What Raikkonen has to do to succeed at Ferrari

Kimi Raikkonen's move to Ferrari has left fans thrilled about the prospect of an exciting battle at Maranello in 2014, but for the Finn and his new team, reality will bite at some point.

For while everyone is now enjoying a honeymoon spell, as the countdown to next season gets closer, there are four key factors that will decide if this is a reunion made in heaven or one that will end in disappointment.

So, what will Raikkonen have to do to make his time alongside Fernando Alonso a success and what could stand in his way?

RAISING HIS GAME

That Raikkonen is one of the most naturally gifted racing drivers on the F1 grid is not in doubt.

However, there are aspects of his approach to the job that will need to be improved if he is to make the most of his chances of beating Alonso.

One paddock figure who has worked closely with Alonso and Raikkonen, so knows how they operate, reckons that on current form the Spaniard will dominate.

Raikkonen very much loves the driving aspect of F1, but he is not the sort of character who stays late at the track every night poring over telemetry data to find the extra fractions of a second that can make a difference.

His view is strap him in and let him get on with it.

He does exactly what needs to be done - turning up at the track when needed for engineering meetings - but is unlikely to go the extra mile. He also has a deep dislike for simulator work, which is becoming increasingly important for teams.

Raikkonen will need to raise his game © LAT

While his talent is often enough to overcome his work ethic, more will be expected of him when F1's incredibly complex new engine regulations come in to force for 2014.

Only Raikkonen will know if he is hungry enough to want to knuckle down. Red Bull insiders suggest that one of the factors in it opting not to partner him with Sebastian Vettel next year was the fear of the Finn not pushing enough if he was beaten.

Ferrari does not seem to too concerned though, and team boss Stefano Domenicali said that he had been reassured by new signing James Allison, who worked with Raikkonen at Lotus, about the Finn's technical insight.

NEW TEAM-MATE WILL FIRE UP ALONSO

Alonso has been known to throw his toys out of the pram when he has faced pressure from team-mates in the past. Just look at his comments of being 'alone' when Giancarlo Fisichella was pushing him at Renault, or what happened with Lewis Hamilton at McLaren in 2007.

But Alonso is a much more mature driver now though than when he was charging to his first titles, and ultimately the Hamilton issue owed more to status promises given to him by McLaren than a problem with his British rival.

The arrival of Raikkonen and the departure of Felipe Massa from Ferrari will likely be a positive for Alonso in forcing a bit of a refocus on where he is at. For however much Alonso played-up Massa's abilities, there was little evidence in recent years that the Spaniard had been pushed too hard by the Brazilian.

Raikkonen's arrival will take Alonso out of a comfort zone he has got in to, and make him eager to lay down his authority and establish himself as the man the team needs to be behind.

Raikkonen's arrival will fire up Alonso © LAT

That can only be a positive for Ferrari, especially with Raikkonen's lack of desire to get involved in politics, which should make it less likely that an intra-team battle will erupt.

FERRARI WILL HAVE NO EXCUSES

Ferrari's decision to pick 'two roosters in one henhouse' (to steal a quote from Luca di Montezemolo) is another sign of a major push to get itself back to the front.

After coming so close to the title last year despite Ferrari's terrible start, 2013 was supposed to be Fernando Alonso's year when its F138 proved quick from the off. That hasn't happened.

There has been a great deal of soul searching by Ferrari chiefs to get its house in order in recent weeks, and the decision to take a former world champion over a young gun like Nico Hulkenberg shows it is serious in its ambition.

With it capturing James Allison from Lotus, restructuring its technical department to give Pat Fry more ability to play to his strengths, and its Maranello windtunnel coming back on tap, there are no excuses if it cannot produce a car that takes the fight to Red Bull.

FATE MAY WELL REST ON ENGINE

Despite its ambitious driver choice, and the ramping up of its technical infrastructure, the ultimate success of a Raikkonen/Alonso partnership may well be decided on how good Ferrari's new turbo engine is.

Such is the importance of the engines next year that the performance of the V6 could make or break many teams' seasons.

There is a widespread consensus that there will be performance differences between the Renault, Mercedes and Ferrari power units next year, and it is possible that one manufacturer could be well clear at the front with another bringing up the rear.

If Ferrari's engine proves much better than the Renault in the back of the Lotus, then Raikkonen's move to Maranello will be viewed as inspired.

If, however, Ferrari's V6 is on the back foot and Renault dominate, then he could be left ruing the call.