Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari’s most recent Formula 1 world champion, believes there are finally encouraging signs emerging from Maranello, even as the Scuderia continues to endure one of the longest title droughts in its modern history.
Ferrari still waiting for a breakthrough
When the most successful team in Formula 1 history stops winning, it is only natural for the numbers to become impossible to ignore. Ferrari has now gone 19 years without a drivers’ world championship, with Kimi Raikkonen still remaining the last man to claim the crown for the Scuderia back in 2007. The wait for a constructors’ championship is almost as long, stretching to 18 years.
But the drought extends beyond titles. Ferrari has also been waiting 19 months for a Grand Prix victory, and by Sunday in Monaco, the famous Italian team will have gone 588 days without seeing one of its red cars take the chequered flag first in Formula 1.
If there is a realistic opportunity for the Ferrari SF-26 to break that run in the early stages of this season, many believe the next race in Monaco could be exactly that chance — something both drivers also hinted at during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend.
Kimi Raikkonen sees positive signs
In an interview with Quotidiano Sportivo, Kimi Raikkonen briefly reflected on Ferrari’s current situation. The 2007 world champion admitted that when he left the Scuderia at the end of 2018, he had hoped the team would quickly find his successor in Formula 1’s roll of honour.
“When I left the Scuderia at the end of 2018, I wished for the team to quickly find my successor in the championship record books. That still hasn’t happened, but from afar, I see encouraging signs,” Kimi Raikkonen said.
Kimi Raikkonen on Max Verstappen and the next generation
Kimi Raikkonen also shared his thoughts on Max Verstappen, making it clear just how highly he rates the reigning world champion.
“For me, he is the strongest,” Kimi Raikkonen said. “I saw him arrive in Formula 1 during my second spell at Ferrari. Max is a phenomenon. He won his first race in Spain right in front of me 10 years ago. That was the moment I realised a star had been born.”
Attention is also slowly turning to the next generation, with Kimi Raikkonen’s son Robin, born in 2015, beginning to make progress in karting: “He’s just a child, and it’s nice that he’s enjoying himself,” the Finn added. “Time will tell whether that passion can turn into a career. I certainly won’t put any pressure on him.”
Kimi Raikkonen’s encouraging perspective on Scuderia Ferrari arrived at a critical junction as the team prepares to tackle the historic constraints of the Monaco Grand Prix. While technical offices meticulously analyze real-time simulation loops and vehicle dynamics data to optimize low-speed chassis compliance, breaking the team’s prolonged winless drought remains an urgent operational priority. As the trackside engineering crew refines software mappings and suspension settings ahead of the uncompromising barriers of the principality, maximizing qualifying execution will be the decisive factor for success. If the Maranello factory can deliver an uncompromised mechanical package that yields immediate front-row performance on Saturday, both drivers possess the precise competitive focus needed to finally shatter the 588-day curse and secure a historic victory for the Tifosi during the 2026 world championship campaign.
Leave a Reply