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Not since the 2018 season has Kimi Raikkonen, believably driving his last few races for Ferrari generated such polarised views.
For a man regarded for his unflappable nature and an unflinching attitude to racing, who would've thought that within hours of 'The Iceman' setting the record-shattering 1:19:119 at Monza would trigger questions regarding his place in the side for the next season?
It's not that there weren't concerns (fans, read fears) regarding Raikkonen due to losing his seat to Sauber's Charles Leclerc for the next year. There was an awful lot of talk regarding 2018 probably being Raikkonen's final season in the pinnacle of motor racing.
But the talks gained more traction than before within minutes of Raikkonen ending up second at Monza, two places higher than his teammate, Sebastian Vettel.
While on the one hand, there's this lot that believes that Raikkonen's lost the midhas touch and cannot go fast in an F1 car, there's another lot, inarguably- the devoted Raikkonen fan-base- that is compelling Ferrari to treat Raikkonen with a lot more sincerity and credibility that the Finn warrants.
Where this season's performances, stand, Raikkonen just collected his ninth podium from fourteen rounds, a massive improvement vis-a-vis his seven from twenty races in 2017.
One also wonders what might've happened had Raikkonen been able to finish the races at Spain, Bahrain and, Spa-Francorchamps, contests where car troubles botched his eventual outcome.
But it wasn't hard to see a clear intent from Raikkonen, who's upped his game in a bid to revive a fledgeling career, coming closer to what now seems the tumultuous hammer of scrutiny. He picked up 5 back-to-back podiums at the duels held at France, Silverstone, Austria, Germany, Hungary and would also set the fastest lap at Spielberg, before leaving millions stunned at Monza, less than a week ago.
To that end, Raikkonen's fastest lap in the F1 history, intriguingly registered amid the Tifosi in the home race of the Scuderia proved a case in point.
But while fans will have their say in the end; their pleas falling on ears that are willing to hear them, one doesn't know. What one does know, however, is that the call for Ferrari to retain Kimi Raikkonen- a man who earned the stable its last world championship in 2007- have only grown louder than before.
In this regard, there's an interesting development that's taken place. Started by a group of close-knitted but globetrotting fans of Raikkonen, an online petition has been generated by the fans in favour of Kimi Raikkonen.
While there's absolutely no disregard or criticism levelled at Charles Leclerc, who's not to be blamed at all, should he replace the Finn next year, the online petition is playing a small but valuable hand in gathering the Kimi collective in extending support to the Ferrari driver.
This collective, spread in different corners of the world, is meant to unite for one cause whose end purpose is to collect as many signatures as possible in lieu of getting their message read by Ferrari.
Currently, thousands of signatures have already been generated and much of the work remains to be done in the coming moments.
But that said, what this petition in lines with securing Raikkonen a drive next year does is that it tells the fraternity about just how important a character Kimi really is. Whilst his last win came way back in time, at the Australian Grand Prix of Melbourne at 2013, it's more than a rabble-rousing attempt.
No driver before Kimi has had the distinct pleasure of being the subject of something as unexpected as an online petition. Isn't it? Whether it works in the end or it doesn't, one doesn't know at all.
But, it could be said, Kimi's fans, do know "what they are doing!"
Tell us your views whether Kimi should secure one more year or bow out this year at the end
