The Rivalry of the Generation
If you've ever watched Formula One Racing, you'll know that World Champion drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso are the gems of the generation. They have both consistently outdriven their own cars; they have both challenged the unchallengeable man, Sebastian Vettel. And they are both very, very different. In 2014, though, they will face a new challenge at Ferrari. Yes, Raikkonen and Alonso are great. But can they be great together?
Talent-wise, it's a match made in heaven. As mentioned, Raikkonen and Alonso have the amazing ability to outdrive their own cars, and they are relentless- Raikkonen in a sneaky, Houdini-like way and Alonso in a spectacular, exploding-star-like manner. In his inferior, financially-questionable Lotus chassis (1), Raikkonen can pound out a lap faster than Vettel, who has the best car on track, in an anticlimactic way so as to divert attention. That is, until he suddenly appears in one of the top three positions, challenging the frontrunners. Alonso, conversely, takes a much more dashing approach. He sacrifices his tyres (2) for a pace his Ferrari doesn't have and pressures his opposition until he can overtake them. Because of his predatory racing style, he has been given the nickname "El Lobo" (3). Both drivers can turn a bad grid position into a race win and push racing etiquette to the absolute limits. But is talent the only necessity in creating an invincible team?
Or is personal compatibility and necessity as well? Because personality-wise, it's a match made in hell. Raikkonen doesn't really care what anyone is doing so long as he has a good car that can win races. On many occasions he has plainly stated that he "couldn't care less what that man thinks," in reference to other racers. His cold manner has fittingly earned him the nickname "Iceman". Raikkonen doesn't look forward or back, only focusing on the now. He went so far as to go on a skiing trip before his first race in 2013, because he wanted to have fun and the chance of injury wasn't going to stop him. All in all, Raikkonen is chill. In contrast, Alonso cares very much about what's going on around the team. He is quick to give feedback and a helping hand, and quick to give harsh words to engineers after a car-related problem. Alonso does nothing to risk his safety before a race and fills his head with strategies instead. All in all, Alonso is fiery.
Of course, it's critical to acknowledge the status of Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso. Raikkonen has only one World Championship to his name, whereas Alonso has two. Even so, they are equally amazing drivers with only opinion separating their rank. Because of this, picking Driver one and Driver two for the team could present a problem. Raikkonen won't mind being Driver two unless he is told to give up track position to Driver one. In 2010 he was dropped from Ferrari to welcome in Alonso. If he is told to give up track position to the same man by the same team, the Iceman might finally lose his cool. Alonso, on the other hand, will not respond kindly if he is demoted to Driver two in order to make room for Raikkonen. He is used to being the priority, and he knows he has the talent to back it up.
In the end, nobody knows just how wise a decision it is to pair up two polar opposites for the 2014 season. Last time two drivers of such great caliber were paired up, they took great lengths to spear each other out of races, and who's to say it won't happen again? Alonso and Raikkonen could be best buds by the end of the year- or they could end up being the rivalry of the generation.
1 Chassis is the Formula One term for the race car.
2 In Formula One, tire is spelled tyre due to European influence.
3 "The Wolf"
