WILL THE REAL KIMI RAIKKONEN PLEASE STAND UP

Luca di Montezemolo may have meant his comment in jest, but it has to be said, the inference behind it was undoubtedly clear.
It was back in December, reflecting upon Kimi Raikkonen's somewhat indifferent season the Ferrari president noted: "I joke we had Kimi until Magny-Cours, then he was busy and he asked a friend of his to drive."
"This friend was a very good driver. He put on Kimi's helmet, but now we finally have the proper Kimi back again."
There were certainly two sides to Raikkonen last year as he went into it as world champion, only to emerge from it leaving many questioning his desire and commitment to Formula One.
His laid-back persona, which has actually improved over time, does little to dispel the outside world's notion he has little time for the intricacies and idiosyncrasies of his sport.
Raikkonen is the kind of man who likes to turn up at a track, get behind the wheel of his car and drive. Simple as that.
If he had his way, he would love to skip the debriefs and meetings with the engineers that are required to fit hand in glove with what a driver does out on a circuit.
So this year, one wonders whether the real Kimi Raikkonen will be pushing for the title, or whether he will again hit a point where he thinks 'Ah, sod it!' and hand the car back to his 'friend'.
Di Montezemolo insists the "proper Kimi" is back, and if that is the case then that can only be good for F1 because in terms of a pure racer, there is no-one finer than Raikkonen.
As always, time will tell, but for now, Raikkonen maintains he has the desire required to again become world champion.
"I wouldn't be in F1 if I didn't have the motivation or the hunger," insisted the Finn.
"Last year wasn't exactly what we wanted, but it doesn't change how much I like F1 - I do enjoy it."
"I have a great team behind me and they let me do other things quite easily; they make everything as easy as they can for everybody."
"So I'm in a very good position, and I'm very happy to work with the team."
"I've a contract for this year and next and then I will see how I feel, how Formula One is going, and then decide about the future."
Therein lies part of Raikkonen's problem because his responses to constant queries relating to his future are always vague.
That generally results in people questioning his commitment because what he plans to do beyond the next two years generates considerable speculation.
As he mentions, Ferrari give him a free reign beyond F1, allowing the thrill-seeker within him to indulge in other passions such as rallying, karting and powerboating.
As he will be 30 when the forthcoming season comes to an end, he maybe realises time is of the essence if he is to pursue other avenues.
For now, they remain side-show events, adding: "The team is quite open to what I can do."
"There are a lot of hobbies I like that are maybe not the safest, but I always try not to take any risks, and I am happy they allow me to do them."
"I think it helps in every way as everybody is happy and to drive anything is good practice, go-kart, rally, any kind of driving."
"It is always going to help you in your own work, so it's not a bad thing."
For Raikkonen, whether he remains in F1 beyond 2010 will come down to if he is still enjoying himself, and if so, whether Ferrari are willing to maintain his status as the sport's highest-paid driver.
"I am very happy and I have no reason to go anywhere else," said Raikkonen.
"But we will see in two years' time if I'm still enjoying myself or whether I want to do other things."
"What is certain is Ferrari will be the last team I am going to race with in Formula One - which doesn't mean I will definitely quit in 2010!"
Whilst Raikkonen's long-term future might be the source of great debate, for the short term his designs are naturally on the title. "I always try to win, and hopefully we can win championships again this year," asserted Raikkonen, who at least helped the team retain their constructors' crown last season.
"But I'm not going to promise anything, put my hand on my heart, because maybe it won't happen."
"So we will just try to do the best weekend we can to get back on the top podium position."