Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen are set to be the two stars that dominate grand prix racing for the next few years. Who is the better driver????

In my incredibly biased opinion I think Alonso is better. Kimi is a bit better on pure speed but Alonso is quicker off the start and is better at defending his position (I think the 4th place he salvaged at Monaco on no tyres was more impressive than his win at Imola were he held off none other than Michael Schumacher who was lapping 2 seconds faster than him). Both are great single lap qualifiers and both are ice cold in the race.

However, this year it seems like Alonso is better at managing the race, especially when he is in the lead. Raikkonen seems to always go flat out even when he has a huge lead and that gets him into trouble (Nurburgring, Hockenheim). Alonso knows when to take his foot off the gas a bit and thus conserve his engine.

Anyway they are so close together that I think the number of World Championships that each wins will come down to the quality of the cars that they have at their disposal.

And in conclusion, finally a battle at the top of F1! Not since the Schumacher/Hakkinen days have we had this. Also, dont discount Montoya of getting a world championship here or there. No one in the sport has bigger balls than that guy, he is a joy to watch. If he could get some consistency he can be great.

Well, let the debate begin!

Raikkonen ofcourse he has just had bad luck...

I dunno if it is fair to attribute a 26 point gap purely on luck. If it were a few points here and there. Its the old sports cliche, true winners make their own luck. Also know that Raikkonen does have a much faster car. Just because he laps faster doesnt mean he IS faster. I mean Pedro de la Rosa and Alex Wurz dominate the field on Friday test duties and they are obviously NOT great drivers. The MP-40 is THAT good.

it's a 24 points gap btw and yes I have to admit that it's quite much.
but how many times has Raikkonens engine broke? and how many times has alonsos?

Kimi all the way, the boy is a nutter! Liked him ever since i saw him go full throttle down a straight which he could hardly see down because Alex Mcleishs engine had exploded, on a timed lap! He said he knew Alexs car would not be on the track because the it didn't SMELL like his oil tank was involved!

"Alonso is quicker off the start" - Come on Renault are renowed for have the best starting software and expertise.

"Raikkonen seems to always go flat out even when he has a huge lead and that gets him into trouble (Nurburgring, Hockenheim). Alonso knows when to take his foot off the gas a bit and thus conserve his engine." - This is why i like him it's all or nothing!

I am sorry you are right it is 24....

It is true that Raikkonen has had more mechanical failures but I dont think that he is free of fault for that. He pushes the engine too hard when he doesnt need to and that causes it to fail. Just look at Friday testing, he is always near the top while Alonso is usually at mid table. Raikkonen pushes hard while Alonso conserves his engine. Now that there is two race per engine rule it is crucial to only push when absolutely necessary.

Ahhh this is why YOU like him but that doesnt make him the best driver.

As for the starts, IMO Montoya has looked quicker off the than Raikkonen in identical cars this year.

Hey, Im not saying Raikkonen isnt great, he is , but when he calms down he will be a true champion.

Alonso, my bias of course. Glad to see someone winning besides Schumacher

Anyway It seems like Kimi is going to have the upper hand at Monza too. Let's see tomorrow in qualifying. Im hoping Alonso can get at least on the second row.