There has been speculation about the return of Kimi Raikkonen ever since he announced he was leaving Formula 1. Kimi left at the end of the 2009 season to pursue a career in rallying. Whilst he has had some success it is questionable whether it has fulfilled it's promise to him. Kimi has been a rally fan for many years and the thought of joining the sport had been around for years. This was helped, no doubt, by the sport not having as big a corporate following as Formula 1. Kimi has not hidden his distaste of the corporate side of F1 and in particular it's dealings with the press. Who can forget the monosyllabic press conferences that he has partaken in?
If you remove the press and corporate side of F1 you will see a great sport and one that still lures Kimi to it. Is it his taste for speed or just the sheer adrenaline rush of it all? Who knows. What I do know is that Kimi is one of the most naturally gifted drivers to ever grace the Formula 1 scene.
Outside of the sport Kimi has been portrayed as a drunken womaniser but is this the real man or where these just cases of Kimi letting his hair down? I would lean towards the latter. Let's not forget that this was the man that once went out dressed as a gorilla just to get a little privacy. It does make you wonder why a man, or group of men, dressed as gorilla garners less attention than a Formula 1 driver? Odd in my eyes.
Kimi loves his outdoor sports and hates attending corporate events. So why is he contemplating a return to what is arguably the most corporate sport in the world? Does he miss it that much?
A question on many lips is if he does return who will he drive for? Renault are the best option for him at the minute. They currently have a less than ideal driver pairing in Robert Kubica and a under performing Vitaly Petrov. Renault lack the direction, and results, they had during Fernando Alonso's first stint with them. This was the man that brought them 2 championships. Is Kubica the man to bring them the same kind of success? Can he do it with Petrov as his teammate? I doubt it. Could a pairing of Kimi and Robert give Renault what they crave? Possibly. It all depends on what Kimi and Renault want from the pairing and how long it could potentially last.
Two things are 'for sure': 1) a lot of fans want Kimi back in the sport and 2) it can't be any worse than Schumacher's return to the sport.
What are your thoughts on the potential return of the Iceman?
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