Alpine F1

Looking back on Kimi Raikkonen's Formula One career, it is hard to think of a worse week than the one that just ended with a broken front suspension at Turn 1 of the first lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.  

Of course, Raikkonen has been at odds with his team, Lotus, all season, particularly over his pay. In August, reports emerged that Lotus had been unable to pay their star driver's salary. Although the team hoped to retain Raikkonen for the 2014 season, the Finn was linked to an open seat at Red Bull when Mark Webber announced his retirement. Ultimately, he signed with Ferrari, with whom he won the 2007 World Drivers' Championship, saying at a press conference before the Singapore Grand Prix that "the reasons why I left from the [Lotus] team is purely on the money side, that they haven't got my salary."

This strained relationship was tested again on Oct. 27, at the Indian Grand Prix. Late in the race, Raikkonen was in third place, leading his teammate, Romain Grosjean, and Ferrari's Felipe Massa. Grosjean, on fresher tyres, was being held up by Räikkonen and both were in danger of being passed by Massa. With the Finn refusing to let his teammate past, he received a harried message from the Lotus pit wall saying, "Kimi, get out of the f*****g way!"

To fans watching comfortably from their couches at home, the language may have been shocking, but in the heat of the moment, in the middle of a race, such language is surely not meant to offend, but rather to express the urgency of the request.  

Raikkonen did eventually let Grosjean through, and the Frenchman managed to hold off Massa to finish third. With his tyres deteriorating, Raikkonen slumped to a seventh-place finish. After the race, Lotus apologized for the language in the radio message, although Raikkonen had responded on the track with, "Don't shout there, mother-f****r. I will when I have a chance."   

That seemed to be the end of it, until Thursday, when Raikkonen did not show up in Abu Dhabi for his media and sponsor commitments preceding the race. By Friday, Raikkonen was in the paddock and ready for free practice, but he was still not happy.

The problem, apparently, was not the radio message but the Finn's unpaid salary. And Räikkönen has threatened to go on strike for the remainder of the season if he does not get his money.

On Saturday in qualifying, Raikkonen's week went from bad to worse. After qualifying fifth, he was disqualified when it was discovered that his car's floor was more flexible than the regulations allow. This meant that he would have to start from the back of the grid.

While it would have been entertaining to see the Iceman carve his way through the field from last place, we never got a chance. Räikkönen's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ended with a broken suspension as he was battling with Giedo van der Garde's Caterham into the first corner.

Before the race, the BBC's Ben Edwards and David Coulthard were discussing whether Raikkonen should have started from the pit lane, rather than the back of the grid, which would have allowed him to avoid any first-corner incidents. He chose not to and, prior to driving himself away from the circuit, confirmed that he thought this was the correct decision, despite the early end to his race.

Going forward, it seems highly unlikely that Raikkonen will skip the remaining grands prix in the United States and Brazil, if for no other reason than his love of racing. However, this week has no doubt left a bitter taste in his mouth.  

With Sebastian Vettel taking his seventh win in a row in Abu Dhabi, Raikkonen may have to wait until next season, when he will have Ferrari power beneath him, to cleanse that bitterness with his next grand prix win.   

When Lotus decided toward the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that it would risk trying to run both Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean until the end of the race, it made for exciting viewing.

Raikkonen was running third until his tyres began to grain rapidly, leading to Grosjean catching him and attempting to pass but not without a defensive fight from Raikkonen, who almost forced him off the track.

It prompted an angry exchange between trackside operations director Alan Permane and Raikkonen, the latter quoted on Autosport as telling Raikkonen to “get out of the f***ing way,” with Felipe Massa also in close attendance.

Not only did Lotus’ decision lead to an angry internal exchange, it also incurred the wrath of Pirelli themselves who had issued an advisory before the race about the maximum number of laps teams should risk running both compounds on safety grounds.

Pirelli has come under heavy scrutiny already this season after a series of tyre failures from its fast-wearing tyres and did not want a repeat of what happened at Silverstone earlier in the season.

As such, Pirelli set the limit at 15 laps for the soft and 35 for the medium. It was a directive Lotus chose to ignore, and although they were forced to pull Raikkonen in on the penultimate lap, Grosjean stayed out for a staggering 47 laps on the medium tyre to secure a surprise podium.

Although the set-up of the Lotus car has proved time and again this season that it is well suited to making its tyres last for longer than many of its rivals, Sunday’s race still raised an important question as to whether teams should be given the right to take matters into their own hands.

Permane told Autosport that it was not a snap judgement and that they had indeed consulted the FIA prior to the race about Pirelli’s advisory to make sure they could run as long as they wanted.

I spoke to Charlie [Whiting, F1 race director] this morning to make sure he was comfortable, and he absolutely was. It [the recommendation] wasn't going to be enforced and we were very, very comfortable. There were no safety issues at all. Pirelli put the lowest common denominator in, and their hardest team could only do 35 laps. We knew we were very comfortable to do much more than that.

But Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery was in turn disappointed that their directive had been ignored when he said, “We are disappointed to see that some teams went against our recommendations and used the compounds for longer than we advised them to do.”

Of course, an advisory should be exactly what it says on the tin and nothing more than that.

The final decision rests with the FIA and while, of course, we don’t want to see a repeat of what happened at Silverstone, what happened on Sunday made for great viewing over the final laps.

Lotus dared to take a risk that for one driver spectacularly paid off and for the other just failed to do so, with the now customary fruity exchange between Raikkonen and his operations director adding to the drama.

For the second Grand Prix in succession, another driver garnered more significant attention than the race-winning Sebastian Vettel.

Romain Grosjean looked for much of the Japanese Grand Prix like he was a man well on his way to a first win in Formula One.

Though he slipped to third at the flag the Lotus driver turned heads, more so than the two Red Bulls in front.

That is all the more impressive given how Vettel rallied to his fifth straight win, recovering from third to make a two-stop strategy work to perfection.

But then, Grosjean's was that impressive.

Shining At Suzuka

While it would be foolish to intimate one Grand Prix is the making of a man, it is fair to assert that Grosjean's recent form is more than just a purple patch: Lotus' rough diamond is really beginning to shine.

It has long been the case with the Frenchman that he always had the potential to be considered a top-quality F1 driver. But equally long in the offing have been doubts that questioned the likelihood of that potential being realised.

That was not the F1 fraternity being judgemental. It was a direct consequence of the mistakes initially made by a man thrust into the sport with Renault at 23.

He had won the European Formula 3 title in 2007 and the GP2 Asia crown the following year. Twice a race winner in the main GP2 championship that year (on his way to fourth), he was second (to Nico Hulkenberg) in the GP2 points in 2009 prior to his F1 call-up.

The point here is that Grosjean was a very talented young driver and, at 23, should not have been overly out of his depth. But for some the move to F1 can be too much, too soon; and so it proved for Grosjean.

Renault was always going to be a difficult place to bed in immediately, and he endured a point-less half campaign. Cast into the wilderness, he regrouped with the 2010 Auto GP title (and won races in FIA GT), then secured the GP2 title in 2011.

A return to F1 beckoned last season, with the team that had first introduced him to the top level of the sport three years previously. He proved quick but erratic, balancing three podiums with at least six incidents throughout the year that were down to collisions or spins. That included causing a huge first-corner accident at Spa, which led to a one-race ban.

Such was the magnitude of his errors that Lotus was seriously considering axing him for 2013. And that is what should not be forgotten in the wake of his performance in this year’s Japanese Grand Prix.

The Difference A Year Makes

The race marked 12 months since he incurred the wrath of Mark Webber for spinning the Australian out at Turn 1. A year is a remarkably long time in F1, and Grosjean is a superb example of that.

Even at the start of this year, there were errors. An uninspiring opening trio of races was blamed on an unknown chassis problem, but he bounced back with a podium in Bahrain. Suspension failure in Spain and a crash-strewn Monaco weekend cut short that renaissance, while a poor qualifying session in Canada and wing problem at Silverstone compounded the Frenchman’s pain.

Since then, however, he has found his feet. In those seven races he has been the more impressive Lotus driver, even if results do not reflect that. He could have challenged for victory in Hungary, but erred in the heat of battle (a frustrating but forgivable mistake) and was then harshly penalised for a superb move on Felipe Massa.

Both he and teammate Kimi Raikkonen were uncompetitive in Belgium and Italy, yet Grosjean netted points in both. In Singapore, Grosjean challenged Vettel for pace on Saturday and looked a good bet for a podium until an engine problem in the race. A week ago in Korea, again Grosjean had the legs on Raikkonen, but a safety car and a timely (and misplaced) fire vehicle gave Raikkonen the advantage.

Grosjean's results this year might not look fantastic at face value, but that's because of the four non-finishes and tricky start to the season that skew the picture. But Japan was his most impressive performance yet, getting a superb start and leading comfortably (in terms of his own performance, if not by time/advantage) until the Red Bulls’ superiority eventually showed through.

That he had such an advantage over Raikkonen at what is considered the driver’s circuit was proof of how good the performance was.

Learning From Mistakes

But if more proof was needed, Vettel paid his own tribute to Grosjean.

In quotes picked up by Autosport, the triple world champion said:

I thought it was a great day for Romain, he drove a fantastic race. I think Romain did a great job all weekend. We know Kimi is a strong driver. Last year Romain did some mistakes but the most important thing is that we learn from these mistakes. [Romain] learned a lot of things and gradually he is improving so big respect for that.

Vettel knows a thing or two about learning from mistakes.

In 2010, with he and teammate Mark Webber tied for points entering the seventh round of the season in Turkey, Vettel took out both drivers in an ill-judged move that forced his own retirement and restricted Webber to third. It allowed Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button through for a one-two and soured intra-team relations.

Later that same year, a catalogue of errors at Spa ended in him spearing into the side of Button under braking for the Bus Stop early on in the race, ending the Brit’s race.

A late rally earned him a maiden title despite a season littered with errors; but Vettel has not looked back. He has been imperious in the seasons since.

While Grosjean’s 2012 season was hardly salvaged in the same fashion as Vettel’s 2010 campaign, his 2013 campaign has picked up serious momentum. He should be lauded for exceeding expectations in how he has stepped up.

His transformation is not complete, but it would be an accurate conclusion to suggest that he has matured now. It would not be a surprise to see him thrive as team leader next season.

When Romain Grosjean made a small mistake in the penultimate corner late in the Korean Grand Prix, teammate Kimi Raikkonen pounced like the opportunistic tiger he is to snatch second position from his grasp.

Fair enough, you may say. Raikkonen has always been a racer and a great passer, and a leopard never changes its spots—or a tiger its stripes.

But it was clear from the radio exchanges between Grosjean and his trackside operations director Alan Permane that the Frenchman felt aggrieved that he was not allowed his place back. He had been running a strong second until the late safety-car period and was still clearly the faster Lotus but for his mistake.

What’s more, earlier in the season the situation had been reversed with Grosjean having been ordered to let the faster Raikkonen pass in Britain and Germany.

"He was annoyed – and justifiably," Permane told Autosport. "We have let Kimi past him a couple of times this year, and those have been with good reason when we have had a shot of overtaking.”

He continued:

"We did it at the Nurburgring where we thought Kimi had a shot of beating [Sebastian] Vettel, and we did it at Silverstone midway through the race when Kimi was much quicker. But there wasn't a realistic chance of beating Vettel today and that is why they were racing to the end. Romain was probably frustrated with himself, and that is why I put a little message out at the end to calm him down.”

In Germany and Britain, Raikkonen was still very much in with a shout of cutting his points deficit to Vettel in the fight for the championship. Now, 105 points adrift, his chances are over.

It’s also clear that Raikkonen is the undoubted team leader at Lotus. He has been the quicker and more consistent driver. Plus he is the elder statesman with one world title already under his belt and commands respect.

It may well have caused even more of a ruckus from Raikkonen had he been ordered to let Grosjean pass again after his overtake.

With only five races remaining on the calendar and Vettel romping away with the title, racing really should be racing at this stage of the season.

And behind the runaway train that is the German’s Red Bull, I would be very surprised if any fans would not at least want to see some interesting scraps behind to liven up their Sunday afternoons.

As attention turned to those behind the imperious Sebastian Vettel for the fourth race in succession, one driver stood above the rest during the Korean Grand Prix.

While Vettel controlled proceedings immaculately at the front, the race was just the most recent celebration of Nico Hulkenberg’s incredible ability and only served to further highlight what F1 has a frighteningly real possibility of losing.

The man is a potential world champion. Any suggestion to the contrary is unimaginable, let alone incorrect. He has all the ingredients of being a hugely successful racing driver.

Maximised Performance

For a long time (in motorsport terms) he has been a potential man for the future, but in the past 12 months his performances have elevated him higher than that. Hulkenberg is a man for now, and there is a case to be argued that every team on the grid would benefit from having him in their ranks.

Ferrari passed him up in favour of Kimi Raikkonen, and while McLaren appears to have doubts over retaining Sergio Perez, Hulkenberg's options of an improved berth for 2014 rest with one team: Lotus.

The German has, for two seasons now, displayed a talent that separates the great from the very good—the ability to extract the maximum from his car on a consistent basis.

Even before last year—when, driving a Force India, Hulkenberg challenged the McLarens for the win on merit in the Brazilian Grand Prix—he showed his talent. Remember his opportunistic and brilliant pole lap in an uncompetitive Williams in 2010?

After a year with Force India—with nowhere further up the grid to go thanks to Ferrari retaining Felipe and Massa and McLaren partnering Jenson Button with Perez—he made a sideways move to Sauber. The team started poorly, through no fault of its lead driver, but still he chipped away, picking up points here and there.

When the car became more competitive, Hulkenberg stepped up with it. His scorecard for the last three races reads fifth, ninth, fourth. His teammate, 2011 GP3 champion Esteban Gutierrez, is yet to score a point this season. Hulkenberg is 11th, with 31, courtesy of seven top 10 finishes this season, despite only reaching the final part of qualifying on four occasions (and on one of those, Canada, he was taken out of the race).

That in itself is a strong indicator of how the German works to maximise his opportunities on every occasion. It is redundant to suggest the car is not capable of these finishes. If that were true, it would not finish there. However, it is appropriate that Hulkenberg is lauded for being able to put together complete performances race after race, while his rivals falter in better cars.

Quality In Korea

In Yeongam, Hulkenberg was mighty. Jumping to fifth at the start, he fought off a chasing pack that included Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen.

While Raikkonen played the undercut to perfection, he was in a significantly faster car. With the performance gap from the Sauber to the Ferrari much narrower (though still at a deficit to Hulkenberg), and the Mercedes’ of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg hampered by tyre wear and a front wing problem respectively, Hulkenberg pounced.

He had to do it on merit, though, passing Hamilton legitimately on the run down to Turn 3 and then using a combination of brilliant defensive nous and his Sauber’s greatest strength (good traction out of Turns 1 and 2) to keep Alonso and the two Mercedes at bay.

It was calm, assured and faultless—a microcosm of Hulkenberg’s ability in a Formula One car—and strengthened ever-growing calls for Lotus to get him on board alongside Romain Grosjean for 2014.

I’d subscribe to that view, and even go as far as suggesting that if the team maintains its position in the pecking order, it would have two Grand Prix winners by next season’s end.

Hulkenberg is not the only potential star to burn brightly this year. Grosjean, after a mixed start, is beginning to look like the driver his potential has promised for so long.

The Obvious Choice

Few doubt the Frenchman will stay on at Lotus next year, but it is imperative to continue the impressive form he has shown of late.

After a career littered with failure to fulfill his potentially prodigious talent, Grosjean’s starting to put it together. He’s experienced within the team and blends his never-doubted speed with patience and better racecraft. In recent races he has been the more impressive of the two drivers, despite Raikkonen's consecutive podiums.

If the upward trend continues, he will make the transition from good driver to race winner. There is no reason he cannot do so with his current team, even if he does not become the heir apparent to Raikkonen as De Facto team leader.

That is preferable, but not essential, for a partnership with Hulkenberg would put the Lotus’ driver pairing on a par with Mercedes, and Raikkonen’s departure would in effect be neutralised at worst. That is what fans are calling for, that is what the sport is crying out for.

For the sake of the team, Hulkenberg, and F1 in general, hopefully Lotus will listen.

There are not too many questions remaining over 2014 in terms of the driver market, although one highly coveted seat does remain at Lotus.

Outgoing Ferrari driver Felipe Massa is eyeing that, and he's getting help from a powerful source. But further down the grid there are rumblings over next season.

Away from reality, and before the 2013 iteration has even been officially released, Codemasters has been teasing info about its 2014 game for the new Playstation 4 and Xbox One consoles.

Ecclestone Helping Massa

It an unwritten rule that Formula 1 needs Brazil in some way. It would be a travesty if the Grand Prix was struck off the calendar and would be equally disappointing not to see a Brazilian racing next year.

We've previously noted on this website, in this column, that Felipe Nasr has been tipped for a drive next season, though his destination is unknown, and it's likely to be in a third driver role.

However, it seems F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone is determined not to see the GP2 star's namesake and current Ferrari incumbent Felipe Massa bow out without a fight. 

Motorsport.com reported that Brazilian newspaper O Estado de S.Paulo has spoken to Ecclestone, with the F1 chief eager to see Massa on the grid; hopes boosted by Brazilian broadcaster Globo's commitment to the sport in 2014.

I am trying to help; it's not easy, but we're working on it. If Felipe gets some sponsors, everything will change and Brazil should have a driver on the grid in 2014. A strong economy like the one in Brazil is in a good position to invest in a driver.

 

Lotus To Re-Adopt Renault Name?

Lotus' financial problems have been well-documented, a situation made worse by Kimi Raikkonen's departure for contractual reasons. 

Now, team owner Gerard Lopez has admitted that the team lacks the "political" clout of manufacturer-backed teams.

That led him, according to Motorsport.com, telling Auto Hebdo that he was not opposed to it adopting the moniker of an established car maker.

That, combined with Eric Boullier's comments to the official Formula 1 website that Renault depends on Lotus as much as it does Red Bull, has opened the door for a potential rebranding under the name of the team's former owner.

Ideally, we need to get the support of an automaker. It gives significant weight in the political arena of F1, and in the relations with investors and shareholders. I would not mind if the team has to change its name. It doesn't matter whether it's called Genii, Lotus, Renault or something else.

 

Van Der Garde And Kovalainen In Caterham 2014 Frame

Caterham boss Tony Fernandes has revealed both current driver Giedo van der Garde and F1 race winner Heikki Kovalainen are being considered for the team's second seat next year.

It is expected that Charles Pic will continue with the team after his switch from Marussia last year, with Fernandes seriously contemplating reinstating Kovalainen, who he axed for van der Garde this season.

Financial reasons were the cause of the Finn's departure, though a poor start to the year led to Fernandes recalling him for a bit-part Friday role with the team.

Now, he is determined not to go for a "pay driver" in 2014, having been openly critical about the concept in recent weeks. 

However, that does not mean van der Garde, who has upped his performances considerably recently and was an impressive 16th in Singapore, is out of the grame.

Speaking to De Telegraaf, as reported by Auto 123, he said: 

I do not want to start another season with two 'pay drivers'. Kovalainen has a good chance of getting one of the two seats. [But van der Garde] has come back well after a difficult start.

Canada was the low point, when I was thinking I had made a big mistake. But he's had a good recovery; the two times he got through to Q2 were the highlights. And with his sixteenth place in Singapore he performed optimally again. We'll have to see how the situation evolves.

Codemasters Tease F1 2014 Info

It might seem odd that Codemasters are teasing information about next year's official F1 game given its 2013 version is not even out yet.

But with the Playstation 4 and Xbox One set to be rolled out, attentions are probably shifting to the next-generation of gaming quicker than they are to new releases on the current models (Grand Theft Auto aside).

So, what can gamers and fans expect from F1 2014 on the new consoles? Something that makes this writer very happy—greater realism.

According to Andy Gray, Codemasters' communications manager, the game will indeed run at 60 frames per second (compared to 30fps at present). That means graphics and gameplay will be considerably improved.

Having more power enables us to do a lot more. Automatically the skip up to 60 frames per second, for example, on next-gen will enable the handling to move on leaps and bounds, because the more frames you have, the more the contact points there are essentially.

We're talking to a couple of teams about sharing their kind of physics data, in terms of the way the car actually handles in their simulators, and we can more or less port that over to consoles, which wouldn't be possible with current-gen.

On top of that, Paul Jeal (game director) and Anthony Filice (art director) wrote on the Codies Blog:

While I can't give away any secrets, I can tell you we are cooking up a storm here at Codemasters and we can't wait to show you what we are planning for the next game. Our goal is to achieve the most realistic visuals possible, and with the next generation consoles offering us more speed and power, we will be in the best position we have ever been in, which will allow us to achieve the level of realism which will enhance the driving and emotional experience for the F1 player.

Although it was Kimi Raikkonen who stole the Lotus headlines for his stunning drive from 13th on the grid to finish third while nursing a painful back, Lotus is certain Romain Grosjean would have bagged that podium slot but for his retirement.

Grosjean looked well-placed for a top-three spot until a pneumatic system issue forced his late retirement, with Lotus trackside operations manager Alan Permane bemoaning his bad luck on Autosport.

We've never been so annoyed to get a podium. Romain had a perfect day yesterday pretty much. He didn't have a great first lap, but I defy anyone to keep Fernando [Alonso] behind them on the first lap. He was just doing his first lap and would have been third without a doubt.

After a string of high-profile mistakes and opening-lap incidents in 2012, Grosjean’s position within the team appeared under threat. Mark Webber branded him a “first-lap nutcase” and called his driving “embarrassing” at last season’s Japanese Grand Prix after being hit by the Lotus man. The incident came after Grosjean received a one-race ban after causing a similar accident in Belgium.

The rest of us are trying to fight for some decent results each weekend but he is trying to get to the third corner as fast as he can at every race. It makes it frustrating because a few big guys probably suffered from that and maybe he needs another holiday. He needs to have a look at himself, it was completely his fault. How many mistakes can you make, how many times can you make the same error? First-lap incidents... yeah... it's quite embarrassing at this level for him.

And although he has again been dominated by teammate Raikkonen, the Finn’s move to Ferrari means he’s likely to stay on and possibly even as team leader, as Permane is quoted as saying on ESPNF1.

I don't see why not, honestly. It obviously depends who we get as his team-mate; if it's a strong character or who it is, but I don't see why not. Now is his chance and he looks to be taking it, which is really good to see. I think Romain himself has made - I wouldn't call it a breakthrough - but since the Nurburgring, Hungary, he's just been getting better and better and better.

Yes, Grosjean could possibly have challenged for victory in Hungary, but he didn’t, and the fact remains he is still yet to win a Grand Prix. And if you look deeper into Permane’s words, which seemed encouraging on the surface, “obviously depends who we get as his teammate” and “I wouldn't call it a breakthrough” don’t really appear to be gleaming endorsements.

Nico Hulkenberg seems Grosjean’s most likely teammate, and that may pose the young Frenchman more than a stern challenge. The German has proven the far more consistent driver, stays out of trouble and is also lightning quick, as his 2010 Brazilian Grand Prix pole for Williams and stellar drive this year in Italy, where he finished fifth from third on the grid in a car that had no right to be that high, proved.

Grosjean’s results have been better this year and by and large he has steered clear of incident. But have his performances improved markedly enough to suggest that one day he can be a title contender? Not in my book.

Not very long ago, Lotus got themselves in a bit of trouble for tweeting a picture of two rabbits getting up close and personal when Kimi Raikkonen decided to leave them for Ferrari in 2014.

However, as they say, all publicity is good publicity, and the best part of 20,000 tweets suggest that it got around the internet in a hurry:

So #Kimi is off to #Ferrari for 2014; it hurts a little bit… #F1 #Raikkonen pic.twitter.com/HkFhWvqpTo

— Lotus F1 Team (@Lotus_F1Team) September 11, 2013

Lotus, however, have decided that there is nothing to be gained in being sheepish about their Twitter feed. Therefore, they have painted a special message on both cars at the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend to encourage fans to follow them.

You can see it here, as pictured on Romain Grosjean's livery:

Ah yes, the hashtag! Viewer discretion advised here folks; this particular #F1 feed may contain #ExplicitContent... pic.twitter.com/mEyVoAF5jB

— Lotus F1 Team (@Lotus_F1Team) September 20, 2013

And why not? The feed now has just passed 300,000 followers—and, if you want to read it, you've now been given fair warning that a tweet or two has the potential to offend once in a while...

Following his second-place finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Kimi Raikkonen moved ahead of Fernando Alonso to second in the drivers’ standings albeit still 38 points behind leader Sebastian Vettel.

Many were talking up his title chances, but almost four long weeks and a Belgian Grand Prix DNF later and Raikkonen is now 63 points adrift and suddenly out of the title race again.

So is it now officially all over this year for the Finn with only eight races remaining or can he somehow reignite his title challenge? It will be extremely tough but I believe there are some straws for him to clutch at.

He Must Still Believe

We all know that Kimi can come across as relaxed almost to the point of being disinterested but once he gets behind the wheel he is a fiercely competitive individual.

He need only think back to the 2007 season when everybody had written off his title chances, focusing instead on the battle between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

This was just perfect for Kimi, who crept under the radar almost unnoticed to snatch the title from Hamilton by a single point with a brilliant drive in Brazil. He has to believe he can do the same again.

Closing Circuits Will Suit Lotus

It’s difficult to see Lotus being competitive at Monza, and Raikkonen has never won there before. And judging by his Italian GP preview quotes on Autosport, Raikkonen doesn’t expect things to change.

Low downforce has not always been the best for our car, but the factory has been working hard to get more speed and stability for us with some changes to the car. Let's wait and see how the car goes on Friday morning and then we'll have a better idea of what can be achieved.

Obviously it was not the first time I've had to finish a race early, and most likely it won't be the last time either. That said, I'm here to race and I want to finish every time, so for sure what happened in Spa was not what we were looking for and not ideal for the championship.

Mercedes should be tough to beat, but Raikkonen has been consistent this season with Belgium his first DNF. If he can gather some points in Italy, there are a number of medium to high downforce circuits to come in hot conditions that should suit the E21 both aerodynamically and with its tyre management.

The Future is Bright

Okay, so Kimi didn’t get the Red Bull drive alongside Vettel, but it’s really not the end of the world. There’s still talk of a possible drive at Ferrari, as reported by the Daily Mail. It's a team he knows well and would slot straight into albeit alongside a tough competitor.

But should he stay with Lotus it would be no bad thing either if the financial problems are addressed.

Whatever the outcome, Raikkonen’s future is bound to be resolved soon, leaving him to get on with the job of racing. A settled driver is a happy driver. Don’t rule him out just yet.