After 20 years of honorable career Kimi Raikkonen he decided to hang up his helmet, retiring from Formula 1 at the end of the championship just ended. Over the course of two decades spent at the top of motoring, the Finn has won the affection of a very large group of fans who have appreciated him for his speed on the track and for a unique and special communication style outside the circuits. Often regarded as one of the last survivors of the ‘old school’ of racing, Raikkonen has repeatedly stressed how he would have liked to race in the ’70s, at a time when the paddock was certainly less glamorous and more’ free-range ‘.
The latest Ferrari world champion has James Hunt as his idol, an iconic figure of that era of motoring. During an interview with the official F1 podcast, Beyond The Grid, Iceman, however, revealed an unexpectedly ‘modern’ side. When asked which was his favorite engine throughout his career, the native of Nastola chose thecurrent V6 hybrid, often criticized by purists for the inevitably ‘attenuated’ sound. “Actually [l’ibrido] i liked it very much – Raikkonen revealed – obviously when it arrived [nel 2014] at Ferrari we were not at the level we should have been at. So in the beginning the driveability was not as good as it was [eravamo] get used to it. But let’s say that from the second year onwards they have improved a lot“.
Ironically, the little noise produced by the new power units is, according to the former Ferrari driver, a point in favor. “I like them [i V6 ibridi] because they are not that loud. Because, honestly, working is a lot more enjoyable – explained the Finnish – when it comes to testing or something. There isn’t that crazy noise all the time, so you can have a conversation. Obviously at first it was a bit strange, but even when you’re driving it’s actually quite nice “. However, the now former number # 7 of Alfa Romeo did not fail to underline how, in his opinion, the revolution of 2014 wasn’t so necessary for F1. “I think in a way we could still race with the V10s – concluded the Finnish veteran – people would have simply saved a lot of money along the way and the end result wouldn’t have changed. Sometimes the changes weren’t made for the right reason“.
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