Kimi Raikkonen is “overrated” and not as good as world champion Fernando Alonso.
That is the predictably caustic assessment of 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, who accuses Finn Raikkonen of not being dedicated enough to his job at the wheel.
“A complete driver will spend time with the engineers, setting up the car and pushing the team,” Villeneuve, 35, told the magazine F1 Racing.
“He doesn’t give a sh*t, so he isn’t up there with Alonso.”
The French Canadian sides with a groundswell of recent opinion that thinks Felipe Massa – Villeneuve’s Sauber teammate in 2005 – could emerge from 2007 as Ferrari’s new “team leader”.
Referring to 27-year-old Raikkonen, Villeneuve said: “He cannot drive the team.
“With the right equipment, (Massa) can be a title contender. He and Kimi will definitely challenge each other, but Felipe should finish ahead because of his work ethic.”
In the same article, Villeneuve predicted that Giancarlo Fisichella will in 2007 be replaced by Renault’s test driver Nelson Piquet Jr.
He also berated BMW-Sauber rookie Robert Kubica for making too many mistakes and driving his car too hard after replacing Villeneuve in August last year.
GMMF1
DailyF1News.com
