. Sure, everyone has their own ways and you can't expect a Finn to start telling jokes in Italian or playing the clown!
"Honestly, I think the combination of Fernando's expressive and passionate Latin character and the cool style, to call it that, of someone like Kimi, seems to appeal to many, including the youngsters and our partners are also in agreement with this.
"As for the technical side of things, not only do we know full well how much Kimi can contribute at an important time like this, when the technical framework is changing so significantly, but we also have first-hand information from James Allison, as to how much the Finn has also progressed in this area over the past two years."