Kimi Raikkonen’s “passive” personality could be holding the Finn back at Ferrari.
That is the claim of F1’s world champion of 1978, Mario Andretti, who during a stint in his grand prix career drove with the famous Italian marque.
“I don’t know Kimi that well, but I always think he looks somewhat passive,” Andretti, who is now 67, told the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s website.
He added: “I don’t know if it’s that way inside or not. Maybe he doesn’t have the team rallying around him as much as you might expect.”
Finn Raikkonen switched from McLaren to Ferrari this year to become the highest paid driver in the paddock, but currently lags behind his teammate Felipe Massa and both McLaren racers in the drivers’ championship table.
Andretti, however, said he had expected Raikkonen to immediately outpace Brazil’s Massa, but reckons he could still ultimately emerge as the stronger force at Ferrari.
“I’d imagine his character is stronger than Massa’s, and I think that ultimately he might endure a high-pressure situation better.”
