Kimi Räikkönen will have no problem readjusting to Formula 1 as he returns in 2012 after a two-season break. That is the opinion of Swede Stefan Johansson, who raced to podium finishes for both Ferrari and McLaren in the mid-1980s.

Prior to his F1 departure, Räikkönen faced widespread criticism for an apparent lack of motivation and more obvious lack in pace when compared to Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa. However, Johansson – manager to IndyCar driver Scott Dixon and now a watch designer - is sure that such a situation will no longer occur.

Sweden’s Johansson made his F1 race debut in 1983

“As long as he is in shape, motivated and given enough time to figure out what is good to get the best out of his car, why not?” Johansson told GPUpdate.net when asked if Räikkönen can still set the pace. “The guy can race better than most people in the world can - we know that, we’ve seen that. You know as well as I do that there are plenty of quick drivers out there but, if you look back in history, there are only a few who know how to actually race and how to win a championship – I think that is quite reflective of the whole grid in Formula 1 at the moment, too.

“You have plenty of quick guys, but I think there are only a number that you can count with the fingers of one hand who actually know how to figure out how to win a championship and do what is required to do that – and I think Kimi is most certainly one of them.”

When specifically asked whether the enthusiasm factor is still relevant for the 2007 World Champion, Johansson replied:

 

“I think it will be the opposite. I think he has had some time to reflect and I think he is hungrier than he has ever been. I can only look back on my own career; when you get into it and you are young and you have a certain mindset but, as time goes by, you realise it is quite a unique situation that you are in, to have the opportunity to do this and do it well. So I think he will come back into it with a very fresh mindset. My biggest concern is: will the team be able to give him a competitive car? I think that is more of an issue.

“It is like Michael (Schumacher); his car clearly doesn’t suit him at all and I think he has had a much tougher time than he expected to, but I think he has an even more unique driving style than Kimi. If you don’t have the car it doesn’t matter how good you are because you’re not going to win the championship anyway. But Kimi has such raw speed and a fluid, effortless driving style that I think these cars could actually suit him quite well.”

After Ferrari left Räikkönen on the sidelines in favour of Fernando Alonso, the 2012 comeback is with Lotus Renault GP. Over the past two years, the Finn has competed in the World Rally Championship as well as spending stints in NASCAR.

gpupdate.net