The royal class of motorsport needs its title, albeit from scratch, writes Iltalehti’s Juuso Taipale of Monaco.
Kimi Räikkönen rejoices at another press conference. AOP
Kimi Räikkönen hated working with the media the most in the formulas. I fully understand why.
Most of the time, it’s completely useless.
The media are not bad. They only do their own work, as the people thirst for information about every turn in the formula circus.
The problem is that journalists are asking drivers completely useless questions that are easy to answer with a hefty media gossip.
Answering in a circular way works every time, as it keeps the media and the employer happy. But it’s not fun for the driver.
And very quickly it gets long-winded.
The template is repeated unchanged from one race weekend to the next. Before the runs, talk about the weekend’s expectations and think about how the upgrade sections will work. After the time trials, the performance is briefly analyzed. Same thing on Sunday.
Räikkönen was never a mouthful in such situations. In his last years, his response to these basic flatnesses was the same every time.
“Then you’ll see it.”
Räikkönen’s short and snappy answers made him laugh, although Räikkönen did not become a comedian for any reason.
He just dared to do what every driver dreams of.
To say, or not to say anything.
Today, drivers are forced to step in front of the media several times over the weekend.
Before the first free practice, there is a media exam class ahead. First, formulate your own presenter to ask each driver a few questions, then it’s the media’s turn.
Räikkönen also laughed if the media could handle him properly. The basic flats were not far off. AOP
For Räikkönen, this session was always poison. He could not run away from anything, even if he was not asked any questions.
In this job, a mantle heir has been found for a Finn who has retired from formulas.
Frustration with the media play in the Monaco press room was felt by Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion, who has been in number one since 2007, has seen a media event, if any, in his career.
When Hamilton did not speak, he raped the phone or spun the microphone in his hand.
Lewis Hamilton was hardly interested in the press conference. AOP
And when it came to answering, Hamilton didn’t fret in vain.
– I do not know, it will be seen then, began the response of several British masters.
The media and F1 live in a special symbiosis where each needs each other so much that it doesn’t status quota want to destabilize.
So there is an unwritten rule of what can and cannot be asked in a formula failure.
That’s a big pity. Caution and self-censorship prevent many good things from happening.
Of course, the question also arises as to why a lot of media is needed in a formula bank at all.
When press conferences and post-driving interviews are televised, why do you have to write about them next to a hundred journalists who don’t ask follow-up questions?
A reporter asks Bottas if he watched hockey the night before.