Raikkonen pressuring Coulthard says Lauda

Kimi Raikkonen will give David Coulthard a difficult time next year according to Jaguar boss Niki Lauda, who said Coulthard will have to work even harder in 2003. Many thought Raikkonen would have trouble dealing with the pressures of a front ...

Kimi Raikkonen will give David Coulthard a difficult time next year according to Jaguar boss Niki Lauda, who said Coulthard will have to work even harder in 2003. Many thought Raikkonen would have trouble dealing with the pressures of a front running team like McLaren in only his second F1 season, but the young Finn has won approval for his performances.

Raikkonen outqualified Coulthard in ten races this year and although the Scot finished ahead in the standings, Lauda said it was only because Coulthard has more experience in races. As Raikkonen matures, Coulthard will find it harder to stay ahead.

Kimi Raikkonen.

Photo by DaimlerChrysler.

"He (Raikkonen) seemed to come out of nowhere and proved immediately he could put in a perfect performance," Lauda said in the UK's Guardian newspaper. "In that respect, David Coulthard is under pressure. Having a new young driver come into the team alongside you is the worst thing that can happen."

"I know about that first hand, from when Alain Prost came in alongside me in 1984 at McLaren. When I'd won my first world championship in 1975 Alain wasn't even old enough to have a driving license. When this happens, it demotivates you."

Lauda suggests that Raikkonen's youth will make it even harder for Coulthard as the Finn is at the beginning of his career: "Every race you have to psych yourself up to blow your new teammate off in qualifying and the race. In races, Coulthard has the advantage of experience -- as I did over Prost -- but in qualifying Raikkonen has put him under a lot of pressure. This will get worse, because Raikkonen is at the beginning of his career. For Coulthard this will be a painful experience, and he will have to push himself to the limit next season."