has anyone else noticed that after only 8 days in testing, kimi has come within .004 seconds of the infamous david coulthard... and on the 9th day, he beat him????!?!?! and on the 10th day, beat the nearly the entire 2002 f1 grid..... this is just freakin awesome,,,, mika was my hero,,,,, i hope kimi can fill his shoes... the first requirement is, of course, for kimi to consistantly out qualify david on each and every race..... yeh!

<font size=1>VALENCIA TESTS : From 14/01/2002 to 19/01/2002
<hr>
Results of 14/01/2002
Weather : wet track (morning), wet track (afternoon)
POS. PILOTE ECURIE VOITURE TEMPS ECART TOURS
01 D. Coulthard McLaren MP4/16 1'30''750 -- 94
02 J. Montoya Williams FW23 1'31''300 +0''550 93
03 J. Trulli Renault R201 1'32''060 +1''310 66
04 E. Irvine Jaguar R2C 1'32''180 +1''430 76
<b>05 K. Raikkonen McLaren MP4/16 1'32''703 +1''953 62 </b>
06 J. Button Renault R201 1'34''333 +3''583 70
07 P. De La Rosa Jaguar R3 1'34''420 +3''670 87

<hr>
Results of 15/01/2002
Weather : dry track (morning), dry track (afternoon)
POS. PILOTE ECURIE VOITURE TEMPS ECART TOURS
01 D. Coulthard McLaren MP4/16 1'13''353 -- 47
<b>02 K. Raikkonen McLaren MP4/16 1'13''510 +0''157 42 </b>
03 J. Montoya Williams FW23 1'14''193 +0''840 42
04 J. Button Renault R201 1'14''539 +1''186 64
05 G. Fisichella Jordan EJ11 1'14''596 +1''243 93
06 J. Trulli Renault R201 1'14''778 +1''425 55
07 A. Pizzonia Williams FW23 1'14''946 +1''593 38
08 T. Sato Jordan EJ11 1'15''810 +2''457 82
09 P. De La Rosa Jaguar R3 1'15''915 +2''562 44
10 M. Salo Toyota TF102 1'15''973 +2''620 51
11 E. Irvine Jaguar R2C 1'16''758 +3''405 5
12 A. Yoong Minardi PS01 1'19''303 +5''950 39
13 M. Bobby Minardi PS01 1'21''069 +7''716 16

<hr>
Results of 16/01/2002
Weather : dry track (morning), dry track (afternoon)
POS. PILOTE ECURIE VOITURE TEMPS ECART TOURS
<b>01 K. Raikkonen McLaren MP4/16 1'12''937 -- 111 </b>
02 D. Coulthard McLaren MP4/16 1'12''954 +0''017 28
03 G. Fisichella Jordan EJ11 1'14''003 +1''066 96
04 A. Pizzonia Williams FW23 1'14''389 +1''452 82
05 J. Button Renault R201 1'14''504 +1''567 53
06 P. De La Rosa Jaguar R2C 1'14''622 +1''685 51
07 J. Montoya Williams FW23 1'14''851 +1''914 42
08 T. Sato Jordan EJ11 1'14''892 +1''955 104
09 J. Trulli Renault R201 1'15''077 +2''140 30
10 M. Salo Toyota TF102 1'15''360 +2''423 58
11 M. Gene Williams FW23 1'15''628 +2''691 11
12 E. Irvine Jaguar R3 1'16''079 +3''142 54
13 A. Yoong Minardi PS01 1'17''795 +4''858 58
14 A. Garcia Minardi PS01 1'17''841 +4''904 27
15 M. Bobby Minardi PS01 1'18''106 +5''169 18

<hr>
Results of 17/01/2002
Weather : dry track (morning), dry track (afternoon)
POS. PILOTE ECURIE VOITURE TEMPS ECART TOURS
<b>01 K. Raikkonen McLaren MP4/16 1'12''118 -- 94 </b>
02 G. Fisichella Jordan EJ11 1'12''828 +0''710 106
03 R. Schumacher Williams FW23 1'13''323 +1''205 60
04 T. Sato Jordan EJ11 1'13''536 +1''418 104
05 O. Panis BAR 004 1'14''300 +2''182 81
06 J. Montoya Williams FW23 1'14''434 +2''316 22
07 M. Gene Williams FW23 1'14''639 +2''521 64
08 J. Villeneuve BAR 004 1'14''669 +2''551 50
09 M. Salo Toyota TF102 1'15''278 +3''160 40
10 A. Davidson BAR 003 1'15''752 +3''634 60
11 M. Webber Minardi PS01 1'16''113 +3''995 48
12 C. Albers Minardi PS01 1'18''612 +6''494 32

<hr>
Best results
POS. PILOTE ECURIE VOITURE TEMPS ECART TOURS
<b>01 K. Raikkonen McLaren MP4/16 1'12''118 -- 309 </b>
02 G. Fisichella Jordan EJ11 1'12''828 +0''710 295
03 D. Coulthard McLaren MP4/16 1'12''954 +0''836 169
04 R. Schumacher Williams FW23 1'13''323 +1''205 60
05 T. Sato Jordan EJ11 1'13''536 +1''418 290
06 J. Montoya Williams FW23 1'14''193 +2''075 199
07 O. Panis BAR 004 1'14''300 +2''182 81
08 A. Pizzonia Williams FW23 1'14''389 +2''271 120
09 J. Button Renault R201 1'14''504 +2''386 187
10 P. De La Rosa Jaguar R2C 1'14''622 +2''504 51
11 M. Gene Williams FW23 1'14''639 +2''521 75
12 J. Villeneuve BAR 004 1'14''669 +2''551 50
13 J. Trulli Renault R201 1'14''778 +2''660 151
14 M. Salo Toyota TF102 1'15''278 +3''160 149
15 A. Davidson BAR 003 1'15''752 +3''634 60
16 P. De La Rosa Jaguar R3 1'15''915 +3''797 131
17 E. Irvine Jaguar R3 1'16''079 +3''961 54
18 M. Webber Minardi PS01 1'16''113 +3''995 48
19 E. Irvine Jaguar R2C 1'16''758 +4''640 81
20 A. Yoong Minardi PS01 1'17''795 +5''677 97
21 A. Garcia Minardi PS01 1'17''841 +5''723 27
22 M. Bobby Minardi PS01 1'18''106 +5''988 34
23 C. Albers Minardi PS01 1'18''612 +6''494 32


Best lap on this track :
1'12''118 - K. Raikkonen (McLaren) - 17/01/2002
</font>

Don't know how much one can tell just from testing, though. Maybe different setups (hard vs soft tires, susp., aerodynamics, etc.)

Personally, I'll reserve judgement til raceday, but I agree, his times are impressive.

My money's on Montoya this year (has been since before his CART days). Phenomenal talent and character.

Quite often recently it seems the #2 guy on the team out does the theoretical number 1. If you asked 100 people before the season last year, 98 would have told you Mika was #1 on McLaren. Panis would beat Villeneuve all the time last year, and de la Rosa would beat Irvine, too.

But I don't figure Coulthard as a real top shelf driver. He's had a great car and team the last few years, but he rarely shows his own style, panache, aggression, and real driving wizardry that you see from Michael Schumacher, Montoya, Mika (especially in 2000), etc. He is consistant, and certainly can win, but I don't think he'll ever be a total star like these other guys.

It will be quite interesting to see how Kimi does this year. Being part Finn myself, I'll be definitely rooting him on. :clap:

I thnk it's telling that in an interview last year (I think) Coulthard said that his priorities were driving and shagging.

I think that to be a consistent winner he would have believed it to be driving, driving and more driving.

Being able to say that in public, I think he really means that shagging is his priority and driving is a means to attain it.

But then again, I don't have the talent he has for either one. At least that driving stuff :)

Originally posted by jsp98m3
I thnk it's telling that in an interview last year (I think) Coulthard said that his priorities were driving and shagging.

I think that to be a consistent winner he would have believed it to be driving, driving and more driving.

Being able to say that in public, I think he really means that shagging is his priority and driving is a means to attain it.

But then again, I don't have the talent he has for either one. At least that driving stuff :)

I cant blame him for that :evil2 I wish I could do that :D

Eddie Irvine is even more so than David.

Anyhow ever since David survived that plane crash he has probably changed his outlook on life, again I cannot blame him.

Ralf and Montoya for '02 baby!

Raikkonen is an amazing find. He did some great things with his shitbox last year. I, however, don't like Hakkinen. With a decent car, even I could do well.

And I was sad that Jos Verstappen was let go by Arrows. He will be back though. I liked how he held up Coulthard last year in Monaco for 40 laps. David, you can't even pass an Arrows, you suck. Eat that shit up! :wave: