Kimi Raikkonen - the Ice-cool knight of Formula One

Kimi Raikkonen celebrates after winning the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Haunted by lame judgements

Character- assassination of an individual happens almost all the time. Star actors, renowned celebrities, eccentric geniuses in the form of scientists or inventors, corporate moguls, great philanthropists and even the most outstanding sports stars, go under the unsparing knife of criticism by the public, every now and again. And this character assassination which actually implies "lack of any positive affirmation or delivery to the talent and expectations attached to a person", is a phenomenon wherein individuals come to be judged, not necessarily evaluated,sensibly, at all times, by staunch critics and even people who hail them time and again. What can be the causes?

It can always be backed by at least two primary reasons. One- that the person is a betrayer to someone's belief or the well meaning intention attached to him in good spirit and second, that the person never rose to the level that he himself had promised, then leave aside the point of ever exceeding expectations. At the moment, admiring the Finnish racing supremo, Kimi Raikkonen or even believing that he can rise to his former glories in the sport, is perhaps the most challenging task that a Formula One fan finds himself grappling with. The thought of Kimi being in top 3 or among top 5 in the driver's standings of the 2014 Formula One world championship season, seems more like a hope against hope scenario for it to ever churn some slices of reality.

A clinical performer and calm racer

Kimi, as we all know and understand is this cool bloke who goes about doing his job silently and meticulously. He is not the one to sulk all the time and not an individual who would even think of playing mind games when it comes to countering an opposition driver or team. He is one hundred percent authentic and a stranger to drama, social antics and politically motivated interests or moves being his biggest spoilers. Raikkonen, as all fans and foes know is this less fussy and jovial lad who is truly committed to get valuable points for his side, in the best of his driving abilities.

In his fifteen seasons at the pinnacle of motorsport, one where in he won the 2007 world championship thanks to some outstanding drives, and thrilling performances, Kimi won not just races, but the hearts and faith of millions of fans. Mostly silent and communicating only when required, Kimi Matias Raikkonen is perhaps the best example to demonstrate an icy cool method of driving, thriving and being. He has no fights or personal grudges with anyone, but a certain inability to accept his dip in form and fortunes in this 2014 season, has sent some alarming signs all over the world.

His fans are surprised with him being outclassed by Alonso in every single race. Seeming clearly bewildered with his performances this season, they can be found praying for a massive revival in his fortunes while the truth is that it is Ferrari who needs to urgently deliver him a car with which he can at least, attempt to race, if not win - a world championship.

His speed hasn’t deserted him

And what's more? By being reserved and somewhat inexpressive, Raikkonen is also on the threatening verge of losing his most important factor to continue to drive in F1 World: his believers in the F1 Ferrari camp. Thanks to some ordinary and mostly lackluster performances , it does seem that Kimi, after all isn't the same lad that won Ferrari its last world championship, back in 2007. Only one thing remains- he is still naturally gifted with speed and has the motivation to succeed at the highest level.

If any of you disagree, I would say- please see his performance in the recently concluded Monaco Grand Prix of 2014. Yes, Raikkonen did not finish or score any points, but his start and leading charge on Ricciardo was not just an act of courage amidst harsh times, but a testimony to his fighting abilities. Not only did Kimi leave Alonso way behind within the end of the first lap of the Monte Carlo race, but the mere fashion in which he went about racing till luck ran out on him spoke volumes of his might and unmatched skill in the sport, a facet that he continues to race with.

Sea of trouble

Even to an average fan, it is clear that Ferrari is indeed a hotspot of finances, people, resources and ideas that given the relative strengths of other less formidable line ups -seems more powerful and formidable than any other team on any given day. But sadly, the end result isn't what the Prancing Horse can be very proud about. They are behind the Silver Arrows and Red Bull by quite some margin and up to this point have managed a somewhat disappointing two podium finishes without a single spot on top of the podium, explaining their clear struggles to come to terms with the hybrid engine led generation of competition.

Let's not forget, all of this with a pairing as successful and attacking as Kimi and Alonso. If you put them together, not only do they induce a hope for fireworks, but also places on record books- 3 World Championships on the table. Why and how did Ferrari miss the plot can only be answered by technical experts, race engineers, commentators and ultimately, its driving aces. Putting Raikkonen on the edge of the sword for a drab season, the first of its kind, would not only be unsatisfying and unjust, but a somewhat impractical conclusion toward judging this stellar racer.

Even today, there are more Kimi Raikkonen fans out there as there are backers of Fernando Alonso. Fans hold placards crying their love of Kimi in every race and there are tracks where beside the beautiful Finnish flag, there are rhythmic chants sung to hail his legend. It is important to remember that he continues to enjoy the solid belief of his fans in perhaps the most toughest phase of his career.

Huge fan following

His admirers aren't in few millions.They exceed the comprehensible limits of human mind. He came to be known as the Iceman of Formula One World owing to his incredibly relaxed and hassle free approach to driving, a facet with which he fashioned many a triumph for himself and for his team and importantly, petitioned the world to notice him in his carefree pomp. Post Mika Hakkinen's departure from Formula One, Raikkonen has been raising the Finnish flag- high and convincingly.

While Raikkonen is blessed to have an army of dedicated followers who travel around the world backing their hero, it is pertinent to look beyond the somewhat incomplete picture conjured by mere statistics. For a man to be born in a struggling and humble background in Espoo in Northern Central Finland, in a family that couldn't afford any of life's luxuries to become a world champion at the age of 27 was an extraordinary feat, and an achievement outliving much of what the Raikkonen family had ever expected.

Street smart driver

Kimi Raikkonen is not just another racing driver, he is a phenomenon. Often hailed for being a silent but astute thinker, Kimi is hailed for his brilliance on tricky and unpredictable racing circuits. Picture the street circuit of Monaco, the magnificently lit night circuit of Singapore and the challenging and curvy Hungaroring, in Budapest. Kimi holds many aces up his sleeve than most of his contemporaries on these racing tracks.

Last year, in 2013 season, Raikkonen started Singapore GP from P13 and before he finished 3rd spot on the podium, he had breathtakingly conquered Button who kept on relentlessly pursuing Raikkonen for a podium finish. Kimi climbed 10 places in the race despite not being at the pink of his health. That was Lotus then and this is Ferrari now. His start at Monaco, earlier in the summer, explains what it means to 'dish out opponents'. Always willing to answer critics, that is, if he is ever intending to, considering his disposition toward cold silence, Kimi choses speed over flat words.

While he didn't finish among points thanks to an unfriendly crash with Magnussen, Raikkonen's start was one that captured the essence of the race- daring, unpredictable and outright manic. He was ahead of Vettel and Alonso who were ahead of him in qualifying and before they could begin to realize what had happened to their respective car speeds, Raikkonen was soaring ahead, taming Ricciardo while being on 3 for most laps before his unwanted crash. However, those who labeled him as a "has been" of the motorsport should actually question that thing they call intellect and unwise judgement, since it was none other than Raikkonen himself who set the fastest lap of the race.

The King of Cool

Kimi Raikkonen was outstanding in Spa Francorchamps

With 77 podium finishes, some that have come amidst plenty of yellow flags and some that have come on account of daunting drives, Raikkonen's legendary stay in the sport has produced several performances that qualify to be called "synonymous" with speed. How often do you see an F1 driver master the art of racing in wet conditions without breaking into a sweat while all others around him are found struggling for grip and consistency to even remain on the track?

For his sheer competence at handling an F1 car in wet conditions and yet maintaining a consistent speed, Kimi, who has exploited the challenging track of Spa Francorchamps as best as only he could, continues to enjoy the epithet clubbed to his soaring legend " The King Of Spa". While this track can be remembered for a number of Raikkonen victories, most of them coming in the trademark style that only Raikkonen is known to produce, marked with mind blowing overtaking maneuvers, one particular race deserves to be mentioned.

Kimi, who came under some scrutiny owing to a frail 2009 season, brought up the solitary victory for Ferrari at this very track. As he effortlessly gulped the champagne standing atop the podium, his rivals were still reeling under the aftermath of their trouncing by the Iceman, one wherein they were out-fashioned completely. In a just about average Ferrari that season, Raikkonen who drove as brilliantly as he ever did at Spa, being smooth and yet quicker than most , first overtook Hamilton at a dismissive speed. Later, he used KERS to outpace a forever competitive Fisichella to emerge faster of the duo, reducing any chances of Force India Mercedes to finish on top at the Belgian GP.

The Raikkonen shield

Lamented for lack of engagement with the Press and criticized for his somewhat cold handling of the not so unfriendly reporters, Kimi safely manages to fence an invisible wall between the outside world and the enigmatic life that he chooses to protect. Loved by fans and adored by Formula One's "have beens", he continues to possess the respect of contemporaries like Button, Kobayashi, Rosberg, Bottas and his good friend Vettel, who see the 34 year old veteran as a constant threat when it comes to upsetting their plan to conquer the world of Formula One.

Raikkonen as a man never reveals his next move but the mere fact that he can't do without racing and racing in any form continues to find him as a reason to persevere makes the endearing world of the Finn, an exciting one. Kimi races on bikes, drives water scooters, competes at snow-boarding events and hasn't really resisted the temptation to play racing games back at home,when not competing at Formula One, if a certain Finnish newspaper is to be believed.

Less words, more speed = Critics humbled

For those who said that Raikkonen wouldn't even be fit to come back and continue from where he left following his departure post 2009, his comeback, in 2012 at Lotus, silenced not just critics, but smashed the game plans of rival teams who had planned to thwart his attempts to reignite the flair for relentless driving at the highest level. Kimi's pursuit for excellence, fueled by the undying passion for racing confirms the belief in the old adage "if you want to win , hire a Finn".

At some level, Lotus' team management struck gold and would have given themselves a joyful pat on the back when Raikkonen drove his Lotus E20 to a remarkable and unprecedented victory at Abu Dhabi, in 2012. Following Hamilton's car problem that left him gutted midway into the race, Raikkonen was quick to realize that if there is a day to conquer the summit of an ecstatic win- it would have to be that brilliant night when the Iceman went for the kill. Never the one to miss out, he held Alonso toward the end and never allowed the faster Ferrari, to outsmart his mediocre Lotus.

Well, he did exclaim on the team radio to "Leave him alone and that he knew what he was doing", who was going to stop the fans from leaving him at peace? And why would they? He gave his team their first victory in over two decades and notched up his only and first victory since the 2009 Spa Francorchamps triumph. In his interview, he accepted that he didn't feel anything special or much to jump about, but he couldn't stop the maniacal fans from roaring in a remarkable sense of euphoria, seeing their idol of speed outsmarting the very best out there that night at the Yas Marina circuit.

One of the fastest drivers out there

Raikkonen is now a veteran of the exciting world of F1 and is already a modern day master of the game. His lackluster speed in the somewhat dull and less exciting 2014 season may be disappointing to some as it should be, for his team has made the star driver in him make do with a less than average car. You cannot discount the fact that of all the drivers, speeding away in much faster and capable cars, it is this good looking stud who possesses a record that forms the basis for which he is being criticized so far; a record based on speed. It is Kimi who possesses the third highest number of fastest laps set in the pinnacle of all motorsport with an astonishing mark of 40. This is when he was away for a good two years from the sport.

I'd say,

let the naysayers be and let the flippant question, whenever they would ask me -

who was it who kept calm and the head held high, as a mark of self belief, driven by determination to succeed seeking his rivals' annihilation

I would say- it is the man who wears cool weathers up his sleeve, one who zooms to newer glories driving to redemptive powers that fetch him gold and to his rivals- decimation.

Kimi Matias Raikkonen- for the sake of the sport that lacks original characters, it would be better if you sit seat buckled taking us to a drive toward your glories, finding which would enable us reach – priceless jubilation.